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Quotes of the Day:
“Man has such a predilection for systems and abstract deductions that he is ready to distort the truth intentionally, he is ready to deny the evidence of his sense to justify his logic.”
– Fyodor Dostoyevsky
“Socrates said, ‘The misuse of language induces evil in the soul.’ He wasn't talking about grammar. To misuse language is to use it the way politicians and advertisers do, for profit, without taking responsibility for what the words mean. Language used as a means to get power or make money goes wrong: it lies. Language used as an end in itself, to sing a poem or tell a story, goes right, goes towards the truth.
A writer is a person who cares what words mean, what they say, how they say it. Writers know words are their way towards truth and freedom, and so they use them with care, with thought, with fear, with delight. By using words well they strengthen their souls. Story-tellers and poets spend their lives learning that skill and art of using words well. And their words make the souls of their readers stronger, brighter, deeper.”
~Ursula K. Le Guin
“The greatest danger to liberty is from the majority, not from the minority. The people themselves become the greatest tyrants when they abandon principle for faction.”
— James Madison
1. N. Korea's Kim reaffirms 'invariable' stance on ensuring security through nuclear force
2. N. Korea's vice FM arrives in New York to attend U.N. General Assembly
3. Washington-Pyongyang talks at APEC summit cannot be ruled out: official
4. N. Korea, China vow to deepen bilateral ties
5. FM Cho voices 'serious concerns' in meeting with Russian FM over military alignment with N. Korea
6. Korean worker released 22 days after detention in immigration raid in Georgia
7. FM Cho, Landau welcome plans to launch working group on visa issue for Korean workers: State Dept.
8. South Korea's top diplomat says his nation has asked Trump to be a 'peacemaker' with North Korea
9. N. Korea launches youth indoctrination drive amid growing dissent
10. South Korean investment in the US is now in peril
11. South Korea faces U.S. pressure on investment fund
12. Charlie Kirk’s South Korean campaign
13. Kim meets with nuclear scientists, says nukes ‘invariable stand’ for North Korea
14. America's Other Face: Known Only to Former Foes
15. Opinion | Apec offers a stage for China, US and two Koreas to make peace
16. Defense Dept. misses strategic discussion on future of ROK-U.S. alliance
1. N. Korea's Kim reaffirms 'invariable' stance on ensuring security through nuclear force
Kim is telling us we need a new strategy because denuclearization is not possible as long as he rules the Guerrilla Dynasty and Gulag State.
Of course he doesn't agree with what I propose: Unification first, then denuclearization; the path to unification is through information and human rights. But we need a new strategy nonetheless.
(LEAD) N. Korea's Kim reaffirms 'invariable' stance on ensuring security through nuclear force | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · Kim Soo-yeon · September 27, 2025
(ATTN: UPDATES with more info throughout; CHANGES photos)
SEOUL, Sept. 27 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has reaffirmed his country's "invariable" stance on ensuring security through its nuclear forces, highlighting steady preparations for its nuclear counteraction as an "essential top-priority" task, state media reported Saturday.
Kim made the remarks Friday, when he met nuclear scientists and technicians, and presided over a key consultative meeting on the production of nuclear materials and weapons, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
His message came after U.S. President Donald Trump's administration reaffirmed its commitment to the "complete" denuclearization of North Korea.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (C) presides over a key consultative meeting on the production of nuclear materials and weapons on Sept. 26, 2025, in this photo carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the following day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
At Friday's meeting, he stressed that making steady preparations for advancing the country's nuclear posture is an "essential top-priority task," calling it an "unchangeable duty."
"The powerful deterrent, namely, the logic of peacekeeping and security by force with nuclear forces as its backbone, is the invariable stand of the DPRK," Kim was quoted as saying. DPRK is short for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
He also called for strengthening the "nuclear shield and sword" to reliably defend the country's sovereignty.
Kim expressed his satisfaction that "the main links in highly developing the country's nuclear capability were perfectly solved" as the nuclear weapons institute and officials from the nuclear-material production field carried out "two tasks" related to a new important nuclear strategy, the KCNA said.
It did not elaborate on what those tasks were.
The latest meeting was attended by Hong Sung-mu, a key senior party official believed to have spearheaded North Korea's nuclear program.
In a recent speech at a key parliamentary meeting, the North's leader said Pyongyang is open to talks with the United States if Washington drops its demand for the North's denuclearization.
But he also made it clear that North Korea will never give up nuclear arms, stressing that the North's "irreversible" status as a nuclear power is enshrined in the country's constitution.
Citing assessments by experts, South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Thursday that North Korea is presumed to possess up to 2,000 kilograms of highly enriched uranium. He also said the North is believed to be running uranium centrifuges at four different locations to accumulate nuclear materials.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (R) presides over a key consultative meeting on the production of nuclear materials and weapons on Sept. 26, 2025, in this photo carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the following day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · Kim Soo-yeon · September 27, 2025
2. N. Korea's vice FM arrives in New York to attend U.N. General Assembly
KJU is taking small steps in his plan to take a more prominent role on the global stage. Will Kim Son-gyong state that north Korea is a nuclear power in his address?
(3rd LD) N. Korea's vice FM arrives in New York to attend U.N. General Assembly | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · Park Boram · September 26, 2025
(ATTN: UPDATES with details, photo; AMENDS headline; TRIMS)
By Park Boram
SEOUL/NEW YORK, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son-gyong has arrived in New York to attend the ongoing United Nations General Assembly, in what would be the North's first high-level attendance at the U.N. gathering in seven years.
A delegation led by Kim has departed Pyongyang for the 80th U.N. General Assembly, the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) earlier said.
Kim arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport at 11:45 p.m. Thursday (local time) on an Air China flight.
Reporters waiting at the airport asked Kim whether he plans to hold bilateral talks with the U.S. side, but he left the airport in a vehicle from North Korea's mission to the U.S. without responding.
North Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son-gyong arrives at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York at 11:45 p.m. on Sept. 25, 2025 (local time). (Yonhap)
It marks the first time that North Korea has sent a high-level delegation to the U.N. General Assembly since 2019, when leader Kim Jong-un's last summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi, Vietnam, ended without a deal.
From 2014 to 2018, North Korea's foreign minister -- first Ri Su-yong and later Ri Yong-ho -- attended the annual session.
Since then, Kim Song-gyong, North Korea's permanent representative to the U.N., has represented Pyongyang at the General Assembly.
The vice foreign minister is reportedly scheduled to deliver a speech Monday (local time), the final day of the general debate, marking the first address at the General Assembly by a North Korean official dispatched directly from Pyongyang in seven years.
pbr@yna.co.kr
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Related Articles
en.yna.co.kr · Park Boram · September 26, 2025
3. Washington-Pyongyang talks at APEC summit cannot be ruled out: official
It will only happen if POTUS makes a social media post to make the offer to Kim.
