"The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender, or submission."
- John F. Kennedy
"Don't forget what I discovered that over ninety percent of all national deficits from 1921 to 1939 were caused by payments for past, present, and future wars."
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
"It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets."
- Voltaire
1. U.S. report accuses China of failure to implement sanctions on N. Korea
2. Rehearsals Underway at the Mirim Parade Training Ground
3. North Korea braces for another powerful typhoon
4. U.S. extends travel ban on N. Korea for third time, citing 'serious risk'
5. North Korea Ballistic Missile Procurement Advisory
6. Kim Jong Un may be furious about rumors of sister Kim Yo Jong's rise in power
7. North Korea's Stolen Bitcoin Loot Move Is 'Just Tip of the Iceberg'
8. N. Korea uses foreign software to produce online publications
9. University student arrested for spreading "false information"
10. Unification minister calls for Japan's support in improving inter-Korean relations
11. North Korea Army Quarantines Entire Company on Coronavirus Fears
12. Korea on Periphery as U.S. Pushes for Indo-Pacific Security Pact
13. US hints at easing 'heavy concentration' of troops in Northeast Asia
14. North Korea Isn't Making New Plutonium for Weapons, Report Says
15. How Can Korea Pay for This Spendthrift Budget?
16. South and North Korea brace for two typhoons within a week
17. Seoul police reportedly investigating South Korea's largest crypto exchange Bithumb
18. South Korea's Main Opposition Party Changes Name... Again
19. N. Korean military agencies trip over each other to extract bribes
20. Two more N. Koreans crossed border into Samjiyon on Aug. 20
21. S. Korea-U.S. working group useful, function can be adjusted: Cheong Wa Dae officia
22. Beijing rejects U.S. report on Chinese warheads
1. U.S. report accuses China of failure to implement sanctions on N. Korea
This should be no surprise.
The report suggested China's loose implementation of the sanctions regime may be partly attributed to its dual-track approach toward North Korea that seeks to prevent military conflict on the Korean Peninsula and also a collapse of the North's communist regime.
(LEAD) U.S. report accuses China of failure to implement sanctions on N. Korea | Yonhap News Agency
(ATTN: UPDATES with remarks from a Defense Department official regarding China's nuclear capability in last 4 paras) By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The United States on Tuesday accused China of failing, if not refusing, to faithfully implement international sanctions placed on North Korea, citing what it called "warming" relations between the two communist neighbors.
"China largely continues to enforce a number of the U.N. Security Council's resolution sanctions against North Korea, but Beijing regularly fails to act against illicit ship-to-ship transfers in China's territorial seas, take action against China-based North Korean banking and weapons trade representatives and their activities," the U.S. Department of Defense said in its 2020 China Military Power Report.
The report noted China's alleged failure to fully implement sanctions against North Korea may have followed a recent improvement in their relationship, highlighted by exchanges between their highest leaders.
"The PRC's relationship with North Korea appeared to warm somewhat following a period tensions after China increased implementation of U.N. Security Council resolutions in 2017," said the report, referring to China by its official name, the People's Republic of China.
The U.N. Security Council, to which China is a permanent member, unanimously passed its 2017 sanctions resolution after Pyongyang staged its sixth and latest nuclear test in September that year.
"In 2019, President Xi Jinping met twice with Kim Jong-un, complementing numerous lower-level official exchanges in both North Korea and China," the report noted.
Kim visited China four times between March 2018 and June 2019, when the Chinese leader traveled to Pyongyang, becoming the first Chinese president to visit the reclusive North in 14 years.
The report suggested China's loose implementation of the sanctions regime may be partly attributed to its dual-track approach toward North Korea that seeks to prevent military conflict on the Korean Peninsula and also a collapse of the North's communist regime.
"And that encourages the resumption of U.S.-North Korea talks," said the report.
Talks between Washington and Pyongyang have stalled since the second bilateral summit between their leaders, held February 2019, ended without a deal.
Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump first met in Singapore in June 2018, which marked the first-ever summit between the countries' sitting heads of state.
With improved ties between their leadership, Beijing and Pyongyang have also resumed their military exchanges, the U.S. report noted.
"China and North Korea restarted high-level military diplomacy, which included North Korean participation in the People's Liberation Army Navy's (PLAN's) international fleet review and several meetings between military officials," it said.
The report also noted the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China conducts military exercises in preparation for a contingency on the Korean Peninsula, adding China's contingency measures could include securing the China-North Korea border to prevent the flow of refugees but also its intervention.
"China could cite the 1961 Treaty of Friendship, Co-operation and Mutual Assistance that it signed with North Korea as a justification to send the PLA into North Korea," it said.
Meanwhile, the report estimated China's nuclear warheads stockpile to be currently at "low two hundreds" in what could be the first detailed U.S. assessment of China's nuclear capability.
"The report does contend that there's currently an estimated low two hundreds, in terms of warheads stockpiles, and it's projected to at least double in size over the next decade as China expands and modernizes nuclear forces," Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for China Chad Sbragia said in a webinar hosted by Washington-based U.S. policy think tank American Enterprise Institute (AEI).
Event moderator and AEI researcher Zack Cooper noted previous reports had estimated China's nuclear warheads stockpile at low three-hundreds or much higher.
"I think it's also important that the report notes that China is expanding and modernizing and diversifying its nuclear forces across the board, so just looking at number of warheads by itself is not the entire picture or doesn't paint a holistic understanding of where the Chinese are or maybe where they want to go," said Sbragia.
bdk@yna.co.kr (END)
2. Rehearsals Underway at the Mirim Parade Training Ground
I am sure the north Korean soldiers hate parade rehearsals just as much as soldiers around the world. But I bet no other soldiers practice as long and hard as north Korea ones. it is amazing the amount of resources, time, and manpower committed to this. Just think how all these resources could be more effectively employed for the good of the Korean people in the north.
We should be prepared for a possible provocation surrounding this event if the regime is unable to execute it or execute to sufficient standard.
Rehearsals Underway at the Mirim Parade Training Ground | 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea
38north.org · by Martyn Williams · September 1, 2020
Recent commercial satellite imagery of the Mirim Parade Training Ground indicates that rehearsals have begun for an upcoming military parade, likely to be held next month.
Figure 1. Vehicles parked and troops in formation at 2:17 UTC.
North Korea has been widely expected to hold a major military parade on October 10 this year to mark the 75th anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea. These images provide the first evidence that rehearsals are underway.
The Mirim facility, which is located on the eastern side of Pyongyang, is typically used as a rehearsal location for parades. Compared to previous years, training appears to have started slightly later than usual, likely due to COVID-19 and anti-pandemic measures. In 2017, for instance, preparations were observed about two months ahead of the April 15 parade while in 2015, the first signs of preparations for the October 10 parade were observed in May.
Figure 3. Overview of Mirim Parade Training Ground.
The training grounds are also used as a staging area for heavy equipment that will be featured in the parade such as tanks, heavy artillery and transporter-erector-launchers (TELs). In past years, makeshift shelters were erected in an open lot in the southeast corner of the facility to protect and conceal the equipment. This meant that some vehicles could be seen in satellite imagery ahead of the parade and the number of shelters gave a sense of how much heavy equipment had been brought in.
