Quotes of the Day:

"Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind."

– George Orwell

"Saul Alinsky 101: Accuse your opponent of what only you are doing, as you are doing it, to create confusion, cloud the issue, and inoculate voters against any evidence of your guilt." 

– Robert Moon Examiner 

"I have learned two lessons in my life: first, there are no sufficient literary, psychological, or historical answers to human tragedy, only moral ones. Second, just as despair can come to one another only from other human beings, hope, too, can be given to one only by other human beings." 

– Elie Wiesel

1. Citizens rally for Korean unification, show solidarity with Koreans in the North

2.  Panel: North Korean policy should be centered on unification, not denuclearization

3. Should North Korea and South Korea even bother trying to reunify?

4. North Korea denounces Ukraine’s Zelensky for calling it Russia’s ‘accomplice’

5. Kamala Harris is Fashioning a Foreign Policy

6. American troops, aircraft in line for South Korea’s massive military parade

7. Missionary Kim Kuk-ki detained in North Korea for 10 years… South Korea “calls for unconditional release”

8. Artificial Intelligence In Governments: South Korea As Case Study – OpEd

9. Exclusive: S. Korea probes alleged Chinese manipulation of public opinion

10. Editorial: S. Korea must act to address the privacy risks posed by Chinese IP cameras

11.  N. Korea removed as observer from Asia-Pacific anti-money laundering group

12. Seoul mulls evacuation plan for S. Koreans in Lebanon as Mideast crisis deepens

13. N.K. leader urges swift reconstruction in flood-devastated regions

14. Veterans minister thanks U.S. assemblymember for raising awareness on independence fighter

15. China takes away key talent from Korea

16. N. Korean leader sends message to Cuba emphasizing strengthened bilateral relations

17. Too old to serve? Lawmaker's proposal to recruit older men to military sparks debate

18. DMZ flash point

19. How to parrot Kim Jong-un on unification

20. Building strategic cooperation with Mongolia

1. Citizens rally for Korean unification, show solidarity with Koreans in the North

Korean people do care about unification.

World News Sept. 29, 2024 / 11:27 AM / Updated Sept. 29, 2024 at 6:16 PM

Citizens rally for Korean unification, show solidarity with Koreans in the North

By Michael Marshall

upi.com

1 of 5 | Hyun Jin Preston Moon C) is pictured during the 2024 Korean Dream Grand March for a Unified Korea.

Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Tens of thousands of Koreans from across the South and the Korean diaspora marched and rallied Sunday for Korean unification and the freedom of the people in the North at the Imjingak Peace Park,about 47 miles from the DMZ.

The event was held to mark Korea's National Foundation Day, officially celebrated on Thursday.

Billed as the 2024 Korean Dream Grand March for a Unified Korea, it was organized by Action for Korea United, the largest coalition of civil society groups supporting Korea's unification in the country.

AKU has 17 regional chapters and has run hundreds of educational workshops in the Korean Dream philosophy of unification.

That philosophy was conceived by Hyun Jin Preston Moon, founder and chairman of Global Peace Foundation, a non-profit and co-sponsor of the March. He looks to Korea's history -- and a reconnection with its deep spiritual roots -- to provide the glue that can unite diverse groups of Koreans around a common purpose.

He told a lively crowd they were at a "watershed in the history of our people" in which a "confluence of issues is moving Korea toward unification."

He called upon the audience to help revive Korea's ancient "high spiritual civilization" represented in the hongik ingan ideal linked to Korea's founding, which means "living for the greater benefit of all humanity," and the spirit of the March 1, 1919, Independence movement.

These mobilized around 20% of the population in peaceful, mass demonstrations, the first in modern times, against Japanese colonial rule.

Appealing to this legacy, Moon said, "We are a providential people with a mandate to serve humanity. Rise up and show the world who we are!"

He urged the government to re-establish the Ministry of Unification as a committee of scholars, experts, and civil society representatives to provide continuity and avoid the policy shifts that now came with changes of administration.

North Korean escapees were prominent among speakers and performers at the rally. Chol-hwanKang, author of "Aquariums of Pyongyang," and founder and president of the North Korea Strategy Center in Seoul, noted that Sept. 28 was the anniversary of Seoul being "reclaimed" from the North Korean Army during the Korean War.

"Today, righteous citizens have gathered here for the freedom of Pyongyang, which is yet to be reclaimed," he added.

The key was the emergence a unification-led movement in South Korea. He believed that the Korean Dream was a "historic unification vision that Koreans in both North and South could resonate with."

"If the people of South Korea unite around this unification vision, the Kim regime will soon collapse," he said.

Kang was sent to the notorious Yodok political prison camp at the age of nine with most of is family after his grandfather was accused of treason. He endured ten years there before his release and eventual escape from North Korea.

Ja-un Lee, lead actress in the docudrama, "Acorn," which dramatized the experiences of North Korean escapees, fought back tears as she recounted her experience working with around 100 escapees who told and re-enacted their experiences.

"I realized how blessed I was to be born in South Korea and felt ashamed of my previous indifference to unification," she said.

The singers, dancers, and musicians who performed at the rally were all North Korean escapees.

This event was planned as a precursor for 2025, the 80th year of Korea's liberation after World War II, but also the start of Korea's current division. AKU is planning large rallies across South Korea in support of unification, reviving the model of the March 1 Independence Movement demonstrations.

• Topics
• North Korea

upi.com

2. Panel: North Korean policy should be centered on unification, not denuclearization

Reporting on the panel we participated in last Friday.

World News Sept. 30, 2024 / 6:11 AM

Panel: North Korean policy should be centered on unification, not denuclearization

By Darryl Coote

upi.com

A photo released by the official North Korean Central News Agency on November 22, 2023, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un overseeing the launch of a new-type carrier rocket 'Chollima-1' carrying the reconnaissance satellite 'Malligyong-1' at the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground in Cholsan County, North Phyongan Province, North Korea. A panel of experts in Seoul on Friday said the path to a denuclearized North Korea is through reunification. File KCNA/EPA-EFE

Sept. 27 (UPI) -- The path to a denuclearized North Korea is through unification, according to a panel of peninsula policy experts.

Meeting in Seoul on Friday for the three-day International Forum on One Korea in Seoul, hosted by the Global Peace Foundation, a group of international experts discussed the potential for achieving a unified Korea.

David Maxwell, retired U.S. Army Special Forces colonel and Northeast Asian Security Affairs expert, began his speech by saying that the next U.S. president needs to adopt "a radical new North Korean policy," calling for a shift from focusing on denuclearization to reunification of the Korean Peninsula.

"The only way to achieve a denuclearized Korean Peninsula," Maxwell, the vice president of the Center for Asia Pacific Strategy and a senior fellow at the Global Peace Foundation, said, "is through unification -- a unification that is led by the Korean people and supported by the international community."

In Seoul for the three-day event, he added that though the previous approach over the last several decades of seeking denuclearization has produced little to no results while essentially ignoring the ultimate goal of reunification.

"For too long, our policies have focused on military deterrence, sanctions and diplomatic engagement. These are important, but they overlook a crucial element: a human rights upfront approach and the pursuit of a free and unified Korea," he said.

Maxwell was quick to reaffirm his support of deterrence, pointing out that there have been recent successes in this regard, including the August 2023 security pacts signed by the leaders of the United States, South Korea and Japan, which express their countries' support of "a unified Korean Peninsula that is free and at peace."

Maxwell, a former military planner, said: "I would take those words of our presidents as something we should accomplish."

And he added that though the task before them is daunting the current moment presents an opportunity to pursue unification from a human rights perspective.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's abandonment this summer of unification as the nation's goal, and turning ultimate blame on South Korea for its citizens' suffering, has removed hope from those living in the North.

Now, Maxwell said, is the time for the United States and Japan, as well as civil society, to support South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's so-called 8.15 Unification Doctrine, he said.

"Our approach must prioritize human rights," he said, stating that it is through Kim's deprivation of human rights that he controls the North Korean people. "This is why our strategy must be built on exposing these abuses, on educating the Korean people in the North on their universal and unalienable human rights and empowering them to seek change."

Kim Baek-san, president of the Global Peace Institute, similarly declared that the route to a denuclearized North Korea is a unified peninsula.

He said the previous decades-long pursuit of denuclearization has not worked and they cannot continue to make the same mistakes of its past.

Regime change in the North is needed, he said.

"Unless we change the regime itself, we cannot deal with the nuclear issue of North Korea. It's about the system. It's about human rights. It's about freedom. It's about the economy," he said. "So we have to take a comprehensive approach to deal with all that matters; that should be our approach toward the nuclear issue in North Korea."

A consensus on what reunification means needs to be established, he said, while suggesting Global Peace Foundation founder and chairman Hyun Jin Preston Moon's vision for unification, known as the Korean Dream.

"The vision is first and foremost," he said. "If we have a consensus on the vision ... and then it will lead to unification itself."

Lee Sung-yoon, a global fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, added that the goal of unification is not simply about fulfilling a philosophical idea, but needed to save lives.

North Korea was richer than South Korea until the early 1970s and is the only urbanized, industrialized country to experience famine in peacetime, he said, referring to the famine of the early 1990s that killed millions of North Koreans.

Seoul, he said, has the "moral obligation" to inform its own people as well as the North Koreans and the people of the wider world of this "inhuman policy of mass starvation," he said.

They need to educate the North Korean people on the root cause of their prolonged hunger and that once unification is affected, overnight they will have the basic, universal rights to food, housing and life.

"Lives will be saved," he added.

He said those on the left of the political spectrum have been preaching the right to express and freedom of speech, but Lee was frank when he said during the panel that these are not important. They need to be given food, he said.

"Liberation and unification are not just esoteric dreams," he said. "They will save lives."

upi.com

3. Should North Korea and South Korea even bother trying to reunify?

This is what gives rise to the disease in the US of "unification dismissiveness." If the Koreans do not seem to want it (based on surveys) how can we support them? 

I spent Saturday afternoon and evening at Imjingak with thousands of Koreans who were calling for a free and unified Korea. They put on a helluva drone show just south of the DMZ showing symbols of a united Korea. I hope the nKPA soldiers on the north side could see the show.

But if there is war or collapse minds will likely change.

Max Kim should have joined us in Seoul last week.

Excerpts:

If the regime were to collapse, whether triggered by a coup or some other internal breakdown, violence and chaos would fill the political vacuum, spilling into South Korea’s borders. China might try to muscle in to restore order. A massive refugee crisis would need to be contained.

“Then the question becomes: Do you want to live next to a failed state ruled by gangs like Haiti, or do you want South Korea to take the initiative, steer the region toward stability and eventually democratize and reunify with the North?” Kim said.