As a gift to Kim Jong Un I recommend that POTUS offer to provide access to Truth Social on all north Korean smartphones (8 million) and give POTUS and Kim Jong Un the opportunity to directly communicate with each other and to communicate directly with the Korean people in the north. (said only with half a tongue in cheek).
Washington-Pyongyang talks at APEC summit cannot be ruled out: official | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · Park Sang-soo · September 27, 2025
New York, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- Talks between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea cannot be ruled out, a Seoul official said Friday.
"As of now, it is difficult to say conclusively, but we cannot rule out the possibility (of a Trump-Kim meeting)," the official said.
During his address to the U.N. General Assembly earlier this week, Trump highlighted his peace efforts amid speculation that he could attempt to reengage with the North Korean leader when he visits South Korea to attend the APEC summit set to take place in the southeastern city of Gyeongju, South Korea, on Oct. 31-Nov. 1.
He has voiced his hope to meet Kim this year, raising expectations that he could seek to resume his personal diplomacy with Kim, which led to three meetings between them -- the first in Singapore in June 2018, the second in Hanoi in February 2019 and the last at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom in June 2019.
Kim also earlier indicated his willingness to engage in dialogue with the U.S. if it drops its demand for the North's denuclearization while noting that he personally has a "good memory" of Trump.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (L) and U.S. President Donald Trump hold hands across the Demarcation Line in the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom during their meeting on June 30, 2019, in this file photo released by the Korean Central News Agency on July 1. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
sam@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · Park Sang-soo · September 27, 2025
4. N. Korea, China vow to deepen bilateral ties
No cracks in the CRInK?
N. Korea, China vow to deepen bilateral ties | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · Park Boram · September 26, 2025
SEOUL, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- Senior officials from North Korea and China have held a meeting and pledged to deepen bilateral ties, according to the North's state media Friday.
China's ambassador to North Korea, Wang Yajun, held the meeting at the Chinese Embassy in Pyongyang the previous day to mark the 76th anniversary of China's founding on Oct. 1, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.
"Traditional friendship (between China and North Korea) is endlessly engraving new chapters," the KCNA quoted Wang as saying during the banquet, which was attended by North Korean party and government officials, including Vice Foreign Minister Pak Myong-ho.
"China's side is open to thoroughly implementing the important understanding reached between the two countries' leaders … and achieving bigger-than-ever development in (China-North Korea) relations," Wang also noted.
Kang Yun-sok, vice chairman of North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly standing committee, also delivered remarks, pledging to "work with Chinese comrades" to strengthen bilateral ties.
Kang added that the friendship between the two countries is "evolving in accordance with the demands of the new era."
The KCNA said participants toasted to "the prosperity" of China and the "endless development" of China-North Korea friendship.
The reception came weeks after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks in Beijing in early September on the sidelines of a Chinese military parade, bringing their ties, strained by Pyongyang's military alignment with Russia, back on track.
The previous day, China and North Korea announced that North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui will visit China from Saturday to next Tuesday at the invitation of Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.
North Korea is currently preparing a large-scale military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the ruling party's founding on Oct. 10, to which the country is expected to invite a high-level Chinese official.
This image captured from the Chinese Embassy in Pyongyang shows Kang Yun-sok (L), vice chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly standing committee, shaking hands with Wang Yajun, China's ambassador to North Korea. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · Park Boram · September 26, 2025
5. FM Cho voices 'serious concerns' in meeting with Russian FM over military alignment with N. Korea
Again, does the CRInK grow stronger every day?
FM Cho voices 'serious concerns' in meeting with Russian FM over military alignment with N. Korea | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · Park Boram · September 27, 2025
SEOUL, Sept. 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has met his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, and discussed security issues related to the Korean Peninsula, the foreign ministry said Saturday.
During the meeting held in New York the previous day (local time) on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, Cho briefed Lavrov on Seoul's North Korea policy aimed at easing tensions and building trust with North Korea to ultimately promote peace and stability on the peninsula, the ministry said in a statement.
Cho also voiced "serious concerns" over Russia's continued military cooperation with North Korea, calling for an end to it, the ministry said.
The ministry statement did not provide further details, but Russian news agency Ria Novosti reported that Lavrov, during the meeting, denounced the U.S. and its Asian allies' military activities targeting North Korea.
Lavrov highlighted the "provocative" nature of the activities, as well as sanctions and pressure on the North, calling the return to a mutually respectful dialogue the only path to building a trustful mechanism to ensure peace in Northeast Asia, the report said, citing the Russian foreign ministry.
Cho also called for Russia's attention to protecting South Korean residents and stressed the importance of fostering a favorable environment for South Korean firms operating in the country, his ministry said.
Both ministers agreed to continue necessary communications in the future.
The meeting marks the first formal bilateral talks between the two countries' top diplomats since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, although Lavrov held a brief meeting with then Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gathering in Laos in July.
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun (F) shakes hands with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during their meeting in New York on Sept. 26, 2025, in this photo provided by the foreign ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · Park Boram · September 27, 2025
6. Korean worker released 22 days after detention in immigration raid in Georgia
Korean worker released 22 days after detention in immigration raid in Georgia | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · Song Sang-ho · September 27, 2025
FOLKSTON/WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean citizen was released on bail from a detention center in Georgia on Friday, 22 days after he and more than 310 Korean workers were arrested in an immigration raid at a Korean battery plant construction site in the state.
An official at Nelson Mullins, a law firm defending the man, surnamed Lee, told Yonhap News Agency that he was released from the facility in Folkston.
His release came a day after an immigration court approved the request for the release of the man -- the only one who opted to stay in the United States, while the other Korean workers returned home following their Sept. 11 release from the Folkston facility.
Lee chose to remain in the U.S. to face a legal process following the detention as he seeks permanent resident status in the U.S. His colleagues opted to return home under "voluntary departure" rather than deportation.
U.S. immigration authorities arrested the workers in the Sept. 4 raid at the plant construction site for a joint Hyundai-LG Energy Solution venture, stating they were found to be working illegally in the U.S., including those on short-term or recreational visas that bar them from working.
This file photo, taken Sept. 9, 2025, shows a detention center in Folkston, Georgia. (Yonhap)
sshluck@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · Song Sang-ho · September 27, 2025
7. FM Cho, Landau welcome plans to launch working group on visa issue for Korean workers: State Dept.
I hope we can get this sorted out. As an aside, a conference we were scheduled to participate in this week was just cancelled yesterday because the president of the Korean organization that was partnering in the conference was not granted a visa. No explanation was provided but a very distinguished high level Korean was denied a visa.