However, over the past few months, a large fenced-in area with approximately 100 garages was constructed on this lot. The new permanent buildings provide protection for parade vehicles from both the environment and imaging satellites, making it now impossible to tell based on imagery alone how much or what kind of heavy equipment may be integrated into the parade, short of the equipment being captured during actual rehearsals. That said, numerous tire tracks in the newly concreted area servicing the garages indicate heavy activity has taken place in and around the garages.
Figure 4. Tire tracks visible at newly concreted area.
Image capture by Planet Labs was at 2:17 UTC, and by Maxar Technologies at 2:47 UTC on August 31, 2020.
[1] show hundreds of vehicles parked in the northwest parking lots adjacent to the parade grounds, and thousands of troops in formations near or in the area that replicates Kim Il Sung Square.
3. North Korea braces for another powerful typhoon
The korean people in the north do not need this.
North Korea braces for another powerful typhoon | Yonhap News Agency
SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's official newspaper on Wednesday urged efforts to prevent damage from another typhoon heading toward the Korean Peninsula as the country grapples to recover from a previous typhoon.
The North was hit by Typhoon Bavi last week that caused flooding and destruction in many areas, including its southwestern province of Hwanghae, known as a major rice-producing region. Leader Kim Jong-un visited the province, calling for recovery efforts though he said the damage is "smaller than expected."
"A warning has been issued in the country that Typhoon No. 9, coming from the Philippines, is likely to affect the country. As such, we are taking active measures to prevent damage in the country's eastern regions," the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the ruling party, said in an article Wednesday.
Typhoon Maysak, the ninth tropical storm of the season, will likely hit the country's eastern regions, with some areas expected to receive up to 400 millimeters of rain Wednesday and Thursday, according to state media.
"We need to come up with thorough measures to prevent accidents and natural disasters," leader Kim was quoted as saying in the paper.
The paper added that officials were taking several measures so as to minimize damage in crop fields, factories and in the fishing industry in Kangwon Province and in northeastern areas, including North and South Hamgyong provinces.
The latest typhoon comes as North Korea suffers from a double whammy of coronavirus concerns and deepening economic woes, and fresh concerns over damage caused by recent heavy downpours.
julesyi@yna.co.kr (MORE)
4. U.S. extends travel ban on N. Korea for third time, citing 'serious risk'
We do not need any more Otto Warmbiers.
U.S. extends travel ban on N. Korea for third time, citing 'serious risk' | Yonhap News Agency
WASHINGTON, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. State Department has extended the travel ban on North Korea for another year, citing what it called a "serious risk" of arrest and long-term detention of U.S. citizens by the communist state, a public notice showed Tuesday.
The one-year extension marks the third of its kind since Washington declared all U.S. passports invalid for visits to, in and through the North on Sept. 1, 2017.
The move followed the death of Otto Warmbier, who died six days after he returned home following his release from North Korea in June 2017. The then 22-year-old had been detained by North Korea since January 2016 on suspicions of trying to steal a propaganda poster from his hotel in Pyongyang.
"The Department of State has determined that there continues to be serious risk to United States citizens and nationals of arrest and long-term detention representing imminent danger to their physical safety," said the public notice, posted on the website of the U.S. Federal Register.
"Accordingly, all United States passports shall remain invalid for travel to, in, or through the DPRK unless specially validated for such travel," it added.
Separately, the State Department maintains the highest level-4 or "Do Not Travel" travel advisory on the North, partly because of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to its own website.
"Do not travel to North Korea due to COVID-19 and the serious risk of arrest and long-term detention of U.S. nationals," says the travel advisory, dated Aug. 6.
No massive outbreak of COVID-19 has been confirmed in the impoverished North, which has nearly closed off all its borders, including those shared with its largest communist ally China.
I think this is an important action. This is a very comprehensive advisory. This contributes to a maximum pressure campaign. It provides critical advice for businesses to "know their customer." I think this advisory may also serve as a warning to businesses that they will not be able to plead ignorance. Now they have a responsibility to ensure proper vetting of customers to protect themselves from potentially violating UN and U.S. sanctions. Such violations will likely result in severe punishment. They have been warned.
The purpose of this advisory seems to be threefold: 1) Try to prevent support for the regime's ballistic missile program. 2) Continue to assert maximum pressure on north Korea directly by upsetting its supply chain. 3) Lay the groundwork for potential punishment of violators by exposing north Korean tactics, techniques and procedures.
I think it is also interesting to note the other actions that have been recently taken in regards to north Korean cyber activities and procurement of funds through cyber theft. It appears the US is taking direct action against the regime and its ballistic missile program and against its illicit cyber activities. This should be a message the US has not stopped implementing maximum pressure (even though there is still much more we can and must do).
My FDD colleague Andrea Stricker added this important point:
It is key that the government is highlighting for industry how North Korea seeks items for its missile program which fall below export control thresholds. Exporters need continuously updated government guidance about the latest illicit procurement schemes and specific items targeted by Pyongyang so they can better implement "catch-all" controls.
North Korea Ballistic Missile Procurement Advisory
The United States is issuing an advisory to alert industry worldwide to North Korea's ballistic missile procurement activities. This advisory identifies key North Korean procurement entities and deceptive techniques employed by North Korean proliferators and procurement networks, provides an overview of U.S. sanctions authorities related to DPRK proliferation, and lists North Korea-related sanctions enforcement resources.
6. Kim Jong Un may be furious about rumors of sister Kim Yo Jong's rise in power
You do not want to be called the number 2 in north Korea. However, I do take this with a grain of salt. From what I have heard from escapees it seems that Kim Yo-jong is the only person Kim Jong-un likely trusts.
Kim Jong Un may be furious about rumors of sister Kim Yo Jong's rise in power
New York Post · by Yaron Steinbuch · August 31, 2020
Kim Jong Un's sister, who has vanished from public view, may have been purged by the paranoid and vindictive North Korean despot amid reports that she's his "de facto second-in-command," according to a report.
The South Korean news outlet Chosun Ilbo has reported that the leader's 32-year-old sister, Kim Yo Jong - who has not been seen since July 27 - may be lying low to offset speculation that he ceded some authority to her.
But speculation has been mounting that the dictator, who is known for executing his rivals, took offense at her rising public profile as rumors swirled that he had been gravely ill, the Sun reported.
North Korea expert Professor Nam Sung-wook told the Chosun Ilbo that Kim Yo Jong's increasing profile could actually be her undoing, according to the Sun.
"In the past, anyone was deprived of their position the moment they were described as the number two person in the North," the Korea University educator said.
"There must be a semblance of checks and balances, although Kim Yo Jong is a family member," he said, adding that it remains possible that she decided on her own to take a backseat.
Kim Yo Jong was last seen when she stood beside her brother last month as he gave commemorative pistols to military leaders on the 67th anniversary of the Korean War armistice.
7. North Korea's Stolen Bitcoin Loot Move Is 'Just Tip of the Iceberg'
I do not think it has to be either/or. We need to improve defenses but we also need to be aggressive in tracking down the funds. And I would add we also need to conduct offensive operations against north Korean hackers and north Korea organizations.