“I think even most young people would choose the latter.”

Should North Korea and South Korea even bother trying to reunify?

Los Angeles Times · by Max Kim · September 30, 2024

SEOUL —

It is a dream that has been sacrosanct in South Korea for seven decades: reunification with North Korea.

Which is why one politician’s comments this month were so jarring.

“Reunification? Let’s not do it,” said Im Jong-seok, who was chief of staff to President Moon Jae-in, who left office in 2022. “Let us abandon the compulsive idea that we absolutely must reunify.”

“Let us acknowledge the objective reality and accept the two separate countries,” he continued in a speech commemorating the anniversary of the historic 2018 summit between Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Political opponents and allies alike quickly shot back.

Conservative newspapers ran editorials suggesting that Im is legitimizing the North Korean dictator. President Yoon Suk Yeol criticized the idea as unconstitutional. Lawmakers from Im’s liberal party made it clear that the comments do not reflect its official stance, which advocates peaceful reunification.

Im later clarified that he was emphasizing the need to peacefully coexist with a hostile neighbor.

But his comments — and the blowback they caused — speak to a changing political reality in which a growing number of South Koreans are in fact asking the very same question: At this point, is reunification with North Korea possible, or even desirable?

The Korean War ended in 1953 with a cease-fire, but not a peace treaty.

“Reunification was central to the founding mission of the South Korean government,” said Kim In-han, a political scientist at Ewha Womans University in Seoul.

“The official view has always been that South Korea’s territory extends to what is currently North Korea.”

It is enshrined in South Korea’s constitution, which states that the president is duty-bound to work toward peaceful reunification. A special government ministry — the Ministry of Unification — exists to oversee this mission.

“If we give up reunification, the conflict between North and South Korea will grow even more bitter and the security threat on the peninsula will only grow,” President Yoon said in response to Im’s comments.

Despite periods of hostility and military clashes with South Korea, North Korea has also long operated on the principle that the two countries, akin to temporarily estranged siblings, should one day be reunited.

“The two sides will reconnect the blood relations of the nation and bring forward the future of co-prosperity and independent reunification,” read the joint declaration issued after the summit between President Moon and Kim Jong Un in 2018.

In recent years, however, the prospect has grown ever more remote.

Kim Jong Un, for one, has officially abandoned the idea.

“The two countries no longer share any kinship. Their relationship has now completely settled into that of two hostile countries, two belligerents at war,” North Korean media reported him saying in January. “Reunification will never be possible with South Korea.”

And while Seoul’s official position remains pro-reunification, younger South Koreans are also increasingly dismissing the idea, viewing it as a costly undertaking that will simply invite in a mass of impoverished refugees who will struggle to adjust in a capitalist democracy.

The proportion of South Koreans between 19 and 29 who believe reunification is necessary fell from 54% in 2018 to 28% last year, according to a survey by Seoul National University’s Institute for Peace and Unification Studies.

But Kim, the political scientist, said he believes that many of them will change their mind when faced with the real-life implications.

“North Korea’s economy is struggling from years of sanctions because of their missile and nuclear tests, and other than a few loyal elites in Pyongyang, ordinary North Koreans are left to fend for themselves,” he said.

If the regime were to collapse, whether triggered by a coup or some other internal breakdown, violence and chaos would fill the political vacuum, spilling into South Korea’s borders. China might try to muscle in to restore order. A massive refugee crisis would need to be contained.

“Then the question becomes: Do you want to live next to a failed state ruled by gangs like Haiti, or do you want South Korea to take the initiative, steer the region toward stability and eventually democratize and reunify with the North?” Kim said.

“I think even most young people would choose the latter.”

Los Angeles Times · by Max Kim · September 30, 2024

4. North Korea denounces Ukraine’s Zelensky for calling it Russia’s ‘accomplice’

President Zelensky has gotten Kim Jong Un's attention.

North Korea denounces Ukraine’s Zelensky for calling it Russia’s ‘accomplice’

North Korean leader’s sister said US military aid worth US$8 billion to Ukraine is an ‘incredible mistake.’

https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/north-korea-russia-zelensky-09292024235713.html/ampRFA

• By Taejun Kang for RFA
• 2024-09-29

Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, (L) and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy (R). Reuters/RFA edit

Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, denounced Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky for accusing North Korea of providing weapons to Russia.

Zelensky told the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday that “Russia has no legitimate reason – none at all – for making Iran and North Korea de facto accomplices in its criminal war.”

Both North Korea and Iran have been widely accused by Western intelligence of providing weapons to Russia, with Iran recently said to have sent short-range missiles. Pyongyang has denied the accusation. 

In response to Zelensky’s remarks, Kim Yo Jong said she was issuing a “stern warning” against his “reckless political provocation.”

“The absurdity of accusing our country of being an ‘accomplice’ to the war in Ukraine, where the evil Zelensky gang is slaughtering innocent Russians, using junk weapons supplied by the U.S. and the West, is a reckless political provocation that cannot be justified by anything,” Kim Yo Jong said, cited by state-run Korean Central New Agency on Sunday.  

“The world is beginning to grow bored with Zelensky's penny-pinching tricks. I don't know how much more can be done with pity and sympathy, but for the sake of the world's peace and stability, it would be better for him to step down in time before it's too late,” she added. 

Kim Yo Jong also said that the U.S. and the West, which provided weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, should be given the status of special accomplices.

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, it has been deepening its relationship with North Korea. In exchange for weapons, analysts and Western officials suspect North Korea is receiving Russian technological aid for its space program.

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U.S. military aid to Ukraine

Separately, Kim Yo Jong described U.S. military aid worth nearly US$8 billion to Ukraine as an “incredible mistake,” and said the U.S. was playing with fire against nuclear superpower Russia.

U.S. President Joe Biden announced military assistance for Ukraine on Thursday, including the first shipment of a precision-guided glide bomb called the Joint Standoff Weapon. 

The aid will provide Ukraine with additional air defense, unmanned aerial systems and air-to-ground munitions, as well as strengthening its defense industrial base and supporting its maintenance and sustainment requirements, Biden said.

He added that the U.S. Defense Department would also refurbish and provide Ukraine with an additional Patriot air defense battery and more Patriot missiles.

“I strongly condemn the U.S. deliberate escalation of the situation in Ukraine by providing Ukraine with astronomical amounts of arms and equipment to prolong and escalate the conflict and plunge the entire European region into nuclear war,” Kim Yo Jong said. 

“Supporting Ukraine in any further adventurous military action is a dangerous gamble and an irresponsible move that will leave countless lives in limbo, with little hope of avoiding catastrophe,” she added. 

Edited by Mike Firn.

MORE

North Korea

• North Korea may conduct nuclear test after US election: South’s spy agency
• North Korea says its satellite spied US nuclear submarine
• North Korea blames US for waging a ‘new Cold War’ in Asia with military alliances
• North Korea’s new missile can carry ‘super-large’ warhead: state media
• North Korea ‘modifying’ Russian jet as early warning aircraft: think tank

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5. Kamala Harris is Fashioning a Foreign Policy

No mention of north Korea. (South Korea mentioned in the context of alliances only - yes my bias is showing - but there are a number of projects ongoing to recommend a new comprehensive approach to the Korea problem (or the "Korea question" - per Para. 60 of the Armistice, IYKYK). But I digress.

I wonder if they will do an analysis for Trump. The subtitle question will be the same as below.

Kamala Harris is Fashioning a Foreign Policy

Something New Or More Of the Same?

https://www.strategycentral.io/post/kamala-harris-is-fashioning-a-foreign-policy

By and For Practitioners

By Monte Erfourth - September 29, 2024

Introduction

As Vice President Kamala Harris looks to ascend to the presidency, her foreign policy will face a world shaped by immense complexities. Global affairs are dominated by climate change, the rise of authoritarianism, and growing geopolitical competition between major powers like the United States, China, and Russia. The article "Foreign Policy for the World as It Is" provides a sobering assessment of the current global order, outlining how U.S. dominance has waned and how the old rules-based system is under strain due to challenges from both allies and adversaries. Harris will inherit this fragmented landscape and must chart a foreign policy that addresses these challenges while distinguishing her leadership from her predecessors.

Navigating a Fragmented World Order

President Joe Biden’s foreign policy was driven by the idea of restoring America’s global leadership, rallying allies to counter Russian aggression in Ukraine and managing competition with China. Yet, as the world grapples with the growing influence of regional powers like India, Brazil, and Turkey, it is clear that U.S. primacy is no longer a given. This reality sets the stage for Harris to craft a foreign policy that accepts a more multipolar world while seeking to maintain U.S. influence. More importantly, three central problems define America’s predicament: the failure to restore a cohesive rules-based order, the contradictions within its foreign policy legacy, and if she wins election, the apparent risks of a pro-Trump majority in either the House or Senate failing to appoint critical appointees and sabotaging foreign policy initiatives. Most notably, failing to pass immigration reform.

President Biden’s pledge that “America is back” was intended to restore the United States as a global leader after the chaotic Trump administration. However, returning America to its formerly respected position as global leader was far more complex than simply announcing it. While Biden sought to reposition the U.S. as a stabilizing force, the old rules-based international order has significantly degenerated. Internal divisions paralyze institutions like the UN Security Council and the World Trade Organization. Furthermore, Russia and China are actively challenging U.S.-led norms, with Russia undermining international agreements and China building alternative global structures. Even traditional allies and previously hopeful partners are now charting independent paths, exemplified by countries like India, Brazil, and Turkey, which balance between U.S. interests and regional partnerships. Multilateral agreements, such as those that once defined global trade or nuclear diplomacy, seem impossible in a world where Washington’s foreign policy has become erratic and inconsistent.

Second, the U.S. has failed to reckon with the missteps of its post-9/11 foreign policy. The "war on terror" not only drained U.S. resources but also emboldened autocratic regimes, contributing to instability across the Middle East and North Africa. Additionally, the global financial crisis of 2008, exacerbated by free-market policies promoted under the Washington Consensus, has fueled populist backlash worldwide. Washington’s over-reliance on sanctions has created workarounds by adversaries, diminishing the leverage once held by the U.S. dollar in international affairs. This legacy has eroded America’s global standing; its lectures on democracy are increasingly ignored given our won democratic struggles, particularly in the Global South. The recent conflict in Gaza is a stark illustration of this predicament. While the U.S. condemns Russian actions in Ukraine, it simultaneously arms Israel in a war criticized for its heavy toll on Palestinian civilians, casting American foreign policy as hypocritical on the global stage. While the two situations are radically different, many in the global south would not see it that way.