FM Cho, Landau welcome plans to launch working group on visa issue for Korean workers: State Dept. | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · Song Sang-ho · September 27, 2025
By Song Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau welcomed plans to convene a working group aimed at addressing visa issues for Korean workers during their talks in New York on Friday, a State Department spokesperson said.
The two diplomats met on the margins of the U.N. General Assembly High-Level Week, as Seoul and Washington plan to launch a working group to address the visa issues after more than 310 South Korean workers were detained in an immigration crackdown in Georgia earlier this month.
"Both sides welcomed plans to convene a bilateral working group aimed at facilitating travel to and investment in America," principal deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a readout.
During the talks, Landau underscored the "valuable" role that Korean investment plays in supporting American reindustrialization and enhancing the two countries' collective prosperity, Pigott noted.
The plan for the working group came as the detention of the Korean workers brought to the fore the long-festering visa issue, particularly at a time when South Korea has committed to investing US$350 billion in the United States as part of a bilateral trade deal struck in July.
The two officials also recognized their countries' commitment to the "complete" denuclearization of North Korea, and reaffirmed the "enduring" spirit of the South Korea-U.S. alliance and both sides' resolve to advance a "future-focused" agenda.
In addition, they emphasized the need for meaningful outcomes to close out South Korea's successful Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) host year, including at the upcoming leaders' week in Gyeongju, according to the spokesperson.
The State Department in Washington. (Yonhap)
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · Song Sang-ho · September 27, 2025
8. South Korea's top diplomat says his nation has asked Trump to be a 'peacemaker' with North Korea
There is only one path to peace, denuclearization, and an end to crimes against humanity. That path is through unification.
Paradoxically that is the only path to a Nobel Peace Prize for Korea - nothing less than unification will win a Nobel Peace Prize.
South Korea's top diplomat says his nation has asked Trump to be a 'peacemaker' with North Korea
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/south-koreas-top-diplomat-says-022925103.html
EDITH M. LEDERER
Fri, September 26, 2025 at 10:29 PM EDT
5 min read
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South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun speaks at the Republic of Korea Mission in New York during the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Friday, Sept. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — South Korea’s president has asked President Donald Trump to become “a peacemaker” and use his leadership to get North Korea to talks to reduce military tensions on the Korean Peninsula, the South’s top diplomat said Friday.
Trump “welcomed” the request from President Lee Jae Myung and "he expressed his willingness to be engaged with North Korea again,” Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said in an interview with The Associated Press. There was no immediate word from the White House.
Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met three times as North Korea was building a nuclear weapons stockpile, which Kim views as key to the country’s security and his continued rule of the northeast Asian nation.
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There were two summits in Singapore in June 2018, and in Vietnam in February 2019, where Trump and Kim disagreed about U.S.-led sanctions against the North. A third meeting that year at the border between the two Koreas failed to salvage their nuclear talks and Kim has since shunned any diplomacy with the U.S. and South Korea.
“It would be fantastic if they met with each other in the near future,” Cho said. "And President Lee Jae Myung made it clear to President Trump that he will not be sitting in the driver’s seat. He asked president Trump to become a peacemaker, and he relegated himself to become a pacemaker,” the foreign minister said. “We don’t mind. On the contrary, we want president Trump (to) exercise his leadership to pull North Korea to dialogue table.”
Can a meeting happen?
Since Trump returned to power in January, he has repeatedly expressed hope of restarting talks with Kim. The North Korean leader said Monday he still has “good memories” of Trump but urged the United States to drop its demand that the North surrender its nuclear arms as a precondition for resuming long-stalled diplomacy.
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Trump is expected to visit South Korea next month to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, which has prompted media speculation that he might meet Kim again at the border. Trump is also expected to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping during that meeting.
The foreign minister said Lee asked Trump to take the lead because the world has changed and become “much more precarious” since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
“Accordingly, we are equally worried about any possible military skirmish on the Korean Peninsula,” Cho said. “So we are compelled to explore dialogues with North Korea to reduce the military tension, and at least we want to have a hotline.”
He stressed that denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula “is the imperative – we cannot let it go.”
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Tensions between the Koreas continue apace
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Early Friday, South Korea’s military said it fired warning shots to drive away a North Korean merchant ship that briefly crossed the disputed western sea boundary between the two countries, amid continuing high tensions.
“I’m not surprised at all,” Cho said, “but this incident justifies the policy of the new government that we need to have a hotline between the militaries, reduce the military tension and build confidence between the two parties.”
Lee, who headed the left-leaning Democratic Party, won a snap election in June following the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol after his short-lived imposition of martial law in December. Cho, a career diplomat and former U.N. ambassador, took office as foreign minister on July 19.
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In Lee's speech to the annual meeting of world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, he said South Korea has come back to the international community as a normal state after the domestic turmoil and has demonstrated its commitment to democracy.
Cho said he felt “a bit uncomfortable” talking about the previous government compared to the current government, since Yoon was elected. But Cho recalled that when Yoon, who had been a prosecutor, was elected, he was convinced “he would become an aberration.”
Peace is the priority, the diplomat says
Since becoming foreign minister, Cho said he has been explaining to neighboring countries, including during visits to Japan and China, that the new government “is determined to seek peace on the Korean Peninsula and also in northeast Asia.”
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He said the government wants to engage China and he had a “very good constructive meeting” with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, “but I made it clear that there are certain things we cannot accept.”
Cho referred to China’s installation of “something” in the Yellow Sea that infringes on South Korea’s sovereignty. “So we made it clear that it be removed. Otherwise, we would think about taking proper measures,” he said.
Cho flew to Washington immediately after a massive raid by U.S. immigration officers at a Hyundai plant in southeast Georgia detained 475 people, the majority of them South Koreans. It became a major diplomatic issue between the two countries.
The minister said Trump intervened and wanted them to remain, but they were chained and handcuffed and his primary objective was to get them back home.
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Cho said his talks with Secretary of State Marco Rubio ended up having “a silver lining” because obtaining visas for South Korean workers has been a longstanding problem and “we were able to address this issue squarely and we will be able to sort out the problem.”
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Edith M. Lederer has covered international affairs for The Associated Press for more than a half century.
9. N. Korea launches youth indoctrination drive amid growing dissent
This is at once the major strategic weakness of the Kim family regime and also a most dangerous path that could lead to internal change in north Korea or war on the Korean peninsula. We must observe for the indications and warnings of internal resistance to the regime. Kim is identifying the threat of resistance for us by taking these actions. How much effort are the intelligence services in South Korea and the US putting into assessing the resistance potential in the north and observing for indications and warnings of instability and posible regime collapse? Is there a sufficient effort or are we only focused on nuclear and conventional attack indicators?