Gina Kim, a security specialist based in South Korea, also spoke to Crytponews.com, warning that trying to hunt down stolen funds was a "thankless" task - and claimed that American and South Korean authorities would be better off focusing on defense. Especially as recent reports from the US Army claim the North has several thousand cyber operatives in the field - many of whom are allegedly working overseas in nations including China.
North Korea's Stolen Bitcoin Loot Move Is 'Just Tip of the Iceberg'
Bitcoin (BTC) has begun to flow out of the accounts that United States prosecutors said belong to North Korean hackers - but an observer in the South said that attempts to follow the money could result in disaster for firms, government bodies and financial services providers.
Per blockchain tracker Whale Alert, BTC 12 was moved out of one of the 280 crypto wallets flagged by American prosecutors as belonging to what it alleges are North Korean hackers who have stolen cryptoassets from a range of international targets.
⚠ 12 #BTC (139,465 USD) of forfeited funds transferred from Forfeited North Korean Funds to unknown wallet
- Whale Alert (@whale_alert)
According to Newsis, America's prosecutor-general alleges that North Korean hackers stole 11 types of crytoasset worth some USD 273,000 from an anonymous virtual currency exchange in July last year. It also said that in August 2019, the rogue state stole USD 2.47 million worth of tokens from a United States-based crypto exchange.
The media outlet said that the North is now trading its tokens on Chinese over-the-counter (OTC) trading platforms - with no shortage of takers in the Middle Kingdom.
Cho Du-hyun, a former business owner and a long-term North Korea observer based in South Korea, told Cryptonews.com,
"What we read about is likely the tip of the iceberg. And it figures that the North Koreans will turn to Chinese traders as they share the same political enemies and have a common cause, so to speak. But I'm not sure I would pay too much attention to reports about this - most of the trades will likely go completely undetected by the international community. Business between China and North Korea so often is."
Gina Kim, a security specialist based in South Korea, also spoke to Crytponews.com, warning that trying to hunt down stolen funds was a "thankless" task - and claimed that American and South Korean authorities would be better off focusing on defense. Especially as recent reports from the US Army claim the North has several thousand cyber operatives in the field - many of whom are allegedly working overseas in nations including China.
Kim said,
"What the North Koreans are doing with their hacked funds shouldn't really be the issue here - plugging leaks should be. The recent Twitter hacks have shown just how easy it is to run a massive crypto scam by exploiting vulnerabilities at big tech companies. Crypto exchanges, banks, governments and the like would be better off making their systems hack-proof than fruitlessly chasing fistfuls of stolen crypto."
8. N. Korea uses foreign software to produce online publications
Excerpts:
Daily NK's investigation found that Kim Il Sung's book "On Exposing the Reactionism of the Mutual Defense Treaty between the Republic of Korea and the United States of America" was written in MS Word before being converted into a PDF file with Adobe's "Acrobat Distiller."
...
While the regime tells its populace about the importance of buying things "made in North Korea" and reliance on the country's own technology, the country's authorities seem to prefer the greater functionality and convenience of overseas products.
Daily NK's investigation also found that Adobe's Indesign software was used to create some North Korean publications.
N. Korea uses foreign software to produce online publications - Daily NK
While North Korea has gone to great lengths to stress the importance of localizing production and self-sufficiency, a Daily NK investigation has found that the country uses foreign software in the production of various kinds of publications posted online.
By analyzing the metadata of documents uploaded to the nojak category on the North Korean website "Korean Books" (www.korean-books.com.kp), Daily NK discovered that they were written using the American word-processing software Microsoft Word (MS Word).
Nojak refers to books that describe the revolutionary socialist theories or statements of Kim Jong Un, Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. This literature is used for education aimed at deifying the country's leaders.
Daily NK's investigation found that Kim Il Sung's book "On Exposing the Reactionism of the Mutual Defense Treaty between the Republic of Korea and the United States of America" was written in MS Word before being converted into a PDF file with Adobe's "Acrobat Distiller."
Acrobat Distiller is a program that converts files made in other applications to PDF format.
Another document by Kim Jong Un entitled "Members of the Korean Youth Corps are the True Sons and Daughters of the Socialist Motherland, Let's Become Young Revolutionaries" was also produced using the same method, as were other nojak uploaded to the site.
North Korea created its own version of MS Office called Sogwang Office, and the country's authorities proclaim that this software has made a great contribution to "office work automation." Sogwang Office is installed on all North Korean-made laptops and smartphones.
While the regime tells its populace about the importance of buying things "made in North Korea" and reliance on the country's own technology, the country's authorities seem to prefer the greater functionality and convenience of overseas products.
Daily NK's investigation also found that Adobe's Indesign software was used to create some North Korean publications.
An example of a publication on the North Korean website "Korean Books" having been created by Adobe's Indesign. / Image: Daily NK
A number of books uploaded to the website Korean Books including "Korea," "Land of Beautiful Scenery" and "Foreign Trade" were found to have been made with Indesign.
Indesign is software used for layouts and page design in print and digital media.
Outside of this, North Korea also prints the Rodong Sinmun with Quark's digital publishing program QuarkXPress, and uses Adobe Photoshop for photo editing.
Daily NK was unable to uncover whether these programs are being used in North Korea under official licenses; however, since US companies are banned from selling products to North Korea under international sanctions against the country, it is likely that North Korean authorities are using the software illegally and without official licenses.
Daily NK also found that numerous North Korean websites run on Apache servers from the Apache Software Foundation, and make use of web technology such as JavaScript and PHP.
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
9. University student arrested for spreading "false information"
He served at the JSA for 8 years. Be careful of drinking too much.
Chang is from Pyongyang and reportedly comes from a reputable class background. After serving in the JSA for eight years, he was admitted to the university last autumn at the recommendation of the department in his military unit responsible for enlisted officers. He was believed to have a "promising future" due to his longstanding interest in electric engineering, so how did it all go wrong?
The story dates back to July when authorities ordered universities to take an "early vacation." During a birthday party with some friends at home, Chang was asked if he had ever seen any South Koreans. Chang was reportedly excited by the question and began to talk about his experience, even mentioning that there were "defection telephones" (defection bells) installed along the Military Demarcation Line (MDL).
University student arrested for spreading "false information" - Daily NK
The arrest has also led to an uproar at Ryongsong Electric Engineering Industrial University
North Korean authorities recently arrested a university student who had once worked in the Joint Security Area (JSA) for allegedly "fabricating and disseminating false information," Daily NK has learned.
The arrest was carried out by Department 3 of the Ministry of State Security (MSS)'s Domestic Counterespionage Bureau on the morning of Aug. 24 while Chang was in a lecture hall at Ryongsong Electrical Engineering Industrial University. The MSS told the school that the arrest was due to a "political statement" he had allegedly made, according to a North Korean source who spoke to Daily NK on condition of anonymity on Aug. 27.
Chang is from Pyongyang and reportedly comes from a reputable class background. After serving in the JSA for eight years, he was admitted to the university last autumn at the recommendation of the department in his military unit responsible for enlisted officers. He was believed to have a "promising future" due to his longstanding interest in electric engineering, so how did it all go wrong?