Finally, the looming prospect of a second Trump presidency introduces another layer of risk. Trump's populist, nationalist rhetoric resonates deeply with an American public weary of endless wars and disillusioned with traditional elites. Yet, his tenure sowed chaos, undermining U.S. alliances and credibility. Trump’s erratic policies—from his withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal to his embrace of autocratic leaders—created instability in the Middle East, worsened relations with key allies and weakened the U.S. position in global trade. The potential consequences of the Republican party continuing to press for Trump’s policies could further destabilize Europe as Putin attempts to leverage Republican sentiment to press the U.S. to agree to an “end the war” on terms favorable to him. Authoritarians in Europe and especially in China and Iran will be emboldened by a weakened NATO if Congress becomes its chief critic instead of cheerleader. American deterrence, already weakened, could see Congressional support for authoritarians increase the likelihood of conflict in Asia as China will spread if U.S. isolationist-nationalist contraction significantly degrades the U.S. deterrent effect. China will capitalize on American isolationism to assert control over Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific. If Harris wins, she must reconcile the national isolationist mood with the realities of what it will take to remain the leading world power. (See SC article on Deterring China in end notes)

The future of U.S. foreign policy is at a critical juncture. As Harris likely sees it, the challenge is to move away from outdated models of American dominance and adopt a more cooperative approach to address modern global challenges, while simultaneously punishing those who come close to or surpass U.S. redlines. Putting teeth back into deterrence is likely a top priority. Kamala Harris's presidency is likely to emphasize modern global issues such as AI, climate change, and food security, with a focus on the Global South, women’s rights, and human rights.

Building a Foreign Policy Team

Harris’s choice of foreign policy advisors will be instrumental in shaping her approach to international affairs. Philip Gordon, her current National Security Advisor, is expected to remain a central figure in her administration. Gordon brings extensive experience, having served in the Clinton and Obama administrations and played a critical role in U.S. policy toward Europe and the Middle East. He has been a strong advocate for supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression and has emphasized the importance of NATO’s European partners taking greater responsibility for their defense. His views align with a pragmatic foreign policy that emphasizes U.S. engagement but with more shared responsibility from allies.

Another key figure in Harris’s foreign policy team is Rebecca Lissner, her deputy national security advisor. Lissner’s views reflect a desire to move away from U.S. efforts to remake the world in its image and instead maintain an open international system. Her pragmatic liberal internationalism could serve as a moderating force in Harris’s foreign policy, balancing progressive and traditional Democratic currents. Lissner’s work on U.S. grand strategy and her role in shaping Biden’s National Security Strategy provide insights into how she might influence a Harris presidency—focusing on maintaining alliances and protecting U.S. interests without overreach.

Additionally, Harris is expected to face pressure from progressives within the Democratic Party who seek to steer U.S. foreign policy away from militarization and toward greater diplomacy and human rights consistency. While Harris’s foreign policy has largely aligned with Biden’s, her presidency could see a shift, particularly as progressives push for new voices in national security roles.

Harris's Foreign Policy Positions

Harris’s foreign policy positions reflect her support for many of Biden’s initiatives but with subtle distinctions. She has supported continued U.S. assistance to Ukraine and emphasized the importance of NATO. Still, she has also taken a more vocal stance on humanitarian issues in conflicts such as the Israel-Palestine crisis. While Harris has affirmed Israel’s right to defend itself, she has also been one of the administration’s loudest voices in expressing concern for Palestinian suffering. This position highlights her commitment to human rights.

Here is a summary of Kamala Harris's key foreign policy positions based on her track record:

Artificial Intelligence and Technology:

·     Harris has been a leader in developing policies for AI governance. She helped formulate an executive order on AI safety, advocated for voluntary commitments from AI firms, and played a key role in the CHIPS and Science Act, which directed $280 billion toward domestic advanced technology production. She emphasized AI's potential for innovation but stressed the importance of protecting against its risks.

China:

·     Harris views China as the primary competitor to the U.S. in the 21st century. She has supported stringent export restrictions on critical technologies and advocated for "de-risking" from China instead of full decoupling. Harris also supports continued U.S. engagement in the Indo-Pacific, particularly through alliances with countries like Japan and South Korea, and emphasizes protecting Taiwan under the long-standing U.S. policy of "strategic ambiguity.”

Climate Change:

·     Harris sees climate change as an existential threat and was instrumental in the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which allocated $370 billion toward clean energy investments. She has backed Biden’s return to the Paris Agreement and advocated for international cooperation on climate change, including a $3 billion pledge to the UN Green Climate Fund.

Defense and NATO:

·     Harris supports a strong U.S. military presence and reinforces America's commitment to NATO, calling it the greatest military alliance ever. She has backed NATO's expansion with the inclusion of Finland and Sweden and has advocated for greater U.S. involvement in Africa, particularly through military and security assistance.

Israel, Gaza, and the Middle East:

·     Harris supports Israel's right to defend itself but has also emphasized the need for a cease-fire and humanitarian assistance in Gaza. She continues to support a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and advocates for holding extremist settlers accountable for violence against Palestinians.

Russia–Ukraine:

·     Harris has condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine and advocated for continued U.S. support for Ukraine, including military and financial aid. She argues that failing to counter Russia would embolden other authoritarian nations. Harris has supported sanctions against Russia and has worked closely with allies to isolate the country.

Immigration:

·     Harris supports comprehensive immigration reform, including a pathway to citizenship for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients. She led U.S. diplomatic efforts to address migration from Central America, focusing on economic development and reducing violence in the region. President Biden’s new immigration plan, introduced in June 2024, aims to curb illegal crossings by implementing stricter asylum restrictions at the southern border. A key aspect is the use of a presidential proclamation and an interim final rule, which limit asylum eligibility for those crossing the border irregularly. As a result, illegal crossings have decreased significantly, with a 29% drop in U.S. Border Patrol encounters from May to June 2024. The administration has also increased deportations, returning more than 70,000 individuals to over 170 countries since the plan's implementation. Harris will likely continue these programs and attempt to pass the bipartisan border bill killed in Congress earlier this year.

These positions reflect Harris’s focus on maintaining U.S. global leadership while addressing critical 21st-century challenges, such as technological innovation, climate change, and geopolitical competition with major powers like China and Russia.

What Are The National Security Objectives For This New Foreign Policy?

Kamala Harris’s national security objectives focus on maintaining U.S. military superiority, strengthening global alliances, and addressing emerging threats like cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. She is committed to reinforcing NATO and deepening partnerships in the Indo-Pacific to counter the influence of China and Russia, while providing continued support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression. Harris views climate change as a critical national security issue, advocating for U.S. leadership in renewable energy and global emissions reduction. She also prioritizes stabilizing the Middle East by supporting Israel’s security while seeking a two-state solution with the Palestinians and re-engaging diplomatically with Iran to prevent nuclear proliferation. Her broader strategy emphasizes a combination of military strength, multilateral diplomacy, and technological innovation to safeguard U.S. interests in a complex, multipolar world.

Given the policy positions we know Kamala Harris has asserted, we can extrapolate what her national security objectives will likely be:

·     Maintaining U.S. Military Strength: Harris advocates for ensuring the United States continues to have the most powerful military in the world, supporting defense modernization and readiness.

·     Strengthening NATO and Global Alliances: Maintaining and strengthening NATO and U.S. alliances in Europe and the Indo-Pacific, advocating for deeper cooperation with allies like Japan, South Korea, and Australia to counter threats from Russia and China will be the bedrock approach to national security.

·     Immigration. Harris’s policy would seek to bolster border security by increasing funding for agencies like U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). It includes provisions for hiring additional asylum officers and increasing detention capacity by 47%. It also includes asylum criteria with a more stringent threshold for asylum claims and shortening the time migrants have to prepare evidence. Controversially, it will include a mechanism allowing summary deportation during periods when the border is deemed overwhelmed. More border wall enhancements are likely.

·     Countering Chinese Influence: Harris supports a strategy of "de-risking" rather than decoupling from China, aiming to reduce reliance on Chinese manufacturing and technology while maintaining strategic economic ties. Additionally, it will continue to contain China within the First Island Chain and lessen Chinese influence by being a more attractive military, diplomatic, and economic partner.

·     Supporting Ukraine Against Russian Aggression: A Harris administration will be committed to providing financial, military, and humanitarian aid to Ukraine while imposing sanctions and isolating Russia from the global economy.

·     Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity: The U.S. government must step up governing AI development and cybersecurity, ensuring that the U.S. maintains technological leadership and is protected against cyberattacks, while establishing global norms for AI safety.

·     Climate Change as a National Security Issue: Recognizing climate change as a critical threat, Harris will aim to strengthen U.S. resilience and global leadership in renewable energy and emissions reduction. This must be pursued simultaneously with U.S.-based carbon fuel efficiency technology.

·     Middle East Stability: Support Israel’s right to self-defense while advocating for humanitarian protections in Gaza and pursuing a two-state solution or some form of partition. Seek diplomatic re-engagement with Iran to prevent nuclear proliferation while pressing to conclude the Abraham Accords, deny Chinese and Russian regional influence, and maintain stable oil prices. Where possible, degrade Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.

·     Combating Terrorism and Extremism: Combat terrorism and extremism globally, particularly through intelligence cooperation and military operations when necessary. Seek a permanent resolution for displaced persons from the war with ISIS and a permanent and well-run prison for ISIS fighters.

·     Expanding Diplomatic and Economic Engagement: Expand and improve on U.S. diplomatic capabilities and engagement to resolve conflicts and address global issues. This includes expanding U.S. engagement with African and South American nations (and other developing regions) to counter authoritarian influence.

Diverging from Biden’s Legacy

While Harris’s foreign policy is expected to align with Biden’s in many respects, there will be key differences. Biden’s presidency has been characterized by a return to traditional alliances, particularly in Europe, and a focus on countering Russia and China. Harris will likely continue these policies but with a greater emphasis on diplomatic solutions and reducing military engagements. Her foreign policy could be less hawkish, reflecting her generation’s skepticism toward endless military interventions.

Furthermore, Harris may emphasize global cooperation to address climate change, food security, and technological governance, areas where Biden has made significant strides, but more must be done. Harris’s presidency could see the U.S. play a leading role in shaping international norms around AI and other emerging technologies and pushing for greater global action on climate change.