N. Korea launches youth indoctrination drive amid growing dissent
Officials want young people to study youth movement history to understand why their generation must lead all state projects
By Eun Seol - September 27, 2025
dailynk.com · September 27, 2025
Workers of the Central Committee of the Socialist Patriotic Youth League visited the Youth Movement History Museum on July 7, a day ahead of the 30th anniversary of the death of North Korean leader Kim Il Sung, according to Rodong Sinmun on July 8, 2024. (Rodong Sinmun-News1)
North Korea has ordered mandatory weekly indoctrination sessions for young people nationwide, deploying revolutionary slogans and historical lessons to counter growing youth dissatisfaction with economic hardships and military deployments to Russia.
The Socialist Patriotic Youth League’s Central Committee ordered chapters nationwide in mid-September to study North Korean youth movement history at least once weekly. Youth league organizations across the country now hold ten-minute mandatory sessions before their regular weekly criticism meetings, according to a source in North Pyongan province recently.
The youth league has declared that the country’s youth movement is entering a golden age and that all young people must focus on understanding Kim Jong Un’s greatness. The campaign centers on a slogan that became a key mobilization tool during the 10th Youth League Conference in April 2021, calling on youth to energetically carry out party decisions and volunteer for the most demanding aspects of building the socialist economy.
Officials want young people to study youth movement history to understand why their generation must lead all state projects, with emphasis on more systematic instruction in continuing the revolution. Youth league organizations must now submit detailed implementation reports, including lesson plans and discussion summaries from the sessions.
Revolutionary traditions and modern pressures
Similar sessions are taking place across the country, including in South Hamgyong province, where today’s young people are being asked to reignite the revolutionary spirit of the past in defending the fatherland and building socialism.
Study session leaders are instructing youth to carry forward the revolutionary traditions of Kim Il Sung’s anti-Japanese armed resistance, the youth shock troops of the Chollima movement, and youth heroes during the Arduous March period.
Sources suggest the campaign responds to growing youth dissatisfaction over economic hardships and troop deployments to Russia. The state is pressuring young people to become the “flames of the revolution” through increased organizational and ideological control, with these history sessions designed to stamp out any signs of disloyalty before they can develop.
Read in Korean
dailynk.com · September 27, 2025
10. South Korean investment in the US is now in peril
Will South Korea give up its status as the largest foreign direct investor in the US? Is that in America's best interests?
South Korean investment in the US is now in peril
Opinion in Seoul is hardening after the Georgia raid
Haeyoon KimAdd to myFT
https://www.ft.com/content/7c41e51f-5cab-4b0e-8e9d-5db1a4cd6030
Financial Times · Haeyoon Kim · September 24, 2025
The writer is the founder and publisher of Korea Tech & Trade Watch
“The United States seems to have changed,” South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said last week in the national assembly. His remarks came against the backdrop of harrowing accounts from South Korean nationals detained in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency raid on the Hyundai-LG plant in Georgia and recently released to return home.
While President Lee Jae-myung sought to downplay the raid’s impact, citing a “cultural difference”, the issue now appears to have gone beyond visas to further strain the stalled trade talks between the two allies.
Although both sides agreed in principle to a deal in July, under which the US lowered the tariff on South Korean imports from 25 to 15 per cent in exchange for Seoul’s commitment to invest $350bn in the US, disagreements over the details have bogged down negotiations.
Having watched how quickly handshakes at a summit in Washington can turn into handcuffs in an immigration raid in Georgia, public sentiment in Seoul towards the deal is showing signs of hardening.
ICE’s operation was a stark reminder that South Korea — despite being America’s Free Trade Agreement (FTA) partner for over a decade — still lacks a dedicated visa category, unlike some of America’s other FTA partners. It has revived long-held perceptions in Seoul that South Korea is receiving unfair treatment, even as its companies pour investment into US manufacturing on a scale unmatched by FTA partners with dedicated visa categories, such as Singapore, Chile and Australia.
The Partner with Korea Act — which would create an E-4 visa category for highly skilled Korean nationals while requiring employers to ensure they are not hired for positions US workers could fill — has languished on Capitol Hill for years, despite being reintroduced in every Congress since 2013. US President Donald Trump’s recent proclamation imposing a steep new fee on H-1B visas only underscored the glaring absence of a dedicated category for South Korean skilled workers.
On September 8, before his trip to the US to meet Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Cho was grilled by lawmakers about the raid. Representative Kim Joon Hyung of the Rebuilding Korea Party pressed the foreign minister, challenging him on why Seoul doesn’t counter by withholding investment.
Without offering a clear explanation for why the US is holding South Korea to a “Japan-style” deal, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s comment on the day the detained workers were released that “the Japanese signed the contract. The Koreans either accept that deal or pay the tariffs” did not go over well in Seoul. Lee’s recent remark that US investment demands could trigger another financial crisis in South Korea has deepened domestic concern over the trade talks.
In this climate, a debate has emerged over whether Seoul should resist “buying down” the tariff and instead consider swallowing the 25 per cent hit. A similar sentiment was voiced by Korean Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan after his unfruitful meeting with Lutnick in New York after the raid. While he dismissed questions about the need for continued trade talks with the US, Kim said, “Some say even if tariffs were raised from 15 to 25 per cent, it would not be much compared to $350bn, and I also sometimes think of this as an option”.
Kim’s comment reflects a notable view in Seoul that the $350bn could instead be used to cushion Korean companies harmed by the tariffs. This idea was also advanced by Dean Baker, senior economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, who contends that both Seoul and Tokyo would be far better off spending a fraction of the money Washington demands to support local workers and businesses hit by tariffs, rather than handing over hundreds of billions for little in return.
The raid eased Lee’s political bind at home, where anxiety had been mounting that with Japan signing and Korea holding out, Hyundai Sonatas would soon cost more than Toyota Camrys in the US market. Instead, it has allowed the South Korean government to buy time, withstand US pressure, and face less domestic political pushback — all without signing.
As Lee said this month, “If I were to agree, then I would be impeached”. His refusal to sign on Trump’s terms has, if anything, given him greater legitimacy.
While Trump rushed to post on Truth Social that he does not want to “frighten off or disincentivize” foreign investments but rather “welcome them and their employees”, the raid may already have achieved the opposite — alarming allies about the real cost of doing business with Washington while handing Seoul political cover for delay.
Financial Times · Haeyoon Kim · September 24, 2025
11. South Korea faces U.S. pressure on investment fund
What other country is facing such pressure?