The story dates back to July when authorities ordered universities to take an "early vacation." During a birthday party with some friends at home, Chang was asked if he had ever seen any South Koreans. Chang was reportedly excited by the question and began to talk about his experience, even mentioning that there were "defection telephones" (defection bells) installed along the Military Demarcation Line (MDL).
South Korean troops engage in demining operations inside the DMZ. / Image: Yonhap News Agency
He explained that the equipment was set up by the South Koreans to encourage North Korean soldiers or citizens to safely defect from the country. Chang's friends were reportedly intrigued to hear about something one could only learn by working in the JSA.
The drinking party finished in good spirits, but the military secrets that Chang had revealed came back to bite him when one of his friends bragged about the story upon returning home. His mother, the head of an inminban (North Korea's lowest administrative unit) in one of the central districts of Pyongyang, immediately reported the incident to her local Ministry of State Security officer. It turns out she was a "spy" who had worked diligently for the MSS for 30 years.
The incident was reported up the chain, ultimately leading to Chang's arrest. During the investigation, Chang claimed that he "made a mistake while drunk," but he appears to be in a grave situation, with authorities reportedly refusing a request from his father to visit him.
According to the source, some believe that he may be hit with additional charges of "inciting defection" and "revealing military secrets," which could lead to a political punishment where his entire family is exiled from Pyongyang. This is because the authorities are very sensitive when it comes to issues related to South Korea.
The arrest has also led to an uproar at Ryongsong Electrical Engineering Industrial University. While students are exchanging stories out of curiosity over the reason behind the arrest, the university is asking people not to speak of the incident due to concerns that the school may also face repercussions.
South Korean military authorities decided to install extra equipment including telephones, intercoms, signs, white flags and reflective belts along sections of barbed-wire fencing at the border after the "knocking incident" of October 2012: a North Korean soldier seeking to defect made it all the way to a South Korean guard post and knocked on the door of a South Korean barracks.
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Unification Minister Lee In-young called Tuesday for Japan's support in improving inter-Korean relations, saying it will be "very beneficial for Japan as well."
Lee made the remark during his first meeting with Japanese Ambassador Koji Tomita after his inauguration in July, stressing the need for the two countries to maintain cooperation in the wake of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's recent decision to step down.
"Prime Minister Abe has announced his decision to step down due to health concerns. Our government is sorry to hear about this and wishes him a speedy recovery," Lee said at the start of the meeting.
"Our government will continue to cooperate with the new Japanese administration and we expect to maintain close cooperation especially in achieving peace on the Korean Peninsula and peace in the Northeast Asia region," he said.
Lee also called on Japan to support South Korea's efforts to improve inter-Korean relations "with a broad perspective and open mind."
"I am aware that within Japan, or in some parts of it, there are those who voice concerns over the rapid move in improving inter-Korean relations ... I believe bringing peace to the Korean Peninsula by improving inter-Korean relations will lead to peace and stability in Northeast Asia and will be very beneficial for Japan as well," he said.
Tomita agreed on the need to resume denuclearization talks but emphasized that several issues remain for Tokyo and Pyongyang to resolve first, including the abduction of Japanese citizens by the North in the 1970s and 1980s to train its spies on Japanese language and culture.
The abduction issue has been one of the key hurdles for diplomatic normalization between North Korea and Japan for decades.
"North Kora's kidnapping (of the Japanese) was an important task under the Abe administration ... it will remain an important task under the new administration as well," he said.
Inter-Korean relations have been stalled since the no-deal nuclear summit between the North and the U.S. early last year. The ties worsened recently when North Korea blew up a joint liaison office in its border town of Kaesong in anger over anti-Pyongyang leaflets flown from the South.
julesyi@yna.co.kr (END)
11. North Korea Army Quarantines Entire Company on Coronavirus Fears
This could be very serious. If there is any kind of widespread outbreak with the military it could have destabilizing effects on the regime.
North Korea Army Quarantines Entire Company on Coronavirus Fears
Military authorities in North Korea have quarantined an entire company of soldiers who patrol the country's border with China, after it was discovered that one of the soldiers had come in contact with a Chinese national, sources in the country told RFA.
The company is part of the 25th border guard brigade, stationed along part of the Sino-Korean border in Ryanggang province. A North Korean brigade is usually divided into around 10 companies of about 120-150 troops each.
"On the 10th, a company in the 25th brigade was quarantined to prevent the spread of the coronavirus," a military source from Ryanggang, who asked not to be named, told RFA Monday.
"After a total of 60 days of isolation, the soldiers in the company can only come out if they do not show symptoms," the source said.
The source did not specify the location and unit name of the responsible company for the safety of the soldiers.
Securing the border with China to prevent coronavirus has been a major priority for North Korea in recent weeks.
Though the two countries suspended trade and officially closed the border at the beginning of the pandemic in January, the 1,420-km (880-mile) frontier has remained porous, because North Korea's nascent market economy depends on the smuggling of goods into and out of China.
Since January, RFA reported several incidents related to smuggling of goods or movement of people across the border, including the mid-July return of a refugee that had previously escaped. He was undetected during his return, and a reportedly infuriated top leader Kim Jong Un disbanded the military unit responsible for guarding the part of the border where he crossed.
RFA also previously reported that North Korean elite special forces troops were sent to "assist" border guard units posted there, but sources said their true purpose was to stop the guards from taking bribes from smugglers to look the other way when contraband crosses the border.
Last week, sources told RFA that a shoot-on-sight order was in effect for anyone found within a kilometer (0.6 miles) of the border.
The Ryanggang source said the one soldier got his company in trouble at the beginning of August when he served as a middleman in a border transaction.
"On the 6th, a solder in the 25th received money on behalf of a local resident from a Chinese national while on duty at the border," the source said, adding that a state security agent witnessed this soldier delivering the money to the resident, and reported it as suspicious activity.
"After that resident was arrested and investigated, it was revealed that the border guard had come in contact with the Chinese," the source said.
While in most cases the recommended quarantine period is 14 days, it is believed that the soldiers are on a 60-day quarantine as a form of punishment. Soldiers do not receive a proper food supply, and if they are unable to go out for two months, they will face hunger during the two months of isolation.
"They went into quarantine together without getting tested. The quarantined soldiers aren't allowed to go outside of their barracks and they are confined there, but the authorities are not providing food, so they are complaining of hunger," the source said.
"The authorities are taking this case seriously because this incident happened even though they have been emphasizing their emergency quarantine status, holding several plenary meetings of the Central Committee [of the Korean Workers' Party] to block the coronavirus," the source said.
The country declared a "maximum national emergency" in mid-July when a refugee who had escaped to South Korea swam back North across the inter-Korean border to an area near his hometown of Kaesong.
Authorities claimed the refugee displayed coronavirus symptoms and Kaesong was put on lockdown. Additionally, travel between provinces was banned and Pyongyang began to focus more closely on the activities of military units along the border with China.
"Once the quarantine is over, the soldier and the commanding officer will be in trouble," the source said.
Another source, a Ryanggang resident, confirmed to RFA Monday that the entire company was quarantined.
"It is said that the soldiers are not allowed to step out of the barracks and that the period of quarantine is from August 10 to October 10," said the second source, who requested anonymity for security reasons.
"Earlier this month, around the same time, there was a case in which a company belonging to the 27th brigade was disbanded for failing to prevent a refugee from re-entering the country. People are saying that the 25th brigade's company might also be disbanded as soon as their quarantine is over," said the second source.