Conclusion: Meeting Global Challenges

The challenges for the next President are significant and include:

• The old rules-based international order has significantly degenerated.
• The U.S. failed to address the flaws in its post-9/11 foreign policy. The "war on terror" drained resources and empowered autocratic regimes, leading to instability in the Middle East and North Africa.
• The 2008 global financial crisis, worsened by free-market policies, triggered a global populist backlash. Over-reliance on sanctions allowed adversaries to find loopholes, reducing the influence of the U.S. dollar in international affairs.
• Many war-wary Americans advocate a nationalist approach. Of those, many don’t agree that Trump’s tenure created chaos, damaged alliances, and weakened the US globally. If Harris wins, she will have to win over Trump acolytes in Congress, who likely push for policies that further destabilize Europe, embolden authoritarians, and increase conflict in Asia as China takes advantage of US isolationism.

The next President needs to address our weakening deterrence and military capabilities. The 2024 Commission on the National Defense Strategy report criticized the slow response of the Pentagon, partisan politics in Congress, and the complacency of multiple administrations towards threats from China, Russia, and the Middle East. The report emphasized the need for a comprehensive approach to national defense involving all elements of national power, including the Department of Defense, the executive branch, the private sector, civil society, and U.S. allies and partners. The report also highlighted the need for fundamental changes in how the Department of Defense functions in response to evolving threats and technology, a new force-sizing construct, increased industrial production, improved readiness of the Joint Force, and better alignment with other parts of the interagency for coordinated military tools and national power.

These challenges will shape Kamala Harris’s foreign policy. Geopolitical competition, economic growth, climate, the declined rules-based system, and the rise of new technologies create conditions that cannot be ignored. Her focus on human rights, the Global South, and modern global challenges marks a shift from previous administrations' Cold War-oriented foreign policy. Still, it is more the “nice things to do” and not the priority.

While her presidency will build on Biden’s achievements, Harris will seek to carve out her legacy, emphasizing diplomacy, multilateralism, and a forward-looking approach to international relations while seeking legitimate solutions to the pressing and longstanding challenges mentioned above. Harris’s foreign policy must be adaptable, pragmatic, and focused on reality in an increasingly fragmented world. If she wins the November election, her success in navigating these challenges will determine whether the U.S.’s role in the world declines or ascends to greater heights.

Endnotes

1. Ben Rhodes, “A Foreign Policy for the World as It Is: Biden and the Search for a New American Strategy,” Foreign Affairs, June 18, 2024.

2. Tracy Wilkinson, “The Next-Generation Foreign Policy of Kamala Harris,” Los Angeles Times, September 10, 2024.

3. Rebecca Lissner and Micah Zenko, An Open World: How America Can Win the Contest for Twenty-First-Century Order, (New York: Yale University Press, 2020).

4. Samuel Dempsey, “Who is Philip Gordon, Harris’s National Security Advisor?” CEPA, August 21, 2024.

5. Nahal Toosi, Phelim Kine, and Joseph Gedeon, “Progressives Scramble for Foreign Policy Jobs Under Kamala Harris,” Politico, August 13, 2024.

6. Asma Khalid, “What is Kamala Harris’ Foreign Policy?” NPR, September 7, 2024.

7. U.S. Customs and Border Protection. "CBP Releases June 2024 Monthly Update." June 2024. https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/national-media-release/cbp-releases-june-2024-monthly-update.

1. Integrated Deterrence And China's Strategic Insights. https://www.strategycentral.io/post/integrated-deterrence-and-china-s-strategic-insights

6. American troops, aircraft in line for South Korea’s massive military parade

American troops, aircraft in line for South Korea’s massive military parade

Stars and Stripes · by David Choi · September 30, 2024

U.S. troops march during the Armed Forces Day parade in Seoul, South Korea, Sept. 26, 2023. (Alexander Kelly/U.S. Army)

CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — U.S. fighter jets are slated to soar over Seoul on Tuesday for the Armed Forces Day parade, a show of force commemorating the founding of South Korea’s military, a year after their appearance was canceled because of bad weather.

Roughly 5,000 South Korean troops and nearly 100 pieces of heavy military equipment will pass through downtown Seoul for the annual event honoring the 76th anniversary of the military’s founding, a Ministry of National Defense spokesman said by phone Monday.

South Korean government officials speak to the media on a customary condition of anonymity.

Over 250 U.S. troops will be participating in the parade; Army Humvees and eight-wheeled Strykers will be parked on display, U.S. Forces Korea spokesman Col. Ryan Donald said by email Monday.

Around 300 U.S. troops were part of the parade in 2023.

South Korea observes Armed Forces Day on Oct. 1. President Yoon Suk Yeol earlier this month approved of legislation to designate the day as a national holiday just for this year.

Despite heavy rain, tens of thousands of bystanders stood on Seoul’s sidewalks for last year’s parade of over 4,500 South Korean troops and more than 100 military vehicles, including amphibious assault vehicles and K1A2 tanks.

Two Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons and four A-10 Thunderbolt IIs are scheduled to fly over Seoul during Tuesday’s parade, 7th Air Force spokeswoman Maj. Rachel Buitrago said by phone Monday.

An aerial demonstration of U.S. and South Korean fighter jets for the previous year’s parade was called off due to inclement weather.

An Air Force B-1B Lancer will fly over the capital on Tuesday afternoon, marking its first appearance at the parade, multiple South Korean news outlets reported this week, citing South Korean military officials. Buitrago declined to comment on the bomber’s reported appearance, citing operational security.

A Lancer last flew over South Korea and dropped 500-pound joint direct attack munitions on simulated targets for a drill with South Korea’s air force in June.

South Korea’s military plans to unveil the Hyunmoo-5, the country’s newest intermediate-range ballistic missile, capable of carrying an 8- to 10-ton warhead, during the parade Tuesday, Yonhap News reported Monday.

The National Defense Ministry showcased the Hyunmoo-4 ballistic missile during last year’s parade.

South Korea’s military previously described the Hyunmoo-class missiles as an integral part of the country’s defense and said it would be used to strike at North Korea’s leadership if Seoul is attacked.

Pyongyang celebrates its army’s founding with displays of military strength on Feb. 8. Leader Kim Jong Un in a speech marking the North’s Army Day said his country will use any means necessary to “wipe out” enemies that “try to use force” against the country, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

David Choi

David Choi

David Choi is based in South Korea and reports on the U.S. military and foreign policy. He served in the U.S. Army and California Army National Guard. He graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Stars and Stripes · by David Choi · September 30, 2024

7. Missionary Kim Kuk-ki detained in North Korea for 10 years… South Korea “calls for unconditional release”

Missionary Kim Kuk-ki detained in North Korea for 10 years… South Korea “calls for unconditional release”

https://www.rfa.org/korean/in_focus/k093024my1-09302024043934.html

Seoul-Mokyongjae moky@rfa.org

2024.09.30

Missionary Kim Kuk-gi's appearance revealed in North Korean media in 2015.

Yonhap News

00:00 / 00:00

Anchor : The South Korean government has once again called on North Korea to unconditionally release South Korean detainees ahead of the 10th anniversary of the detention of missionary Kim Kuk-ki, one of six South Koreans currently being held in North Korea . Mok Yong-jae reports from Seoul .

Missionary Kim Kuk-ki has been providing humanitarian support to North Korean residents since around 2003 , including missionary work and operating a shelter for North Korean defectors in the Dandong region of China .

Missionary Kim was confirmed to be detained in North Korea in March 2015 by North Korean state media .

At the time, North Korea announced through domestic and international press conferences that it had arrested missionaries Kim Kuk-gi and Choi Chun-gil in late 2014 , claiming that they had been caught for anti-Republican espionage and conspiracy . The North Korean authorities sentenced them to life in prison through reeducation through labor on these charges .

Since then, there has been no confirmation of the life or death of missionaries Kim Kook-ki and Choi Chun-gil . In October , missionary Kim Kook-ki will have been detained in North Korea for 10 years , and in December, missionary Choi Chun-gil will have been detained for 10 years . Among the six South Koreans being forcibly detained in North Korea, missionary Kim Jeong-wook, the longest-serving detainee, reached 4,000 days of detention on the 20th of last month .

On the 30th , South Korea's Ministry of Unification strongly urged the unconditional release of South Koreans currently detained in North Korea through a spokesperson's statement commemorating the 10th anniversary of the detention of missionary Kim Kuk-ki .

South Korea's Unification Ministry spokesperson Koo Byung-sam strongly criticized North Korean authorities for not even confirming whether they are alive or dead .

[ Koo Byung-sam, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Unification ] Missionary Kim Kuk-gi’s wife, Kim Hee-soon, has been writing letters and praying fervently every day in the hope that her husband, who is in his 70s, will return alive and well . The government has repeatedly called for confirmation of the life and death of the six South Koreans detained in North Korea, including missionary Kim Kuk-gi, and for their immediate repatriation, but North Korea has not provided even the bare minimum information, and Elizabeth Salmon, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in North Korea, has emphasized that the pain and sorrow the family is experiencing as a result is comparable to torture .

Spokesperson Koo then added , “ We condemn North Korea’s illegal and inhumane atrocities and strongly urge the immediate and unconditional release of our citizens . ”

In particular, he emphasized that the issue of the detention of South Koreans is not an issue that will be forgotten with the passage of time, and urged North Korea to seriously recognize the South Korean government's legitimate demands for the lives and safety of South Korean citizens and the international community's warnings .

Minister Kim Young-ho strongly urges North Korea to release missionary Kim Jung-wook

North Korea sends letter to UN, denies detention of repatriated defectors and detained missionaries

Korean missionary Kim Jeong-wook detained in North Korea for 4,000 days… “North Korea must confirm life or death and repatriate”

South Korean missionary Kim Jeong-wook detained in North Korea in October 2013 [provided by Yonhap News TV] / Yonhap News

Earlier, on the 20th, South Korea, the United States , Canada, and other countries issued statements condemning North Korea to mark the 4,000th day of missionary Kim Jeong-wook's detention .

South Korea, through a statement by Unification Minister Kim Young-ho, called on North Korea to release the detainees unconditionally . The U.S. State Department also issued a statement expressing grave concern about the lack of transparency and fairness in North Korea’s judicial system and criticizing North Korean authorities . The Canadian Embassy in South Korea supported these calls by South Korea and the U.S. for the release of the detainees .

North Korea maintains its position that the international community, including South Korea, is calling for the release of North Korean detainees as part of an anti-North Korean human rights operation .

North Korea strongly objected to letters from the Transitional Justice Working Group, a South Korean civic group, delivered in May and July through the secretariat of the UN Human Rights Council's Working Group on Arbitrary Detention , calling them " unacceptable political maneuvers that damage our dignified national image and seriously infringe upon the jurisdiction of a sovereign state . "

There are currently six South Koreans being detained by North Korea, including missionary Kim Jeong-wook, who was arrested in October 2013, missionary Kim Kuk-gi, who was arrested in October 2014 , missionary Choi Chun - gil , who was arrested in December 2014 , and three other South Koreans who defected from North Korea .