South Korea faces U.S. pressure on investment fund
Posted September. 27, 2025 07:05,
Updated September. 27, 2025 07:05
https://www.donga.com/en/article/all/20250927/5873437/1
U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated that South Korea’s investment in the United States amounts to $350 billion, describing it as “up front.” He is effectively demanding that South Korea deposit the entire sum agreed upon in July into a U.S.-managed fund in cash immediately. His remarks come amid stalled follow-up discussions on South Korea-U.S. tariff negotiations. Because the amount represents roughly 84% of South Korea’s foreign reserves, making such a short-term cash transfer is virtually impossible, increasing the likelihood of prolonged negotiations.
On Sept. 25, Trump said, “Japan provides $550 billion, South Korea $350 billion,” emphasizing that the investment is to be made “up front.” If the Trump administration designates specific projects and amounts, South Korea is being pressured to quickly accept conditions similar to Japan, which signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to transfer funds in cash within 45 days. The Wall Street Journal reported the same day that U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo requested South Korea increase the investment amount.
The South Korean government says it is frustrated because U.S. demands differ from the agreement reached in late July. According to a memo prepared by the South Korean negotiation team, most of the fund would be provided through loans and guarantees, with only a portion directly invested. However, the MOU draft later sent by the U.S. placed much greater emphasis on direct investment. The South Korean government recently requested an “unlimited currency swap” with the U.S. as a precondition, citing concerns that a massive short-term cash outflow could create a foreign currency liquidity crisis.
The Trump administration has consistently imposed high tariffs unilaterally on other countries, using reductions as leverage to press unreasonable demands, often changing its position as needed. Demanding that South Korea make an investment comparable to Japan, which has a far larger economy and foreign reserves, is excessive. Requiring South Korea to provide over 70% of its annual budget in cash upfront, with the possibility of further increases, creates intense pressure. South Korea must assert its interests and respond decisively to avoid being undermined by the U.S.’s changing demands.
12. Charlie Kirk’s South Korean campaign
To my Korean friends: I am receiving a lot of questions about South Korean religious persecution. This perception gives support to the "retrenchers" in America who want to withdraw troops from overseas. You must not allow religious persecution or the perception thereof.
As an aside, note that the Washington Times is owned by the Unification Church whose matriarch, Hak Ja Han Moon, has been arrested in South Korea. Note also that President Trump's White House spiritual advisor Paula White-Cain is connected to the Unification Church as well (.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paula_White-Cain#:~:).
This is an area that will contribute to driving a wedge in the ROK/US alliance as much as the own goal of the ICE raid in Georgia.
South Korea eware: the US is likely to expend more political capital on religious rights in South Korea than it is on human rights in north Korea.
Are we in a perfect storm?
Charlie Kirk’s South Korean campaign
He understood the new government's threat to Christianity
washingtontimes.com · Newt Gingrich
By - Friday, September 26, 2025
OPINION:
Secretary of State and acting national security adviser Marco Rubio articulated one of our biggest challenges during Charlie Kirk’s amazing memorial service in Phoenix.
“Just days before Kirk passed away, he sent a message from abroad stating, ‘I am in South Korea. When I return to the U.S., I want to discuss various concerns.’ Kirk constantly strived to broaden his perspective and, despite his youth, possessed not just knowledge but remarkable wisdom,” Mr. Rubio said.
Mr. Rubio was referring to what had become Kirk’s Korean Campaign. Perhaps more than any other national figure, Kirk understood that the new South Korean government seems determined to destroy its opponents and Christianity. It seems equally determined to establish a closed, government-dominated state akin to North Korea and communist China. The new government is not behaving anything like the democratic society with which America has been allied for 75 years – and previously saved from communist rule.
Kirk himself talked about the new government’s threat to religious liberty in a speech in Seoul just days before he was killed. The speech is powerful and a major part of Kirk’s legacy. In it, he pointed out that the new South Korean government is investigating and arresting pastors and threatening the individual freedoms of the Korean people. He warned that if the new government continues its efforts, South Korea’s relationship with America could quickly deteriorate. He also urged South Koreans to not stand by as their liberties are threatened.
“Do you know what the best way to fight totalitarianism and dictators is? It’s for good people to rise up together. Thank you for welcoming me as your guest in this amazing country,” Kirk said. “I will share my experiences with these beautiful Koreans with the world. And I will never forget South Korea and I will return if you need me. Your fight is our fight. So, let’s stand together. Let’s fight for South Korea. May the Lord bless the Republic of Korea and the United States. Thank you, bless you.”
The Korea JoongAng Daily captured the essence of Kirk’s message, quoting him as saying: “Their country is totally under attack. The same things that we have been fighting for here, whether it be lawfare in South Korea or mass migration in Japan — this is a worldwide phenomenon.”
The reality of the new South Korean government’s move toward totalitarianism and destruction of its religious and political opponents is exemplified by the arrest and imprisonment of Hak Ja Han Moon. She is an 82-year-old religious leader with a serious heart condition. She is also the leader of a worldwide movement for peace and unification, the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, formerly known as the Unification Church. She has worked tirelessly for six decades to bring North Korea out of its dictatorship. Her organization has representatives working for peace and freedom in more than 160 countries. It also operates a number of businesses including The Washington Times.
Now, she is being treated as a common criminal, and her life is being endangered by the new South Korean government as part of its anti-religion campaign.
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In Kirk’s memory – and defense of religious freedom worldwide – the Trump administration should apply maximum pressure on the new South Korean government to drop its anti-religious, anti-freedom campaign.
That would be an achievement that would make Kirk proud that his legacy is real and reaches beyond America.
• Newt Gingrich is a former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and the architect of the 1994 Contract with America. He was a Republican candidate for president in 2012, and is a best-selling author, a Fox News contributor, and chairman of the board for Gingrich 360.
Copyright © 2025 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.
washingtontimes.com · Newt Gingrich
13. Kim meets with nuclear scientists, says nukes ‘invariable stand’ for North Korea
Kim meets with nuclear scientists, says nukes ‘invariable stand’ for North Korea
Kim was briefed on 2026 nuclear material production plan and praised the production progress this year
https://www.nknews.org/2025/09/kim-meets-with-nuclear-scientists-says-nukes-invariable-stand-for-north-korea/
Jeongmin Kim September 27, 2025
Kim Jong Un meets nuclear scientists on Sept. 26, 2025 | Image: Rodong Sinmun (Released Sept. 27, 2025)
Nuclear deterrence remains North Korea’s “invariable stand,” Kim Jong Un told nuclear scientists, underscoring intent to expand production of nuclear materials through 2025 despite international calls for denuclearization, state media reported Saturday.