The second source expressed concern that if any of the soldiers actually have coronavirus, the quarantine could cause the virus to spread among the whole company or even kill some of them.
"The authorities forcibly quarantined all the border guards of the company [to punish them] for having contact with Chinese, but there were no diagnostic procedures or medical staff to check their health conditions," the second source said.
"There are no medical supplies or medical facilities in case of emergency. If any of the quarantined soldiers are infected by the new coronavirus, they just have to sit and wait for their deaths," the second source said.
On August 26, WHO Representative to the DPRK Edwin Salvador told RFA that the North Korean Ministry of Public Health reported on August 20 that a total of 2,767 people in the country had been tested for COVID-19, all with negative results. He added that the North Korean authorities did not confirm any details about the Kaesong returning refugee suspected case.
North Korea still maintains it is virus-free despite the government's extensive measures against COVID-19, including in April advising citizens in public lectures that the virus at that time had been spreading in the capital and two other regions of the country. It has not reported a single confirmed case.
Reported by Sewon Kim for RFA's Korean Service. Translated by Leejin Jun. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
12. Korea on Periphery as U.S. Pushes for Indo-Pacific Security Pact
Of course Korea interprets this as a slight. The Quad as a concept has been around for some time. But Korea should ask themselves given the relationship with Japan could it become part of it? And if it wants to become part of the Quad plus it will have to accept the concept of strategic flexibility of US forces. Perhaps a step toward the right direction might be improving the relationship with Japan and the trilateral relationship with Japan and the US. Unfortunately Korea's actions surrounding the GSOMIA do not engender confidence that the relationship can be improved.
Korea on Periphery as U.S. Pushes for Indo-Pacific Security Pact
The U.S. is seeking to launch a an Indo-Pacific security bloc to counter the rising might of China in the region, with Japan, Australia, and India at the core.
Korea, New Zealand and Vietnam would for now remain on the periphery.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun laid out the broad structure at the virtual U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum on Monday.
"It is a reality that the Indo-Pacific region is actually lacking in strong multilateral structures. They don't have anything of the fortitude of NATO, or the European Union," Biegun said. "Starting with the Quad, starting with just the four [countries] might be a very important start."
Stephen Biegun
But he claimed Korea, New Zealand and Vietnam have also been closely involved. "Seven of us on a weekly basis at my level, so just below the ministerial level, and each of those governments met weekly, and it was incredibly productive discussion among very, very cooperative partners," he said.
But he was cagey about the purpose of the group, which is thought to be aimed at containing China. "I'd just be very careful to not define it solely as an initiative to contain or to defend against China," he said, without explaining what else it might be.
But he did not commit himself to formalizing the new grouping. "I think we're going to have to be a little bit careful here in doing that, although I think from an American perspective that would be easy," he said. "We've got to make sure everybody's moving at the same speed."
"The strongest institutions in Asia oftentimes are not... inclusive enough, and so... there is certainly an invitation there at some point to formalize a structure like this."
He also took a jab at former President Barack Obama's failed attempt to "pivot" U.S. strategy to Asia. "I think this was very much the initiative of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement. But I'm afraid what happened with TPP is the ambitions got too big and ultimately it fell under the weight of excessive ambition, so I think also we have to be careful and modest here," he added.
Korea is under growing pressure from China to support it in its intensifying diplomatic tensions with the U.S., with a visit from senior apparatchik Yang Jiechi here last week adding weight to the dilemma.
13. US hints at easing 'heavy concentration' of troops in Northeast Asia
This being interpreted as laying the ground world for withdrawal of some or all US forces from Korea and perhaps from Japan in support of SMA negotiations perhaps with both Korea and Japan. But strategic flexibility is key to the future for US forces and for the alliances.
US hints at easing 'heavy concentration' of troops in Northeast Asia
In this file photo taken on March 28, U.S. President Donald Trump, with Defense Secretary Mark Esper, speaks during the departure ceremony for the hospital ship USNS Comfort at Naval Base Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia. AFP-Yonhap By Do Je-hae
A ranking U.S. official has hinted at the need for a realignment of U.S. troops in Northeast Asia to ensure that the U.S. has the "right forces in the right places," according to the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD).
Concerns are that it may signal a possible reduction in the United States Forces Korea (USFK), which U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened as he pushes for Korea to pay more for the stationing of troops here.
"We are heavily concentrated in Northeast Asia," David Helvey, acting assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific affairs, said, according to a report by the DOD, Monday. "Some of these troops' placements are legacies of World War II."
"We'd like to be able to make our presence more geographically distributed, more operationally resilient," he said. "Maybe the future is going to be less about bases and more about places - being able to operate across a multiplicity of locations, which give us the flexibility and the agility to respond to a variety of different threats and challenges."
His remark has raised concerns over reductions in the numbers of U.S. troops abroad, a move sought by Trump who has been openly critical of the U.S. having to spend too much on maintaining overseas bases.
In July, he approved a plan to withdraw 12,000 U.S. troops from Germany, nearly a third of the 34,500 stationed in the European country. This raised further speculation here that he may decide to undertake a similar move in Korea.
The speculation gained ground after recent media reports that the Pentagon had offered the White House an option to reduce the 28,500-strong USFK amid a prolonged bilateral dispute about the cost-sharing for maintaining the troops. Trump has used the possible reduction option as a bargaining chip to increase Seoul's share of the costs for the USFK's presence while slamming Korea for paying "peanuts" to maintain this.
Observers note that that ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November, the issue of a realignment of U.S. troops and cost-sharing with allies is expected to be highlighted as one of the major debate topics between Trump and his Democratic rival and two-time Vice President Joe Biden.
Some experts stress the importance of progress in the Special Measures Agreement (SMA) negotiations - the mechanism that determines how much Korea pays for the USFK upkeep - to avoid a sudden decision by the U.S. to withdraw some troops, which could jeopardize the U.S.-ROK alliance.
"In light of the changing security environment, strategic flexibility of U.S. forces is very important, but so is coordination and interoperability with allies. Washington and Seoul have significantly modernized the U.S. military footprint in South Korea and continue to transform the alliance," Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University, told The Korea Times.
"The problem is U.S. allies face increased burden-sharing pressure and are trying to wait out Trump. That tactic carries risks of reduced military readiness and the discussion of partial troop withdrawals. Seoul does not want to dramatically increase its cost-sharing, but it also doesn't want to find itself in Germany's situation. So making progress with the SMA should be a priority."
Regardless of who wins, the increasingly dominant view is that U.S. troops will likely be affected given that the world has changed and the U.S. is seeking to adjust its Northeast Asia strategy accordingly. In particular, the rise of China in the region has emerged as primary factor in the need for the U.S. to re-design its military and diplomatic policies in the region.
"It is likely that any U.S. administration will pursue a reduction and transition of U.S. troops stationed in Korea," Kim Heung-Kyu, a professor at Ajou University, said in a recent media interview. "It's just a matter of time. The current deployment of U.S. troops is aimed at coping with the Cold War after the Korean War, which is not suitable for U.S.-China strategic competition."