This is Mok Yong-jae from RFA's Radio Free Asia in Seoul .

Editor Yang Seong-won

8. Artificial Intelligence In Governments: South Korea As Case Study – OpEd

Artificial Intelligence In Governments: South Korea As Case Study – OpEd

 September 30, 2024 0 Comments

By Dr. Azly Rahman and Ho Lee

eurasiareview.com · September 29, 2024

Introduction

Our world has been changing and adapting to new technologies and initiatives at unprecedented and increasingly accelerating rates. Among the various new technologies introduced to our societies, AI (Artificial Intelligence) is one of the most prominent, promising, as well as potentially problematic. While some have raised concerns about the use and reliance on such new technologies, as well as their impact on humanity, these concerns have been amplified, especially as AI technologies expand into governmental and military sectors.

AI, or Artificial Intelligence, is an intelligence exhibited by machines, especially advanced computer systems, differing from other technologies in that such machines are adaptable to environments and utilize learning and intelligence to further improve and achieve their proposed goals (Russell & Norvig, 2021).

In this essay, we explore the use of AI technologies vis-à-vis the internet, specifically in government sectors, including both their application in government work and the potential consequences, as well as possible reasons behind recent changes in approaches in South Korea.

AI Use in Governments

Although not as extensive as some might expect, AI has been steadily finding its place in government sectors throughout recent years. For example, in peripheral and local governments, AI technologies have traditionally been widely used and explored in the fields of science and research, including gathering census data and conducting scientific research. However, the use of AI has recently expanded to cover more core functions and management tasks in government, such as resource allocation, emergency relief, and public works and services (Civic Plus, 2024).

For instance, throughout the pandemic, the German government implemented AI systems to manage and analyze the spread of the disease and allocate necessary resources. A growing number of research nwo points towards comparative analysis of how governments, especially advanced industrialized and technology-rich countries are embarking upon the use of AI in virtually all strategic sectors. The global accounting firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) recently released a report on how much investments are made in this new sector of technology and governance (see: https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/data-and-analytics/publications/artificial-intelligence-study.html)

Recent Liberal Approach in South Korea

South Korea’s approach to the implementation and control of AI technologies can be summarized as a nation-state that is quite liberal and hands-off when it comes to the use of AI, the internet, and other advanced digital communication technologies. A global internet growth monitoring body, Freedom House, assigned a score of 83/100 to South Korea, placing this East Asian economic powerhouse on par with other developed countries, including the United States, when it comes to upholding free speech and the flow of information.

However, due to its unique geography and political and strategic situation in East Asia, South Korea has exerted significant controls and regulations over certain sectors, alluding to our discussion on the idea of Splinternet (“national-controlled internet”) and how this country negotiates its need to protect national borders against the global demand for free information in a world marked by anarchic control of information across time and space. For instance, especially regarding national security measures and social order controls, South Korea has notably taken very conservative approaches toward foreign media and the internet. The South Korean government, due to national security concerns, restricted foreign internet and service providers (e.g., Google and Apple) from accessing geospatial data and live geographic information (Geospatial Information Management Act of the Republic of Korea).

Recently, South Korea gained international attention for potentially changing its approaches to liberalize the use of technologies in deeper spheres. In September 2024, Seoul hosted the 2024 Responsible AI in the Military Domain Summit (REAIM), which specifically discussed the use of AI technologies in military infrastructures, as well as potential cooperation in AI use in military fields between nations. At the summit, nearly sixty countries, including South Korea, endorsed a new “blueprint” for the use and cooperation of AI technologies in the military, which could be interpreted as a significant step away from South Korea’s traditional stance on AI use and data sharing (Reuters, 2024). Beyond this “blueprint,” South Korea has also taken more liberal measures in recent months. The country also hosted the AI Seoul Summit, which primarily focused on cooperation and strengthening the safety, security, and development of AI technologies in the developed world (AI Seoul Summit, 2024). Prominent items among the declaration are:

” … 5. We call for enhanced international cooperation to advance AI safety, innovation, and inclusivity to harness human-centric AI to address the world’s greatest challenges, to protect and promote democratic values, the rule of law and human rights, fundamental freedoms and privacy, to bridge AI and digital divides between and within countries, thereby contributing to the advancement of human well-being, and to support practical applications of AI, including to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals. … 6. We advocate for policy and governance frameworks, including risk-based approaches, that foster safe, innovative, and inclusive AI ecosystems. Frameworks should facilitate a virtuous cycle between human creativity and the development and use of AI, promote socio-cultural, linguistic, and gender diversity, and promote environmentally sustainable development and use of technology and infrastructure throughout the life cycle of commercially and publicly available AI systems. …” (AI Seoul Summit, 2024)

Additionally, the South Korean government has produced more proactive rhetoric in encouraging and developing AI firms and technological bases in the country, rather than strictly limiting and regulating under concerns of national security, as in previous years. One notable example is Pangyo Techno Valley, a district in Seongnam, South Korea, with a dense concentration of AI and IT industries and firms, supported and cooperated with the government.Analysis

Although these recent moves by South Korea could be seen as unprecedented historically, there are likely explanations that support the heightened liberalization of AI into public and private sectors (msit.go.kr) . Below are the major ones:

Firstly, the growing tensions in East Asia and the polarization of the world can be considered one of the crucial motivating factors for the abrupt movement in South Korean politics. Located near aggressive neighbors, notably China, North Korea, and Russia, and contrasting with its deep alliance with the United States and other Western powers, South Korea is often cited as the frontier of the United States-led military alliance.

As tensions rise in East Asia due to the increasing Korean conflict and ongoing missile threats from North Korea, endless economic warfare, nationalism and protectionism in China, as well as the current Russo-Ukrainian War, it is predictable that South Korea is keen on consolidating alliances to protect herself from potential threats. When considering the signatory countries of the “blueprint,” which are mostly all Western or Western-allied countries, including all G7 countries, while China remains an opt-out, it signifies the country’s intention to use AI as a tool of military-economic-strategic engagement to protect herself by sharing and cooperating with her alliances. The political-economic and strategic issues in the Pacific Rim remain areas of potential volatility.

Secondly, the rise of South Korean-led technologies and innovations could have been a pivotal motivation for the government to allow liberalization and even interference with the internal government network. As AI technologies rise globally, the South Korean government, as mentioned, has invested significantly in new technologies and innovations within the country, such as low-interest loans provided for entrepreneurs, offering more courses and opportunities in IT-related fields and sectors, and creating AI-specific districts throughout the country. This has led to the massive emergence of new AI firms and technologies based in South Korea, such as Naver’s HyperCLOVA X, (to compete with Chat GPT) which has significantly reduced South Korea’s concerns about foreign interference in security and allowed deeper integration into internal government and military operations (CNBC, 2023).

Lastly, by leveraging developments in crucial country-specific sectors and industries, particularly semiconductors, South Korea may attempt to use these as a new safety net—often referred to as the “Taiwan Shield,” echoing Taiwan’s use of TSMC in similar manner—to protect itself from foreign threats and secure further military protections from the United States, given its importance in the global economy and to American industries.

Conclusion

In this essay, we examined South Korea’s recent implementation of AI technologies in government and military as unprecedented actions in the country’s history, as a case study of the use of AI by national governments. When considering the growing political-economic and strategic tensions in East Asia, in conjunction with its rapid internal development of technologies, it may have been a more logical and expected decision by Seoul to open up its AI technologies and start cooperating with foreign countries and global corporations.

Although it is impossible to predict the consequences of that decision, it is likely that South Korea will continue to be well-integrated into Western societies economically and ideologically while experiencing rapid growth in uncharted territories, signifying major changes and shifts in the economic, political, and even social elements of the country.

In the final analysis, only time will determine the consequences of these changes vis-à-vis global developments, as AI technology continues to dictate and dominate the trajectories of these decisions and global responses.

References

AI Seoul Summit (2024), AI Seoul Summit https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/south-korea-summit-target-blueprint-using-ai-military-2024-09-09/

Chiang, S. (2023, August 4). “South Korea’s Naver Launches Generative AI Services to Compete with Chat GPT” https://www.cnbc.com/2023/08/24/south-koreas-naver-launches-generative-ai-services-to-compete-with-chatgpt.html

Civic Plus (2024), The Role and Use of AI In Local Governments

Ministry of Science and Information Technology, Korea: https://www.msit.go.kr/eng/bbs/view.do?sCode=eng&mId=4&mPid=2&pageIndex=&bbsSeqNo=42&nttSeqNo=509&searchOpt=ALL&searchTxt

Norvig, R. and Russell, S. (2021), Artificial Intelligence – A Modern Approach. Pearson.

https://dl.ebooksworld.ir/books/Artificial.Intelligence.A.Modern.Approach.4th.Edition.Peter.Norvig.%20Stuart.Russell.Pearson.9780134610993.EBooksWorld.ir.pdf

Joyce Lee (Reuters, 2024), Sixty countries endorse ‘blueprint’ for AI use in military; China opts out https://www.reuters.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/south-korea-summit-announces-blueprint-using-ai-military-2024-09-10/

“Sizing the Prize”: PwC’s Global Artificial Intelligence Study (2023) https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/data-and-analytics/publications/artificial-intelligence-study.html

eurasiareview.com · September 29, 2024

9. Exclusive: S. Korea probes alleged Chinese manipulation of public opinion

Say it ain't so.

Unrestricted Warfare.

Three Warfares.

No surprise.

Exclusive: S. Korea probes alleged Chinese manipulation of public opinion

Police also investigate Chinese IP cameras leaking videos of South Koreans in private spaces

https://www.chosun.com/english/national-en/2024/09/30/KG7ZGLYUOVCHPPOR7IIPZCDLVA/

By Koo A-mo,

Kim Seo-young

Published 2024.09.30. 15:41

South Korean police have launched an internal investigation into allegations that Chinese accounts manipulated public opinion by posting organized comments on articles related to competitive industries, including electric vehicles and e-commerce. Authorities are also probing the hacking of Chinese IP cameras that recorded and leaked videos of South Koreans in private settings.

Domestic research teams revealed evidence of public opinion manipulation originating from China. Professors Kim Eun-young of the Police Administration Department at Catholic Kwandong University and Hong Suk-hoon of the International Studies Department at Changwon National University reported their findings in Understanding Cognitive Warfare in Korea-China Competitive Industries. The report highlights organized comment activity aimed at swaying public perception in South Korea’s economic sectors.

The researchers analyzed comments on platforms such as Naver and YouTube from July 2022 to August 2023, identifying 77 suspected Chinese accounts that appeared to be coordinating their efforts to target South Korean industries.