Meeting with scientists and technicians at the DPRK Nuclear Weapons Institute on Friday, Kim expressed “great satisfaction” with recent progress, with the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) article referring back to his related remarks in the Supreme People’s Assembly earlier this week.
“The powerful deterrent, namely, the logic of peace-keeping and security by force with nuclear forces as its backbone is the invariable stand of the DPRK,” Kim said.
He added that North Korea’s “nuclear counteraction posture” must be steadily evolved, calling it an “essential top priority in view of the security environment” and “the most accurate choice for the present and future of the state,” as well as “an unchangeable duty that we must carry out.”
The institute had “thoroughly carried out two tasks according to a new important strategy set forth by our Party,” solving “the main links in highly developing the country’s nuclear capability,” Kim reportedly said.
KCNA did not specify what the “two tasks” were, although Kim previously mentioned introducing new types of centrifuges and expanding their numbers during a visit to a uranium enrichment facility a year ago.
Kim Jong Un walks past rows of centrifuges at a uranium enrichment site. | Image: KCNA (Sept. 13, 2024)
State media reported that Hong Sung Mu, first vice department director of the Workers’ Party of Korea Central Committee, was present.
Photo released on party daily Rodong Sinmun also shows senior nuclear officials in attendance, such as Wang Chang Uk, minister for nuclear energy, one of the staff that accompanied Kim Jong Un when he inspected Hwasan-31 nuclear warhead in March 2023, and Kang Kyong Ho, a likely director at the Nuclear Weapons Institute.
Kim also reportedly listened to a report on “the implementation of the plan to increase the capacity of the nuclear-material production field for 2025” and was briefed about “the scale of the next year plan and development prospect of the nuclear-material production field” and the institute.
“We should constantly strengthen and upgrade the nuclear shield and sword capable of reliably defending the security of the national sovereignty, interests and right to development of the state,” Kim said.
Kim urged nuclear experts to achieve notable results ahead of the next Party congress while praising their growing capabilities as a reliable guarantee for the country’s future security and progress.
Kim Jong Un meets nuclear scientists on Sept. 26, 2025 | Image: Rodong Sinmun (Released Sept. 27, 2025)
The meeting came less than a week after Kim’s Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA) speech on Sunday, where he declared that North Korea will “never, ever” give up its nuclear weapons. In that address, he said denuclearization would be “an unconstitutional act” and described the country’s nuclear status as “an indispensable choice at the crossroads of our state’s survival or demise.”
He had also accused the current U.S. and South Korean administrations of inheriting and advancing nuclear operation plans from their predecessors, while signaling openness to dialogue with the U.S. if it “discards its absurd obsession with denuclearization.”
The state media report on Saturday follows South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s comments while visiting New York for the U.N. General Assembly.
There, he told investors that North Korea has already secured sufficient nuclear capabilities for regime survival and that its ICBM program only needs reentry technology to be fully operational, calling for a step-by-step approach from suspension, reduction to full denuclearization.
Colin Zwirko contributed reporting to this article. Edited by Kristen Talman
14. America's Other Face: Known Only to Former Foes
There is a saying that says it is better to have been defeated by America than saved by it.
Although not addressed in this OpEd, South Korea also rightly fears another IMF crisis like 1997. And that created a lot of anti-American sentiment at the time. It may be far worse this time.
Excerpts:
Where did South Korea go wrong? Paradoxically, only nations that have fought the U.S. truly understand its dual nature. Countries that have only stood shoulder-to-shoulder with America remain oblivious. Germany rarely misjudges the U.S. like France does, and no nation studies America’s intentions as intensely as Japan. Both Germany and Japan were reduced to ashes in World War II. The U.S. doubled the yen’s value in 1985, crippling Japan’s exports, and its semiconductor agreement with Japan caused the industry’s collapse. Yet anti-American protests are rare in Germany and Japan. South Korea knows only one face of America. It must study the side it doesn’t.
How to handle Trump is no longer a secret. Publicly refuting his arguments is futile. Nod in agreement during speeches, then persuade him privately. The EU used this approach to sway Trump away from siding with Russia in the Ukraine war. The EU’s de facto president, a German politician, led the effort.
Trump’s ministers are loyalists, not advisors aiming to change his mind. President Lee Jae-myung’s attempts to persuade the U.S. Treasury secretary were therefore unsuccessful.
Despite declaring pragmatism, some in Trump’s outer circle reportedly distrust South Korea due to a Juche ideology specialist heading its top intelligence agency. The insurrection special counsel team’s unauthorized raid on a U.S. military base in South Korea may have given these critics ammunition.
Though unclear what message President Lee Jae-myung intended, his Facebook post before his U.S. visit—stating that “claiming self-defense is impossible without foreign troops is submissive thinking”—added complexity. The tariff issue has now escalated to a matter between the two presidents. The weight on President Lee’s shoulders grows heavier.
America's Other Face: Known Only to Former Foes
[Kang Chun-Suk Column] Germany, Japan: Former U.S. foes grasp tactics South Korea struggles to comprehend
https://www.chosun.com/english/opinion-en/2025/09/26/DAFCD67QD5A7NLWNZVCZQVOBEI/
By Kang Chun-Suk
Published 2025.09.26. 23:55
Updated 2025.09.27. 16:47
Japanese Army General Umezu Yoshijirō surrenders to Allied forces on board the U.S. battleship Missouri on September 2, 1945. /Getty Images Korea
No U.S. president in history has brought as much foreign money into America in such a short period as President Donald Trump. Direct investments alone from South Korea, Japan, and the EU amount to 1.5 trillion dollars. Adding commitments to purchase American energy pushes the total well beyond 2 trillion dollars. While it’s called “investment,” it’s effectively forcing other countries to hand over their money.
The South Korean delegation chased Trump’s golfing trip across the Atlantic to Scotland, going to great lengths to persuade him. Photos of President Lee Jae-myung convincing Trump and the U.S. leader smiling with the Korean delegation eased public anxiety. It was said the talks were so successful that a formal agreement wasn’t even necessary.
The country with the largest trade surplus against the U.S. is China, at 295.4 billion dollars last year. Yet Trump left China alone and pressured South Korea, Japan, and the EU first. The EU, composed of 27 nations, had a 236.5 billion dollar surplus last year and agreed to 600 billion dollars in direct investments. South Korea and Japan’s surpluses were similar—66 billion and 68.5 billion dollars—but their economic capacities differ. Japan’s foreign exchange reserves are three times larger than South Korea’s, and its economy is 2.5 times bigger.