14. North Korea Isn't Making New Plutonium for Weapons, Report Says
I am curious as to why Bloomberg would use this headline and not on this:
The IAEA inspectors did observe indications that North Korea is manufacturing enriched uranium, as well as mining and milling more of the heavy metal that is the key ingredient for reactors and bombs.
North Korea Isn't Making New Plutonium for Weapons, Report Says
International Atomic Energy Agency used satellite imagery
Indications that North Korea is manufacturing enriched uranium
Bloomberg · by Jonathan Tirone · September 2, 2020
Satellite image of the Yongbyon nuclear reactor
Source: Maxar/38 North via Getty Images
Source: Maxar/38 North via Getty Images
North Korea doesn't appear to be making any more of a key material needed to expand its nuclear-weapons stockpile, according to an international monitoring report.
"It is almost certain that no reprocessing activity took place and that the plutonium produced in the 5 megawatt reactor during the most recent operational cycle has not been separated," the International Atomic Energy Agency said on Wednesday.
The IAEA relied on satellite imagery to make its assessment because inspectors are barred from entering the country. They pieced together high-resolution images of the Yongbyon nuclear reactor and pictures of a radiochemical laboratory to make their conclusion.
Accounting for nuclear material stockpiled by countries is at the heart of the global arms-control system and plays a central role in verifying disarmament agreements. Publication of a new model last month by Janes Intelligence Review suggested that the size of North Korea's weapons stockpile is smaller than previously thought.
Using North Korea as a case study, the researchers deconstructed the plutonium and highly-enriched uranium requirements for a two-stage thermonuclear weapon, which differ dramatically from simple single-stage devices modeled in most current studies.
Countries with thermonuclear devices -- the likes of which Kim Jong Un is now widely suspected to possess -- have greater challenges when it comes to managing the material demands of plutonium, uranium and tritium in their weapons, according to the authors.
The IAEA inspectors did observe indications that North Korea is manufacturing enriched uranium, as well as mining and milling more of the heavy metal that is the key ingredient for reactors and bombs.
15. How Can Korea Pay for This Spendthrift Budget?
The government has set next year's budget at a record W556 trillion, up 8.5 percent from this year (US$1=W1,185). Tax revenues are expected to decline by more than W9 trillion to around W292 trillion due to the economic slump, but the government plans to issue W90 trillion worth of debt to finance this massive shower. When President Moon Jae-in took office in 2017, the budget was a relatively modest W400 trillion. It has now risen by W130 trillion during the combined eight years of the Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye administrations. That means the country's fiscal debt will rise from W660 trillion in his first year in office to a staggering W945 trillion next year, surpassing W1 quadrillion in 2022, the final year of his single, five-year term. The fiscal debt ratio will rise from 36 percent in 2017 to 58.3 percent in 2024, according to the government's own data.
Global ratings firm Fitch has already warned that Korea's sovereign credit rating could drop if its fiscal debt ratio rises to 46 percent in 2023. But in fact it is almost certain to be way more than that. The fiscal balance after subtracting welfare spending is expected to fall to minus 5.8 percent this year, way below the minimum minus three percent recommended by the EU. Jitters over Korea's credit rating could lead to an exodus of foreign capital, and other side effects of the government's wanton spending are inevitable.
But the government and ruling party seem unfazed. Next year's budget includes hefty spending plans to finance various welfare projects to woo voters ahead of by-elections in Seoul and Busan. A whopping 36 percent of the budget is to be spent on welfare and unemployment benefit. Even more taxpayers' money is expected to be spent in 2022, when presidential elections are scheduled.
When Moon was an opposition lawmaker, he was a fiscal conservative and urged the government to keep the fiscal debt ratio below 40 percent. Now he says he can see no reason why this "arbitrary" level was set. Cheong Wa Dae went one better and claimed money "rots" if kept in government's coffers. One provincial governor affiliated with the ruling party claims that the country cannot go bankrupt no matter how much it spends.
What is worse is that the country's debt can never be slashed significantly once Moon is comfortably retired in his grace-and-favor home because most of the spending is tied to welfare and wages for public servants, which are almost impossible to cut once they have gone up. The government expects fiscal earnings to rise 3.5 percent on average annually during the next five years, but fiscal spending will soar 5.7 percent. Factoring in Korea's low birthrate and aging population, a snowballing fiscal deficit is imminent. Korea is setting off into uncharted waters of chronic government deficits, jettisoning its status as a global model of fiscal soundness for expensive populist stunts.
16. South and North Korea brace for two typhoons within a week
South and North Korea brace for two typhoons within a week
CNN · by Julia Hollingsworth, Yoonjung Seo and Sophie Jeong, CNN
Seoul (CNN)Two powerful typhoons are hurtling toward the Korean Peninsula, threatening to bring more flooding and devastation to an area that has already been battered by one of the wettest monsoon seasons in recent history.
Typhoon Maysak -- which is currently equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane -- is expected to make landfall on the southern part of the Korean Peninsula Wednesday night, local time. The storm currently has winds of 130 miles per hour (215 kilometers per hour) but is expected to weaken to a Category 2 storm with winds of around 99 to 108 mph (160 to 175 kph) by the time it makes landfall on the Korean Peninsula.
If Typhoon Maysak makes landfall on the Korean Peninsula, it would be the fourth named storm to do so this year. The typhoon takes its name from a Cambodian word for a type of tree.
The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) expects South Korea will be hit by heavy rains and strong winds on both Wednesday and Thursday.
And there's more bad weather in store for the region. Tropical Storm Haishen is expected to strengthen into a typhoon within the next 24 hours, before becoming the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane by the end of the week.
It's expected to threaten Japan's southwestern Kyushu region Sunday, and potentially affect the Korean Peninsula Monday. Japan's meteorological agency is warning that the storm could be the third biggest to hit the country since records began almost 70 years ago.
Preparations underway
Both North and South Korea are preparing as the two storms approach.
South Korean government officials have been dispatched to regions expected to be affected by Typhoon Maysak, South Korea's Ministry of Interior and Safety announced in a news release Wednesday.
North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Wednesday that "urgent measures are being taken for minimizing the damage," with heavy rains and strong winds expected to hit various parts of the country.
Officials are providing information so that people can "understand the importance of work for preventing typhoon damage and methods of coping with its crisis," and take immediate measures in dangerous spots, according to the report. Already efforts to minimize potential typhoon damage are underway, including repairing roofs and moving ships to safe areas, the report added.
Earlier in the week, Typhoon Maysak disrupted more than 200 flights in Japan. The country is already preparing for Tropical Storm Haishen, which is expected to bring high waves and heavy rain to Kyushu over the weekend, Japan's public broadcaster NHK reported.
Saiki city, in Kyushu's Oita prefecture, has warned more than 30,000 households to prepare for evacuations.
Wet summer
Although Japan and the Korean Peninsula often experience typhoons and torrential rain during summer, the damage this year has been particularly bad.
Just last week, Typhoon Bavi -- which was equivalent to a Category 1 storm -- battered western North Korea. Although the national television broadcaster usually signs off at 10:30 p.m. local time each day, it continued to air live coverage of the damage wrought by the storm, including fallen trees, roofs stripped from buildings and roads submerged in water.