The logo of South Korea's National Police Agency is displayed at the entrance of its headquarters./News1

In December 2022, a separate research team led by Professor Yun Min-woo of Gachon University’s Department of Police Science & Security Studies found additional signs of organized comment activity linked to China. By analyzing comments on Naver using big data, the team detected accounts promoting pro-China content, making derogatory remarks about Korean culture, supporting pro-China figures, and criticizing anti-China politicians. Some comments included statements like, “If Yoon Suk-yeol becomes president, the country will collapse,” and “Long live Lee Jae-myung, the emperor.”

Additionally, police are investigating the hacking of Chinese IP cameras, which led to the posting of videos of South Koreans on a Chinese pornographic website. The videos were taken in private spaces such as Pilates studios, delivery rooms, clothing stores, waxing salons, and swimming pools.

A police official said the investigations into both the comment manipulation and IP camera hacking are in the information-gathering stage, with further review required to determine the next steps.

China

South Korea

IP camera

10.  Editorial: S. Korea must act to address the privacy risks posed by Chinese IP cameras

Editorial: S. Korea must act to address the privacy risks posed by Chinese IP cameras

https://www.chosun.com/english/opinion-en/2024/09/30/WSQ6BEQINJADHNBGTXCW4A6ILQ/

By The Chosunilbo

Published 2024.09.30. 08:20

As concerns over privacy violations grow, South Koreans are facing a troubling reality: footage from their private lives, captured by Chinese-made IP cameras, is being leaked and distributed on pornographic websites, raising alarms about the security of widely-used surveillance devices. /News1

It has recently been revealed that videos of South Koreans’ private lives, captured through Chinese-made IP cameras, are being distributed across pornographic websites in China.

These videos are suspected to have been leaked through security vulnerabilities in the cameras. Among the footage, one can find deeply invasive videos taken in private homes, living rooms, maternity wards, changing rooms, swimming pools, and massage parlors—places where people are naturally exposed.

Even a video that sparked controversy in South Korea last year, showing patients, including celebrities, changing clothes in a Seoul plastic surgery clinic, has surfaced on these websites. On one Chinese site, videos labeled as ‘Koreans’ make up the largest category in their country-specific sections. This raises serious concerns that people’s everyday lives are unknowingly being exploited.

Chinese-made IP cameras account for around 80% of those used in private homes, commercial spaces, and public facilities for security purposes in S. Korea. It’s widely reported that some of these devices have technology called ‘backdoors’ installed by manufacturers—covert access mechanisms that allow them to extract user data without the user realizing.

However, most users buy these inexpensive Chinese IP cameras directly from overseas sellers, which leaves them outside the reach of government regulations. Even Chinese-made robotic vacuum cleaners, which dominate the domestic market, are equipped with IP cameras. For these reasons, IT media outlets from the United States have warned that these devices could be hacked and used to spy on users, turning them into potential sources of leaked personal information.

Unlike CCTV systems, which are typically isolated from external networks, IP cameras rely on internet connections, making them far more vulnerable to hacking. Despite this increased risk, security awareness in S. Korea—among the government, industry, and users—remains insufficient. In fact, a survey revealed that 65% of companies using IP cameras perceive no significant difference in the likelihood of data leaks between domestic and Chinese-made products.

Countries like the U.S., the UK, and Australia have already taken action to restrict Chinese-made video security equipment over security concerns. In 2022, the Biden administration imposed a total ban on importing Chinese video security equipment. The UK and Australia have also begun removing Chinese devices from key facilities.

In S. Korea, more than 1,300 Chinese-made security cameras were discovered in military installations, and plans are underway to gradually remove them. However, the issue extends beyond the military, as Chinese IP cameras are widely used in homes and commercial establishments, making it urgent to address their potential security risks.

To address this issue, the S. Korean government needs to conduct thorough inspections of the security risks posed by Chinese-made IP cameras and other electronic devices equipped with these cameras. In addition, raising public awareness about the dangers of hacking and the methods to prevent it is crucial.

While completely eliminating the risk of hacking may be impossible as long as devices are connected to the internet, users can still take basic precautions. For example, a simple but important step is to change the default usernames and passwords when setting up the device. Ultimately, increased vigilance is key to safeguarding the nation’s privacy.

11. N. Korea removed as observer from Asia-Pacific anti-money laundering group

Small victory?

Or a loss because north Korea has the most expertise in money laundering and other sanctions evasion activities (note my sarcastic comment).

N. Korea removed as observer from Asia-Pacific anti-money laundering group | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · September 30, 2024

SEOUL, Sept. 30 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has been removed as an observer of a regional anti-money laundering group due to its lack of engagement and failure to fulfill obligations, South Korea's foreign ministry said Monday.

The unanimous decision was made at the 26th general assembly of the Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG), held in the United Arab Emirates last Tuesday, the ministry said in a press release.

The APG, formed in 1997, is an intergovernmental body committed to effectively implementing the international standards against money laundering, and combating the financing of terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Currently, the APG consists of 42 member states, including the United States, Japan and China. South Korea joined the group in 1998.

North Korea obtained the APG observer position in July 2014.

The APG had warned the North that no engagement in the group would deprive the regime of its observer status, and the disqualification was endorsed by the members as the North did not even meet the minimum requirements to maintain its status.

An observer state is required to allow a visit by an APG delegation for an exchange of relevant information and cooperate with the APG to publish a regular report on the country's implementation of anti-money laundering practices, among others.

The APG has found that North Korea has not engaged in the APG activities for the past six years and has not responded to the APG's calls for contact.

elly@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · September 30, 2024

12. Seoul mulls evacuation plan for S. Koreans in Lebanon as Mideast crisis deepens

The challenge of being a global pivotal state.

Seoul mulls evacuation plan for S. Koreans in Lebanon as Mideast crisis deepens | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · September 30, 2024

SEOUL, Sept. 30 (Yonhap) -- The government discussed plans Monday for a potential emergency evacuation of South Korean nationals in Lebanon as the escalating conflict between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah is raising fears of a full-scale war in the region.

The meeting, led by the foreign ministry, was the latest to be held to review contingency plans for South Korean citizens in Lebanon and nearby regions, following a serious of strikes by Israel on Lebanon that have killed dozens of people, including Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Concerns of a wider war have led to international airlines suspending their flights.

Second Vice Foreign Minister Kang In-sun called for maximum efforts to ensure the safety of South Koreans in the Middle East through close coordination between the ministry headquarters, diplomatic missions and relevant ministries.

Kang also renewed her call on South Korean citizens in Lebanon and Israel to leave the countries as soon as possible.

About 140 South Koreans are in Lebanon and some 480 are in Israel, according to the foreign ministry.

Officials from the defense ministry and the Joint Chiefs of Staff were also present at Monday's meeting.

Foreign ministry officials and diplomats stationed in overseas missions in the Middle East hold a meeting to discuss the regional situation and contingency plans for Korean nationals on Sept. 30, 2024, in this photo provided by the ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

elly@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · September 30, 2024

13. N.K. leader urges swift reconstruction in flood-devastated regions

Will the regime learn any lessons from the floods this time? It seems like few countries ever learn from the flooding they experience.

(LEAD) N.K. leader urges swift reconstruction in flood-devastated regions | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · September 30, 2024

(ATTN: RECASTS headline; UPDATES with more info in last 3 paras)

SEOUL, Sept. 30 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called for swiftly rebuilding homes in flood-devastated regions in the country's northwest, state media reported Monday.

Kim made the remarks during a "field guidance" visit to the flood-stricken regions of North Phyongan Province on Sunday, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Late July's heavy rains inundated large areas along the Amnok River, with some South Korean media outlets speculating that the number of people who died or went missing could exceed 1,000.

During the visit, Kim said that "all the builders should complete the housing construction on the highest level in the shortest time by directing redoubled efforts and sincerity to provide the people in the flood-hit areas with houses for happy living."

Kim again emphasized that the quality of construction is not merely a matter of addressing the aftermath of a natural disaster but a critical process in implementing the party's far-reaching program for regional development.

North Korea has been prioritizing economic development in backward provinces, following Kim's commitment to modernizing factories in 20 counties over the next decade. The country's "20-10 Regional Development Policy" aims to raise what the regime refers to as the basic material and cultural living standards of the people.

It marks Kim's third visit to the rehabilitation sites, following earlier visits on July 28 and Aug. 8-9.

South Korea's unification ministry responsible for inter-Korean affairs noted that this latest inspection seems intended to calm public sentiment and boost morale among military officials and young workers involved in the housing project.

"It is somewhat unusual for Kim to inspect flood recovery efforts multiple times in such a short period," Koo Byoung-sam, a spokesperson for the ministry, said during a press briefing.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (C) gives "field guidance" to the flood-stricken regions of North Phyongan Province on Sept. 29, 2024, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) the following day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

khj@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · September 30, 2024

14. Veterans minister thanks U.S. assemblymember for raising awareness on independence fighter

Veterans minister thanks U.S. assemblymember for raising awareness on independence fighter | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · September 30, 2024

SEOUL, Sept. 30 (Yonhap) -- Veterans Minister Kang Jung-ai on Monday presented a plaque to Ron Kim, a New York State assemblymember, in recognition of his efforts to raise awareness about South Korea's independence movement and independence fighter Yu Gwan-sun (1902-20), Kang's office said.

In a ceremony held in Seoul during Kim's visit to the country, Kang thanked the state assemblymember for leading legislative efforts to designate "Yu Gwan-sun Day" in New York earlier this year, according to the veterans ministry.

Yu is a national hero who died in prison at age 17 after taking an active part in the March 1 independence movement during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule.

In 2019, Kim also played a central role in helping designate a day marking the 100th anniversary of the resistance movement against Japan's colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula, according to the ministry.

Veterans Minister Kang Jung-ai (R) and Ron Kim, a member of the New York State Assembly, pose for a photo at the ministry's office in Seoul on Sept. 30, 2024, in this photo provided by Kang's office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

mlee@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · September 30, 2024

15. China takes away key talent from Korea

China takes away key talent from Korea

donga.com

Posted September. 30, 2024 08:22,

Updated September. 30, 2024 08:22

China takes away key talent from Korea. September. 30, 2024 08:22. .

It has been confirmed for the first time that at least 13 Korean experts had been recruited to China through the Thousand Talents Plan, China’s overseas science and technology talent recruitment program. They were all key talents who had shown outstanding research results in national strategic technologies such as new materials, biotechnology, and artificial intelligence (AI). Some scholars received presidential awards, and others were included in the “Top 100 Scientists in the World.” Though the Thousand Talents Plan has officially ended, China’s efforts to steal Korean talents continued persistently.