Yesterday, Trump insisted South Korea’s direct investment of 350 billion dollars must be paid upfront. South Korea understood most of this as loans and guarantees, with only a small portion in cash, and explained it that way to the public. In reality, the U.S. began backtracking two days after the tariff deal was announced. The public trusted the government’s explanation.
However, the situation has unfolded differently, and reversing it seems impossible. Even with the president’s direct involvement, Trump’s stance remains unshaken. When news spread that 350 billion dollars—84% of South Korea’s 416.3 billion dollar foreign reserves as of August—would flow to the U.S., citizens immediately feared a currency crisis. The U.S. has also stubbornly refused to renew the Korea-U.S. currency swap agreement, a firewall against such crises.
Another shocking detail: Japan agreed to invest its 550 billion dollar pledge in U.S.-designated projects within a set timeframe. After recovering the principal, 90% of profits would go to the U.S., with Japan receiving only 10%. The U.S. now demands South Korea follow Japan’s model. South Korea’s plan to use Japan’s resistance as a shield has failed. President Lee Jae-myung’s unprecedented pre-visit summit with Japan to discuss strategies for dealing with Trump now seems futile.
Where did South Korea go wrong? Paradoxically, only nations that have fought the U.S. truly understand its dual nature. Countries that have only stood shoulder-to-shoulder with America remain oblivious. Germany rarely misjudges the U.S. like France does, and no nation studies America’s intentions as intensely as Japan. Both Germany and Japan were reduced to ashes in World War II. The U.S. doubled the yen’s value in 1985, crippling Japan’s exports, and its semiconductor agreement with Japan caused the industry’s collapse. Yet anti-American protests are rare in Germany and Japan. South Korea knows only one face of America. It must study the side it doesn’t.
How to handle Trump is no longer a secret. Publicly refuting his arguments is futile. Nod in agreement during speeches, then persuade him privately. The EU used this approach to sway Trump away from siding with Russia in the Ukraine war. The EU’s de facto president, a German politician, led the effort.
Trump’s ministers are loyalists, not advisors aiming to change his mind. President Lee Jae-myung’s attempts to persuade the U.S. Treasury secretary were therefore unsuccessful.
Despite declaring pragmatism, some in Trump’s outer circle reportedly distrust South Korea due to a Juche ideology specialist heading its top intelligence agency. The insurrection special counsel team’s unauthorized raid on a U.S. military base in South Korea may have given these critics ammunition.
Though unclear what message President Lee Jae-myung intended, his Facebook post before his U.S. visit—stating that “claiming self-defense is impossible without foreign troops is submissive thinking”—added complexity. The tariff issue has now escalated to a matter between the two presidents. The weight on President Lee’s shoulders grows heavier.
15. Opinion | Apec offers a stage for China, US and two Koreas to make peace
Wishful thinking. Although not an effective course of action, we can always hope for successful diplomacy..
Excerpts:
The possibility of a US-North Korea summit on the sidelines of the Apec meeting is drawing considerable attention. There may well be a similar scenario to the 2019 Trump-Kim Panmunjom meeting, an apparently impromptu arrangement made during the Osaka G20 summit. Kim’s Victory Day appearance adds to the speculation. With both Trump and Kim stressing their rapport, the summit could offer a chance to reopen dialogue.
Even when politics and diplomacy open the door, it is people and culture that provide lasting strength. Peace enforced by power is fragile, while lasting peace rests on the trust built through cultural and personal exchanges.
With South Korea and China hosting Apec in succession, it could serve as an opportunity to return bilateral relations to a more stable footing. Exchanges among youth, cooperation between academia and local governments, and the spread of cultural content can ease tensions and foster goodwill.
The Gyeongju Apec summit must show the international community it is not only about economics, but also a rare chance for Northeast Asia to move beyond bloc divisions and lay the groundwork for a new multilateral order for peace.
Diplomacy
OpinionAsia Opinion
Lee Min-Yong
Opinion | Apec offers a stage for China, US and two Koreas to make peace
With Trump and Xi set to attend, it could pave the way for a US-North Korea summit and mend China-South Korea ties
Lee Min-Yong
Published: 5:30am, 27 Sep 2025
The Apec Economic Leaders’ Meeting is just over a month away. Hosted in the ancient Korean capital of Gyeongju, the summit will bring together leaders from the 21 members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. With both the US and Chinese presidents expected to attend, the gathering is poised to serve as a significant diplomatic stage against the backdrop of mounting tensions on the Korean peninsula and growing uncertainty in global affairs.
After North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s appearance at China’s recent Victory Day military parade, signs have emerged of a potential China-Russia-North Korea alignment. Attention is turning to how this might influence the Apec meeting. Kim’s China visit could be both an attempt to break out of diplomatic isolation and a calculated step with the Apec meeting in mind.
The move recalls his earlier strategy whereby he met Chinese President Xi Jinping several times ahead of his summits with US President Donald Trump in 2018 and 2019. Given this precedent, the Apec gathering could open the door to a US-North Korea summit, or even a trilateral meeting involving South Korea.
Kim’s China visit should be seen as more than just ceremonial attendance; it is also a signal that North Korea is stepping onto the stage of multilateral diplomacy. Still, given Pyongyang’s limited autonomy and Beijing’s dominant influence, it would be prudent not to overstate it as a major diplomatic breakthrough.
The consecutive hosting of the Apec forum by South Korea this year and China next year offers both nations a practical opportunity to design a framework for regional cooperation. In this context, Xi’s visit would be a moment to maximise Beijing’s influence, not only in relations with Seoul but also on the broader diplomatic stage. Apec, with its non-binding nature, is an ideal venue to build consensus and encourage dialogue.
The US is also a crucial player in shaping outcomes. Trump’s presence could pave the way for not only a summit with China, but also with North Korea – and even a trilateral meeting with South Korea – all under the mediation of Beijing and Seoul. Ultimately, China’s ability to mediate is essential, and South Korea must actively assume the role of “pacemaker”, guiding the process from agenda-setting to execution.
Behind North Korea’s closed curtains: the Kim regime’s ongoing struggle against collapse
The Asia-Pacific is a dynamic region with a fragile security framework, but it isn’t defined by widespread conflict. The apparent stand-off between North Korea, China and Russia on one side, and South Korea, the US and Japan on the other, is less a revival of the Cold War than a strategic misinterpretation. This optical illusion has emerged as the global centre of power shifts towards Asia.
Although the leaders of China, North Korea and Russia stood together at the Victory Day event, their underlying interests are unlikely to be fully aligned. With Xi’s expanding global leadership, the diplomatic subordination of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kim has become clearer.