After the typhoon, North Korean state media reported that dozens of buildings had been damaged, and power and water systems had been impacted.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the country had suffered "smaller than expected" damage from Typhoon Bavi despite his concerns when he inspected the typhoon-stricken South Hwanghae province.
Earlier in August, severe flooding caused by torrential rain left dozens dead or missing in North Korea and destroyed more than 22,000 hectares of arable land, according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
In South Korea, flooding and landslides left more than 40 dead or missing, and prompted the government to move thousands of people into evacuation facilities, according to South Korean authorities.
And in July, flash flooding triggered by record rainfall in Japan killed at least 18 people in Kyushu.
In August, a town in North Korea recorded as much rain as London sees in a year in just 48 hours. The soggy weather followed one of North Korea's worst droughts in decades after spring 2019 brought only 42% of average rains.
CNN meteorologist Pedram Javaheri and CNN's Junko Ogura in Tokyo contributed to this report.
17. Seoul police reportedly investigating South Korea's largest crypto exchange Bithumb
Excerpt:
Bithumb is South Korea's largest cryptocurrency exchange and the ninth-largest crypto exchange by average daily trading volume globally. As reported in June 2020, the company is allegedly planning to hold an initial public offering.
Seoul police reportedly investigating South Korea's largest crypto exchange Bithumb
Seoul police have reportedly raided Bithumb, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in South Korea.
According to a report by local publication Seoul Shinmun, an intelligence crime unit at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has reportedly conducted search and seizure investigations at Bithumb's office in the Gangnam District on Sept. 2.
As reported, the latest checks are purportedly connected with an ongoing police investigation involving Lee Jung Hoon, chairman of board at Bithumb Korea and Bithumb Holdings.
The executive has reportedly been under investigation for alleged economic fraud involving the token known as BXA. The token was purportedly promoted as Bithumb's native token that eventually turned out to be involved in high scale fraud that caused investor damages of 30 billion won ($25 million).
Bithumb did not immediately respond to Cointelegraph's request to confirm the news. This article will be updated pending new information from the exchange.
Bithumb is South Korea's largest cryptocurrency exchange and the ninth-largest crypto exchange by average daily trading volume globally. As reported in June 2020, the company is allegedly planning to hold an initial public offering.
Bithumb is not the only crypto exchange in South Korea that came under the spotlight of Seoul police recently. In late August, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency reportedly raided and seized the operations of Coinbit, the country's third-largest cryptocurrency exchange. The exchange is allegedly involved in generating an income of $85 million from market manipulation.
18. South Korea's Main Opposition Party Changes Name... Again
Names:
New Frontier
Liberty Korea
United Future Party
And now: People Power Party
South Korea's Main Opposition Party Changes Name... Again
South Korea's main opposition party changed its name for the second time in just seven months on Wednesday as it battles falling public support.
The country's political parties have a tendency to adopt new identities to try to sever ties with a tainted past or appeal to a wider audience.
The conservative United Future Party (UFP) -- a name it only adopted in February as it sought to relaunch itself ahead of parliamentary elections -- declared itself the People Power Party.
"The name change will become a big pillar for regaining the public's trust and the party's ruling power," said acting leader Kim Chong-in.
Wednesday's change gives the party its fourth name in three years.
Known as Saenuri -- or New Frontier -- under ousted president Park Geun-hye, it renamed itself Liberty Korea in 2017 to try to distance itself from the corruption scandal that brought her down.
It has struggled since Park's fall in the face of defections by lawmakers and limited public appeal.
Its UFP identity did little to help in April's vote, when it suffered a crushing defeat, taking just 103 seats in the 300-member National Assembly.
Its support fell five points to 30.1 percent last week, according to a Realmeter poll, while President Moon Jae-in's ruling Democratic Party had 40.4 percent backing.
The latest name change raised scepticism over whether it would be enough to shift public sentiment.
"Altering a party's name translates into a determination to separate itself from its past," said an editorial carried by the Joongang Daily newspaper.
But it added: "The party must prove its ideals through action... If it fails to reform itself sincerely, it cannot expect any victory in future elections."
19. N. Korean military agencies trip over each other to extract bribes
Another indicator of potential instability. If this is widespread it could lead to a breakdown in the multiple chains of control of the military.
N. Korean military agencies trip over each other to extract bribes - Daily NK
The deteriorating food situation has spread from the lowest-ranking units to even the GPB, where the top leadership of the military resides
The North Korean military's deteriorating food situation has led to greater competition among various military agencies to conduct "inspections" of military units and extract bribes, Daily NK has learned.
"The General Political Bureau [GPB], General Staff Department [GSD], Ministry of People's Armed Forces and the Military Security Command have recently been competing with each other to carry out all kinds of inspections," a North Korean military source told Daily NK on Monday. "Officials are abusing their authority in order to survive in the face of severe fluctuation of food prices and having military rations cut by 1/3."
According to the source, even GPB cadres are ready to conduct inspections and bully low ranking units at the drop of a hat because there is no longer a steady supply of food rations available. He noted that the deteriorating food situation has spread from the lowest-ranking units to even the GPB, where the top leadership of the military resides.
As a case in point, the command of the Third Corps (located in Nampo Special City) was suddenly raided by the GPB's Bureau 78 (located in Pyongyang's Sosong District) on the evening of Aug. 17, the source said.
Bureau 78 is under the direct control of the GPB's Organization Department and is responsible for managing and "inspecting" various devices (such as computers and TVs), along with "anti-socialist" videos. In other words, Bureau 78 stays on top of matters related to the "inflow of external information" among members of the military.
The problem is that the GPB had already carried out an inspection of the Third Corps this past spring. In the past, there were some years where no such inspections were carried out at all; however, the inspection is already the second one this year. This has led to speculation that the real purpose of the second inspection was to extort bribes from military officers at the Third Corps Command and their families.
A female military brass band performs for the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the Workers' Party of Korea on October 10, 2015. / Image: Yonhap
The Third Corps was also recently subjected to an inspection from the military's Communications Bureau that was purportedly related to the "three broadcasts" (wired broadcasts within military units, barracks and combat training grounds), and this raid is also believed to have focused on extracting bribes. Repeated raids on the same military unit by different agencies is rare, according to the source.
The GPB agents conducting the inspections openly demanded bribes in the form of goods rather than money, the source further reported. This suggests the agents were aware they needed to cover their tracks in light of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's emphasis on efforts to "root out corruption."
"Agents from Bureau 78 are openly making demands for 'Myohang' cigarettes, which are viewed as a luxury item in our society," the source explained. "Military officers in the [Third Corps] Command have decided it is better to [accept this level of corruption] than reveal the [corruption of the agents], so they have tried to acquire as many [cigarettes] as possible [to hand over to the agents as bribes]."
The agents reportedly covet Myohang cigarettes not only because of the product's high quality, but also because the cigarettes have seen the "biggest price hike" (RMB 15 per pack to RMB 23) of all products in the country because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This makes it easy to convert the cigarettes into cash, according to the source.
The source also noted that in spite of a travel ban in place, a large number of Third Corps officers were found to have left the base to obtain money or food from the homes of their parents or other relatives.
Bureau 78 agents, after analyzing "anti-socialist" videos and unregistered media devices, further discovered - to their shock - that many high-ranking officers from the military have been using these devices and watching illegal videos.