When The Dong-A Ilbo team tracked down Korean scholars who participated in the Thousand Talents Plan, it was found that China had approached talented individuals through all means if they had the necessary skills. They mainly recruited them through Chinese professors whom the Korean scholars had connections with or Chinese students whom they taught in Korea. What attracted the scholars was not money that guaranteed their retirement, but a supportive research environment. They focused on recruiting scholars who wanted to continue their research after retirement and wanted to research without research fund concerns.

The ‘Thousand Talents Plan’ was officially terminated due to opposition from countries on talent drain, but it is still confidentially being carried out under names such as the ‘Qiming (meaning enlightenment) Plan.’ Prospective candidates are sought through professional job search platforms, those who have expressed to research core technologies such as next-generation semiconductors. Reportedly, the support amounts to 2.4 billion won per person per year, including subsidies, salaries, and research funds.

Not only talents but also core technologies were leaked. A pharmaceutical expert selected for the Thousand Talents Plan revealed that s/he was required to hand over research-related patents to China as a condition of support. A KAIST professor who was sentenced to two years in prison by the Supreme Court in May of this year was confirmed to have handed over 72 core technologies, including lidar, which is called the eyes of self-driving cars, to China while participating in the Thousand Talents Plan for two years.

With the Chinese focused on R&D and talent acquisition at the national level, Korea’s technological competitiveness in eleven key national science and technology areas has been overtaken by China for the first time in 2022. Korea still fails to both nurture and maintain the talent that is the core of the era of technological hegemony. Talent that should be brought into science and engineering are being taken away by medical schools, with developed talent leaving the country. Universities are finding it difficult to acquire proper research equipment and recruit professors to teach students. Despite the situation, the government continues to push forward with empty slogans for talent acquisition measures such as “attracting 1,000 top-level overseas talents.”

한국어

donga.com

16. N. Korean leader sends message to Cuba emphasizing strengthened bilateral relations

The Kim family regime is trying to regand territorial influence on the Go/Baduk board.

N. Korean leader sends message to Cuba emphasizing strengthened bilateral relations

The Korea Times · September 30, 2024

This image, captured from the website of Cuba's presidential office, Sept. 19, 2024, shows Cuban Vice President Salvador Valdes Mesa, center, with North Korea's new ambassador to Cuba, Han Su-chol, right. Yonhap

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has stressed the importance of bilateral relations with Cuba in a message, widely seen as an effort to strengthen their long-standing ties, despite a setback over South Korea's recent establishment of diplomatic relations with Havana.

Kim had conveyed cordial greetings to Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel in a message delivered by North Korea's new ambassador to Cuba, Han Su-chol, during his meeting with the Cuban president last Friday (local time), according to Cuba's presidential office and the social platform X.

On Feb. 14, South Korea and Cuba formally established diplomatic relations, a surprising development that many viewed as a diplomatic blow to North Korea, which has long maintained close ties with the Caribbean nation.

During the meeting with the Cuban president, Han emphasized Kim's strong commitment to the continued development of the historic relationship between North Korea and Cuba.

Kim had said the bilateral relations are a source of pride for North Korean residents and a precious inheritance, according to the Cuban side.

Han assumed his post earlier this month, following the departure of his predecessor, Ma Chol-su, in March. Some observers interpreted Ma's departure as a sign of North Korea's dissatisfaction with the new diplomatic ties between South Korea and Cuba.

In response, President Diaz-Canel highlighted that next year marks the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between North Korea and Cuba.

He suggested that the two nations work together to create a schedule to celebrate the milestone, the office said.

Since South Korea's establishment of diplomatic ties with Havana, North Korea has refrained from mentioning news related to Cuba in its state media.

Ri Il-gyu, a former counselor of political affairs at the North Korean Embassy in Cuba, recently told Yonhap News Agency that North Korea would "never abandon" its ties with Cuba. Ri also revealed that members of North Korea's diplomatic mission in Cuba were summoned back to the country following his defection to South Korea with his family last November.

Meanwhile, top diplomats from South Korea and Cuba held their first one-on-one talks on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York last week.

The two countries are working to open embassies in Seoul and Havana by the end of this year. (Yonhap)

The Korea Times · September 30, 2024

17. Too old to serve? Lawmaker's proposal to recruit older men to military sparks debate

As I previously wrote, the ROK needs to develop a reserve system that takes the best of both the US and Israeli reserve systems.

Too old to serve? Lawmaker's proposal to recruit older men to military sparks debate

The Korea Times · September 30, 2024

Military personnel from the Republic of Korea Army's 23rd Infantry Division participate in a field training exercise in Donghae, Gangwon Province, June 19. Yonhap

Critics question feasibility of proposal to tackle shrinking forces with retirees

By Lee Hyo-jin

A proposal to recruit men in their 50s and 60s for non-combat military duties, intended to address South Korea's shrinking pool of conscripts, has sparked debate over the role that older men can or cannot play in the nation's defense.

Military experts say that the proposal, which involves assigning older men to guard duties, would require a significant overhaul of the current military structure and personnel system, making it impractical at this time.

Rep. Sung Il-jong of the ruling conservative People Power Party floated the idea last week as a potential solution to the looming personnel shortage.

"I believe healthy and experienced men in their 50s and 60s, who have already completed their military service, could support our armed forces by working as contracted civilian employees or through private outsourcing," Sung said in an interview with CBS radio, Friday.

He added that these older men, who tend to sleep less as they age but are healthy, could be suitable for guard duty.

The lawmaker pointed to the U.S. Forces Korea model, where maintenance, repair and operations tasks, as well as private military company roles, are often outsourced to local civilians.

He also suggested that his proposal could create jobs for retired men, offering economic benefits similar to those received by conscripted soldiers, who earn around 2 million won ($1,530) per month.

Under current laws, all non-disabled South Korean men aged between 19 to 35 are required to complete military service. Afterward, they remain in the reserve forces until they turn 40, subject to potential mobilization.

Recent data suggests that the number of military personnel will fall below 400,000 by 2040, down from the current 480,000. The figure dipped below 500,000 for the first time in 2022.

The anticipated decline in military personnel has raised concerns about South Korea's national security, particularly given that the country remains technically at war with North Korea.

Rep. Sung Il-jong of the ruling People Power Party speaks during a parliamentary session at the National Assembly in Seoul, Aug. 8. Yonhap

"Some older men might be willing to rejoin the military as a second career after retirement," Kim Dae-young, a military expert, said. "But their willingness and what they can actually contribute in a military setting are two different things. It would be awkward for a major or captain in their 30s to give orders to men nearly twice their age, especially in our society, where age hierarchy matters."

Kim added that lawmakers' proposing such unrealistic plans highlights how difficult it is to address the looming personnel shortage in the armed forces.

Still, Sung's proposal may appeal to members of the Senior Army, an organization established in 2023 that consists mostly of men in their 50s to 70s who have completed their military service.

Under the motto "When the country calls, we serve," the members voluntarily engage in regular physical and tactical training to maintain combat readiness. The group, which began with about 500 members, has since grown to 2,000, with the goal of expanding to 100,000.

The Ministry of National Defense stated that currently there is no official position on the proposal. However, some military officials who spoke to The Korea Times questioned its feasibility.

"Unlike U.S. base camps, which house tens of thousands of personnel like a town, our barracks are scattered across the country, with some housing only a few hundred troops. It's unclear how we would accommodate older men in their 50s and 60s in barracks located in rural areas or along the front lines, or even if they would be willing to serve in remote regions, separated from their families," one military official said on condition of anonymity.

Another official said, "Unless we consolidate smaller bases into larger ones, which would require a complete overhaul of the military structure and personnel system, recruiting senior men for guard duties seems like a distant idea."

The Korea Times · September 30, 2024

18. DMZ flash point

​And the response to this threat should be???? Concessions? That is usually John's recommendation. I guess he will provide that in his next OpEds since he fairly thoroughly laid out the threats here.

DMZ flash point

The Korea Times · September 30, 2024

By John Merrill

John Merill

North Korea is building up its frontline tactical missile forces against South Korea. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un recently announced that North Korea has deployed along the DMZ some 250 mobile missile launchers, capable of carrying up to four short-range Hwasong 11 KN-23 ballistic missiles. This is in addition to existing artillery positions aimed at Seoul and other sites along the border.

The solid-fuel missiles, which are theoretically nuclear-capable, will allow Pyongyang to target key areas in South Korea with greater accuracy. If fired as a barrage, they could overwhelm any possible defenses.

The KN-23 missiles, which were first displayed in 2018, are loaded in canisters on transporter erector launchers (TEL) and ready to fire at a moment's notice. They fly in a quasi-ballistic trajectory and their short flight time makes it difficult to intercept with current missile defense technology.

They can deliver chemical, conventional and even nuclear warheads — although deploying nuclear warheads to frontline units would be a logistical nightmare.

If some of the newly deployed missiles are equipped with nuclear warheads, securing them and providing a reliable command and control system will pose a major problem.

The addition of penetration aids or multiple warheads would make the missiles even more troublesome. They are reportedly highly accurate, with an estimated circular error of probability of 35 meters, based on imaging showing the pattern of impact craters from previous tests.

The KN-23 is already being used by Russia in its war against Ukraine. The North Korean missile, although based on Russia's Iskander-M missile, is a more advanced version, able to carry heavier payloads.

Seoul has sought to play down any immediate threat posed by the KN-23 deployment. Although it has a theoretical operational range of 900 km, which would enable it to reach most of South Korea, South Korea's National Intelligence Service estimates that the missile would reach only as far as the central Chungcheong region if launched from frontline positions.

Moreover, it believes that there are not enough missiles for all of the TELs along the DMZ because North Korea continues to deliver KN-23 missiles to Russia in its ongoing war with Ukraine.

In addition, Ukraine claims that the KN-23s launched by Russia have a high failure rate, with half of them having lost their programmed trajectories and exploding in the air.

But the KN-23 is not the only new weapon to be deployed with North Korean frontline units. "Suicide drones" are also likely to be supplied to the troops.

Earlier this month, Kim Jong-un oversaw a demonstration of the new drones destroying targets by crashing into them instead of firing missiles from a standoff position, hence the "suicide drone" label.

The suicide drones might be the first sign of a reciprocal arrangement in which North Korea receives Russian military technology assistance in return for supplying artillery shells and KN-23 missiles to Moscow since the new drones appear to resemble Russian Zala Lancet-3 drones.

North Korea's increased reliance on missiles and drones, which mirrors that of Russia in attacking Ukraine, suggests that Moscow sees no need to provide Pyongyang with modern combat aircraft, which would be a much more expensive alternative.