Last year, China shipped over 48 per cent of its exports by value to fellow Asian countries; trade with the US, Japan, South Korea and the European Union together accounted for about 40 per cent. This reality constrains China’s options. Even if North Korea and Russia seek a return to a trilateral system, it is unrealistic for China to revert to a Cold War structure.
There is hope that the Apec forum will open new avenues, particularly for addressing issues on the Korean peninsula. The new South Korean administration has committed to easing tensions, and China is well placed to be a key driver in this process.
China influences both Koreas in economic and security matters. This is often summarised as South Korea relying on the US for security, North Korea depending on Russia for security – and both depending on China for their economies. It underscores China’s dual role as a partner in prosperity and a stakeholder in security.
Xi says China stands firm on strategic ties with North Korea
Even with growing Russia-North Korea military ties, China remains Pyongyang’s blood ally. While the US is South Korea’s blood ally, China is also a strategic partner to Seoul in security affairs. South Korea depends on the US for deterrence, including nuclear deterrence, while looking to China to maintain stability on the peninsula. Thus, the reality cannot be fully understood through the framework of “security with the US, economy with China”.
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The possibility of a US-North Korea summit on the sidelines of the Apec meeting is drawing considerable attention. There may well be a similar scenario to the 2019 Trump-Kim Panmunjom meeting, an apparently impromptu arrangement made during the Osaka G20 summit. Kim’s Victory Day appearance adds to the speculation. With both Trump and Kim stressing their rapport, the summit could offer a chance to reopen dialogue.
Even when politics and diplomacy open the door, it is people and culture that provide lasting strength. Peace enforced by power is fragile, while lasting peace rests on the trust built through cultural and personal exchanges.
With South Korea and China hosting Apec in succession, it could serve as an opportunity to return bilateral relations to a more stable footing. Exchanges among youth, cooperation between academia and local governments, and the spread of cultural content can ease tensions and foster goodwill.
The Gyeongju Apec summit must show the international community it is not only about economics, but also a rare chance for Northeast Asia to move beyond bloc divisions and lay the groundwork for a new multilateral order for peace.
Lee Min-Yong
Lee Min-Yong is a visiting professor in the School of Global Service at Sookmyung Women’s University, South Korea and a former adviser (foreign affairs and national security) to the Presidential Office of the Republic of Korea.
16. Defense Dept. misses strategic discussion on future of ROK-U.S. alliance
This was an excellent conference with excellent discussions that could have helped inform the Department of War on alliance modernization.
Note that this was submitted for publication as the Department of War and the Secretary of War but current editorial policy/journalistic standards required it to be edited to use the official department names.
Voices Sept. 26, 2025 / 3:53 PM
Defense Dept. misses strategic discussion on future of ROK-U.S. alliance
https://www.upi.com/Voices/2025/09/26/perspective-conference-ROK-US/4501758914119/
By David Maxwell
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with President of South Korea Lee Jae-myung in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on August 25. File Photo by Al Drago/UPI | License Photo
Sept. 26 (UPI) -- The Thirty-Ninth International Security Conference: Challenges and Opportunities for the ROK-US Alliance, held this week at the Hudson Institute in Washington, was timely and consequential given the ongoing process of alliance modernization between Washington and Seoul.
Yet, strikingly, there were no representatives from the Defense Department or other elements of the U.S. government at the event presented by presented by the institute, the Council on Korea-US Security Studies and the Korean Defense Veterans Association.
This absence was not accidental. A July Defense Department policy explicitly prohibits both military and civilian personnel from attending external think tank or policy institute events in their official capacity, citing concerns of impartiality, potential influence, and security of information.
This restriction has had the unintended consequence of isolating them from some of the most critical fora for policy-relevant dialogue and scholarship.
In this case, the prohibition left U.S. defense professionals absent from an important venue discussing the very future of the Republic of Korea-United States alliance.
A September 15, 2025 memorandum from the Secretary of Defense sought to clarify confusing guidance. However, the written request requirement remains onerous. This policy discourages Defense Department personnel who want to attend think tank events even in an unofficial capacity.
Founded in 1984 by Korean War heroes Gen. Richard G. Stilwell and Korean Gen. Paik Sun-yup, the council was envisioned as a bi-national panel of retired generals, diplomats and scholars. Its mission was to sustain high-level dialogue on political-military issues central to the alliance.
Since its founding, the council has convened annual international security conferences, alternating between Washington and Seoul, providing a unique Track 1.5 platform in which former practitioners, scholars and serving military and government officials could grapple with emerging strategic issues.
Over nearly four decades, these conferences have helped to shape understanding of deterrence, regional security and the enduring importance of the ROK-U.S. partnership.
The 2025 conference assembled an excellent lineup of relevant experts and senior practitioners. Its panels spanned alliance modernization, extended deterrence, history, trilateral cooperation and more. Key contributions included:
• U.S. Foreign Policy under Trump's Second Administration and the ROK-U.S. Alliance
• The ROK-U.S. Alliance in a Changing Multipolar World
• Trilateral Cooperation ROK-U.S.-Japan Against the North Korea-China-Russia Axis
• Alliance Modernization, U.S. Forces Korea and Extended Deterrence
• Time for a One Korea Policy
• The Evolving Alliance Upon the Miracle of the Han River: Rebalancing the ROK-U.S. Partnership for 21st Century Realities
• Russia-Ukraine War Lessons and Korean Peninsula Security
At the very moment when senior officials are calling for greater adaptability and transformation in the alliance, the Defense Department's absence from the conference meant losing access to insights that could have informed policy on alliance modernization, trilateral and regional cooperation, and historical lessons relevant to deterrence and warfighting.
These discussions align directly with ongoing U.S. efforts to shape combined deterrence, interoperability and modernization of the alliance for warfighting in the 21st century.
By not attending the 39th International Security Conference, the Defense Department missed an opportunity to strengthen its intellectual grasp of alliance modernization at a critical juncture.
The conference continues to serve as a venue where the alliance's future is debated, tested and refined. As the alliance enters a period of adaptation to multipolar competition, nuclear threats and the demand for integrated modernization, government professionals cannot afford to be absent from these conversations.
The Defense Department should reconsider its restrictive policy, or at minimum, create an efficient process for attendance that ensures its personnel remain connected to the evolving strategic discourse that will define the next era of the ROK-U.S. partnership.
David Maxwell is a retired U.S. Army Special Forces colonel who has spent more than 30 years in the Asia Pacific region. He specializes in Northeast Asian security affairs and irregular, unconventional and political warfare. He is vice president of the Center for Asia Pacific Strategy and a senior fellow at the Global Peace Foundation, where he focuses on a free and unified Korea. After he retired, he became associate director of the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University. He is on the board of directors of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea and the OSS Society and is the editor at large for the Small Wars Journal.
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
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