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
20. Two more N. Koreans crossed border into Samjiyon on Aug. 20
Another potential indicator of coronavirus getting into the north.
The two women are currently in isolation cells in Samjiyon's MSS office, and the 35-year-old is believed to have such a high fever that she is nearly comatose and unable to respond to questions. The MSS is reportedly carrying out a preliminary investigation based on the testimony of the younger woman, who has undergone blood tests after being classified as a suspected COVID-19 case.
Two more N. Koreans crossed border into Samjiyon on Aug. 20 - Daily NK
One of the women is suspected of being infected with COVID-19 and may face execution, a source told Daily NK
Two North Korean women crossed over the Sino-North Korean border into Samjiyon, Yanggang Province, on Aug. 20, and rumors that one of the women tested positive for COVID-19 in China has led to concern among locals, Daily NK has learned.
"Two women illegally crossed the border in Potae, Samjiyon, on the evening of Aug. 20," a source in Yanggang Province told Daily NK on Monday. "People heard from the families of officials at the Ministry of State Security [MSS] and Anti-epidemic Command that one of the women had tested positive for COVID-19 in China, and this rumor has spread like wildfire."
According to the source, who requested anonymity for security reasons, two North Korean women aged 35 and 27 who had been living in China were caught by three border patrol officers as they attempted to secretly enter North Korea near Potae, in the city of Samjiyon, on the evening of Aug. 20. The guards had detected movement in tall grass on the banks of the Yalu River and found the two women hiding when they approached with cocked guns.
The women were taken to Samjion's MSS office, where it is believed that one of the pair stated she had received a positive diagnosis for COVID-19 in China and had been quarantined for six days before escaping and coming to Samjiyon. When this news spread, it created a considerable stir among locals.
"The 35-year-old woman who [said she] tested positive knew there was still no vaccine for COVID-19 and that she might die abroad, so she wanted to come back to North Korea and see her parents," the source said. "She decided to return along with another 27-year-old defector who lived in her neighborhood."
According to the source, this incident sparked rumors in Samjiyon and Hyesan that the virus had entered North Korea.
RUMORS ABOUND
The two women are currently in isolation cells in Samjiyon's MSS office, and the 35-year-old is believed to have such a high fever that she is nearly comatose and unable to respond to questions. The MSS is reportedly carrying out a preliminary investigation based on the testimony of the younger woman, who has undergone blood tests after being classified as a suspected COVID-19 case.
The 27-year-old woman stated she had been in frequent contact with the other woman, who had been quarantined after testing positive for COVID-19 at a Chinese hospital. They agreed to escape together and return to North Korea, spending two days in the tall grass on the Chinese side of the Yalu River before crossing. After observing the border patrols, they determined there was a 30-minute gap between shifts from 10:50 PM and 11:20 PM, which is when they decided to make their move, according to the woman.
There are reportedly rumors that the allegedly infected woman may be executed. "The woman is guilty of illegally crossing the border to begin with, and there is talk that returning to North Korea with the virus means she could also be charged with the crime of endangering the lives of citizens," the source said.
Some North Koreans believe that the younger woman may receive a different punishment depending on how her test results come back, the source added.
Barbed wire fences on the Sino-North Korean border. / Image: Daily NK
"The runaway to the South who returned to Kaesong in July could also face execution, as entering the country during a pandemic aggravates the crime," the source said. "Since even the Supreme Leader [Kim Jong Un] is aware of this matter, it is possible [however] he will be used as an 'educator' rather than killed."
According to the source, Kim has been informed about the two women who returned to the country in late August, but "unlike the Kaesong defector incident, this has not been reported in the Rodong Sinmun or on Central Television [Korean Central TV], so it is hard to know what punishment they will receive."
Daily NK previously quoted a source in Yanggang Province who reported that a 20-year-old North Korean woman living in China had secretly crossed the Yalu River and entered Samjiyon on Aug. 24. Based on reports from Daily NK's sources, this means that at least three North Koreans have entered Samjiyon from China in August alone.
These border crossings have led to the mobilization of all military units, MSS and Ministry of Social Security officers - even party officials - in the Sino-North Korean border region given that Kim Jong Un continues to emphasize intense efforts to prevent COVID-19 from entering the country.
"The central government is bringing in recent graduates from Party schools who have not yet been given jobs and sending them to the border to beef up the numbers," the source said, adding, "Ten percent of those sent by the central government are from Yanggang Province, but the rest of them hail from other regions of the country. Pyongyang citizens were not included."
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
21. S. Korea-U.S. working group useful, function can be adjusted: Cheong Wa Dae official
KInd of a tepid description. I think it is more than useful. But certain members of the Moon administration still want to use it as an excuse for failed intra-Korean engagement. I do not know why they refuse to admit the reason for failure lies with the Kim family regime.
Asked about the concern by a lawmaker, Suh said, "Basically, the South Korea-U.S. working group is useful.
"The allies are in consultations on how to better operate it by "adjusting the aspects of it being misunderstood and excessively functioning." Suh gave no details.
S. Korea-U.S. working group useful, function can be adjusted: Cheong Wa Dae official | Yonhap News Agency
SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- A top Cheong Wa Dae official said Wednesday the South Korea-U.S. working group on North Korea is "useful," and discussions are under way on how to better operate it.
The remarks by President Moon Jae-in's top security adviser, Suh Hoon, during a National Assembly session came in response to talk of negative effects of the forum launched in 2018.
The working group's main aim is for the allies to coordinate efforts more effectively to achieve the denuclearization of Korea and bring lasting peace to the peninsula, as strategies on Pyongyang have at times been a source of thinly-veiled rifts between the two sides.
The North has accused the Moon administration of being beholden to the U.S. and hesitant in moving forward peace projects.
Asked about the concern by a lawmaker, Suh said, "Basically, the South Korea-U.S. working group is useful."
The allies are in consultations on how to better operate it by "adjusting the aspects of it being misunderstood and excessively functioning." Suh gave no details.
Suh, director of national security at Cheong Wa Dae, rather took issue with the "viewpoint" of critics.
"There is a problem, since (they) look at the matter with just the view that (South Korea) is going through pre-coordination with the U.S. as if they were discussing South-North relations there," he said.
Suh added that the government is aware of the opinion that the working group is a roadblock to inter-Korean ties.
"We've discussed (the issue) with the U.S. adequately and we'll reflect such a point going forward," he said.
lcd@yna.co.kr (END)
22. Beijing rejects U.S. report on Chinese warheads
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's foreign ministry on Wednesday rejected a U.S. report that Beijing was expected to double the number of its nuclear warheads.
The Pentagon said on Tuesday that China is expected to at least double the number of its nuclear warheads over the next decade from the low 200s now.
Hua Chunying, spokeswoman of the Chinese foreign ministry, told a news briefing that the report is filled with bias.
Reporting by Yew Lun Tian; Editing by Andrew Heavens
FDD is a Washington-based nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.
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."
In this file photo taken on March 28, U.S. President Donald Trump, with Defense Secretary Mark Esper, speaks during the departure ceremony for the hospital ship USNS Comfort at Naval Base Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia. AFP-Yonhap 