The KN-23 deployment and the production of new drones signal that North Korea has shifted its focus from developing long-range missiles that could reach the United States to expanding its arsenal of short-range weapons that would be used against South Korea.

The recent developments follow the collapse last year of the 2018 Comprehensive Military Agreement, which was a historic attempt to reduce tensions between the two Koreas by limiting military activity along the DMZ. At the time of the accord's demise, North Korea warned that it would "deploy more powerful armed forces and new-type military hardware" in the border region.

Pyongyang further escalated tensions when Kim Jung-un declared earlier this year that South Korea was Pyongyang's No. 1 enemy, abandoning its five-decade policy of pursuing peaceful unification. He warned that his military could react with preemptive nuclear strikes against South Korea if he believed his leadership was under threat.

It is noteworthy that the ceremony to mark the transfer of the KN-23 tactical missile launchers to frontline units also provided a clue to North Korea's future leadership succession plans. Kim Jong-un's sister, Kim Yo-jung, who attended the event, showed truly remarkable deference to Kim's daughter, according to the NIS.

This reinforced previous speculation that his daughter, now in her early teens, might be being groomed as Kim's intended successor since she has attended many military-related events. No woman has ever run the country before. But if Kim Jong-un decides to make her his successor, the groundwork is already being laid by her frequent appearances as a reminder of the "Paektu bloodline."

John Merrill (jmerrill05@gmail.com) is a visiting scholar at the Institute of Korean Studies at George Washington University.

The Korea Times · September 30, 2024

19. How to parrot Kim Jong-un on unification

I hope the strong criticism of Im Jong-seok continues.

Excerpt:

Unification may still be far-fetched, but we can never surrender our strategic national goal. The pro-unification generation is beginning to retire, and the younger generation who have never experienced a war is indifferent to the idea. By seconding Kim Jong-un’s concept, Im ironically could be doing a favor to society through a sober awakening that denying unification doesn’t ensure peace, but fixates division to invite intervention by China and Russia in case of contingencies related to North Korea.

How to parrot Kim Jong-un on unification

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-09-30/opinion/columns/How-to-parrot-Kim-Jongun-on-unification/2145234

Published: 30 Sep. 2024, 19:33

Chang Se-jeong

The author is an editorial writer of the JoongAng Ilbo.

During the sixth anniversary of the Sep. 19 joint inter-Korean declaration, Im Jong-seok, the chief of staff to former president Moon Jae-in, proposed walking away from unification and accepting the two separate states ideology. North Korean defectors as well as People Power Party (PPP) Rep. Park Choong-kwon condemned Im’s remark in a press conference, saying that it was “hammering a nail” into the hearts of 34,000 defectors and 10 million separated families.

Seoul mayor Oh Se-hoon, floated as one of the ruling party’s candidates for next presidency, accused Im of groveling for Pyongyang’s favor by advocating for the North Korean regime. Oh, who usually keeps his distance from sensitive political issues, is believed to have spoken up to appeal to his conservative supporters.

Kim Min-seok, a member of the Supreme Council of the Democratic Party (DP) and avid spokesman for DP leader Lee Jae-myung, joined the conservative front in criticizing Im. He said that the late liberal president Kim Dae-jung, who became the first South Korean president to meet a North Korean leader, would have “persuaded” Kim Jong-un instead of agreeing with his ideas. Perhaps the DP veteran — who had been hurling bizarre theories about the conservative government planning to declare martial law or launch a terrorist attack on the oppostion leader — might not have lost all of his good senses.

But did Im’s comment really come out of nowhere? As the chair of progressive student body Jeondaehyop in 1989, Im arranged a secret visit by student activist Lim Su-kyung to North Korea to attend the World Festival of Youth and Students. A symbolic figure of the generation who had fought for democracy and rapprochement toward North Korea wouldn’t have come to deny unification and call for the elimination of the Unification Ministry. But a few days later, he reiterated that the two Koreas are “undeniably two separate states” to confirm his sobriety.

Im more or less rephrased Kim Jong-un’s blunt declaration at the plenary meeting of the Workers’ Party of Korea on Dec. 30 last year. At that time, the North Korean leader defined the two Koreas as “two hostile states in a state of war.” 

〈YONHAP PHOTO-6183〉 발언하는 임종석 2018 남북정상회담 준비위원장 (광주=연합뉴스) 정다움 기자 = 19일 오후 광주 서구 김대중컨벤션센터 다목적홀에서 열린 '9?19 평양공동선언 6주년 기념식'에서 임종석 2018 남북정상회담 준비위원장이 발언하고 있다. 2024.9.19 daum@yna.co.kr/2024-09-19 19:07:13/ 〈저작권자 ⓒ 1980-2024 ㈜연합뉴스. 무단 전재 재배포 금지, AI 학습 및 활용 금지〉

Im Jong-seok, the chief of staff to former President Moon Jae-in, speaks during a ceremony in Gwangju, South Jeolla, to mark the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 19 joint declaration in Pyongyang between the former president and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in 2018. [YONHAP] 

Unlike the past when statements from Pyongyang had been heavily censored, South Koreans today are freely exposed to the North’s uncensored propaganda machine. Since the DP curtailed anti-North Korea espionage activities of the National Intelligence Service during Moon Jae-in’s presidency, society’s sensitiveness toward North Korea has significantly weakened. Some are even rejecting the constitutional provisions on unification.

But the unification renunciation from Kim Jong-un and Im differs in their motives. Kim’s disavowal has stemmed from desperate brinkmanship to sustain the hereditary Kim dynasty. Even with nuclear arms in his hands, Kim knows what could come out of active exchanges with South Korea: Any integration can lead to the end of his regime as North Korea was clearly defeated by South Korea in their system competition.

To the North’s younger soldiers who trust the marketplace more than the party to feed them, the South’s “free-minded” capitalism would be a serious threat to his regime. Kim has disavowed the legacy of his grandfather and father who worked toward unification to instead turn to a reign of terror and seclusion. We cannot know the reaction of North Koreans due to the country’s strict isolation, but we can still infer that many of them would have been confused by the abrupt turnaround of abandoning the goal of unification after methodically being brainwashed throughout their lives to commit themselves to the reunification for a better future. Kim’s renunciation of the unification campaign has been a dangerous political gamble.

Im’s denial, however, has no excuse, and therefore gains little sympathy even from his peers on the liberal front. He cannot even be compared to the late lawmaker Yoo Seong-hwan who challenged the Chun Doo Hwan regime in October 1986 to make “unification” the mother lode of national policy instead of “anti-communism.”

Im’s unification abandonment also derails him from his political trajectory. He headed the preparatory committee for the 2018 inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang. In retiring from politics in 2019, he vowed to devote himself to unification-related activities as a civilian. But he has come to parrot Kim in less than a year since the North Korean leader deserted the unification agenda.

Unification may still be far-fetched, but we can never surrender our strategic national goal. The pro-unification generation is beginning to retire, and the younger generation who have never experienced a war is indifferent to the idea. By seconding Kim Jong-un’s concept, Im ironically could be doing a favor to society through a sober awakening that denying unification doesn’t ensure peace, but fixates division to invite intervention by China and Russia in case of contingencies related to North Korea.

Translation by the Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

20. Building strategic cooperation with Mongolia

Building strategic cooperation with Mongolia

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-09-30/opinion/columns/Building-strategic-cooperation-with-Mongolia/2145233

Published: 30 Sep. 2024, 19:30

Kim Hyun-jae

The author is president of the Korea Energy Economics Institute.

Mongolia is a country of vast nature and endless land. The expansive land retained its purity, and precious resources that could help secure humanity’s future lie deep within the country. More than 80 percent of Mongolia’s land is grassland, but beneath the tranquil surface lies abundant strategic resources, such as key minerals and uranium, that will drive the country’s clean energy industry.

These resources are vital during the transition period to clean energy. As the world looks to new technologies and energy sources, Mongolia is a treasure trove of such resources. Like its vast grasslands, Mongolia’s resource reserves hold endless possibilities.

Cooperation with Mongolia will offer an important opportunity for Korea. Korea needs to secure key minerals and energy sources to lead the way in building a clean energy system. Korea’s clean energy industry — including renewable energy, batteries and nuclear power — is not sustainable without a stable resource supply chain. Thanks to its abundant resources, Mongolia can be an important partner for Korea’s energy and high-tech industries.

However, for this cooperation to be successful, a strategic approach is needed for Korea to go beyond simple resource development.

First, it is crucial to conduct an accurate research on Mongolia’s resource reserves. As the country’s resources have not yet been fully explored, Korea should actively promote exploration projects with Mongolia to lay the foundation for joint resource development.

Second, we need to build an energy cooperation relationship with Mongolia with a long-term perspective. Rather than just securing resources in the short term, Korea needs to form a continuous and stable cooperation structure with Mongolia to maintain its energy security and industrial competitiveness in the long term.

This will help ensure a stable resource supply chain for Korea not only in the nuclear industry but also in the clean energy and technology industries. France’s successful uranium development program over the last decade — and President Emmanuel Macron’s recent visit to Mongolia — are good examples to study. Korea should follow suit and strengthen its cooperation with Mongolia through a long-term, strategic approach.

Third, Korea must go beyond bilateral cooperation with Mongolia and establish a multilateral cooperation system. Working together with other countries and international organizations interested in developing energy resources in Mongolia will help ensure the stability and efficiency of resource development. This could be an important strategy for Korea to get an edge in the global resource competition.

Finally, beyond resource development and utilization, intangible cooperation is also important. The two countries can strengthen their clean energy transition and energy security through various intangible cooperations, such as technical cooperation, policy exchange and human resource development.

By promoting technology development and joint research utilizing Mongolia’s abundant renewable energy resources, both countries can promote innovation in the clean energy industry and lead the transition. Furthermore, they can also build a long-term partnership by sharing knowledge and experiences in energy policy and training human resources in both countries. This will go beyond just securing resources and help ensure a sustainable future for both countries.

Exchanges such as the Korea-Mongolia Future Strategy Forum — which held its second event successfully in Ulaanbaatar last month — play an important role in laying the groundwork for such cooperation and provides opportunities to further strengthen mutual understanding and trust. Through such dialogue and cooperation, Korea and Mongolia can move forward together toward the common goal of energy security and establishing clean energy systems.

Through cooperation with Mongolia, Korea has the opportunity to strengthen its resource supply chain and increase its competitiveness in the future energy market. As Mongolia’s resources are more than just natural resources, they can be important assets for Korea’s future industries. We are at a critical juncture in the process of building a new future for energy security and clean energy. If Korea and Mongolia work hand in hand to navigate this challenging journey together, a bright future is ahead for both countries.

Translation by the Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

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