Informal Institute for National Security Thinkers and Practitioners

Quotes of the Day:

“The deep critical thinker has become the misfit of the world, this is not a coincidence. To maintain order and control you must isolate the intellectual, the sage, the philosopher, the savant before their ideas awaken people.”

- Carl Jung

“Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.”

- Charles Spurgeon.

"If you're in trouble, or hurt or need - go to the poor people. They're the only ones that'll help - the only ones."

John Steinbeck

1. Kim Jong-un and Putin Plan to Meet in Russia to Discuss Weapons

2. North Korea’s Kim Jong Un Expected to Meet Putin in Russia

3. Seoul says N. Korea should seek int'l norms-based cooperation amid report of possible Kim-Putin summit

4. N. Korea's Kim likely flaunting daughter at military events to elicit loyalty: Seoul

5. Devotion for People's Wellbeing (north Korea)

6. Kim Jong Un Has Many Reasons to Meet With Vladimir Putin

7. What's behind North Korea's 'nuclear attack' drills?

8. Security Nexus paper on Northeast Asia’s Military Tech & South Korean Defense Implications

9. Culture ministers of S. Korea, Japan, China to meet for 1st time in 4 years

10. Yoon: N. Korea is in worst economic condition since Kim took power

11. Russian Ambassador, ‘DPRK-China-Russia joint training is appropriate’

12. Time to manage Korea’s relations with China

13. Hyesan inminbans encourage people to exchange foreign currency at banks

14. N. Korea continues to export weapons to Russia, Iran, Syria and others

15. ＜Breaking News＞Kim Jong-un regime restarts public executions…Nine people shot to death in Hyesan City on August 30 according to witness

16. Premature to say Kim Jong-un's daughter an heir: Seoul

1. Kim Jong-un and Putin Plan to Meet in Russia to Discuss Weapons

So a permanent member of the UN Security Council is going to meet with the leader of a country with major UN Security Council Resolution sanctions.

Kim Jong-un and Putin Plan to Meet in Russia to Discuss Weapons

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/04/us/politics/putin-kim-meeting-russia-north-korea-weapons.html

Russia seeks more weaponry for its war in Ukraine, and a North Korean delegation recently traveled to Russia by train to plan for Mr. Kim’s visit this month, officials say.

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A photograph released by North Korean state news shows Kim Jong-un, right, with Sergei K. Shoigu, the Russian defense minister, in July. Mr. Kim is expected to travel to meet President Vladimir V. Putin.Credit...KCNA, via Associated Press

By Edward Wong and Julian E. Barnes

Reporting from Washington

Sept. 4, 2023

Updated 2:40 p.m. ET

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Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, plans to travel to Russia this month to meet with President Vladimir V. Putin to discuss the possibility of supplying Russia with more weaponry for its war in Ukraine and other military cooperation, according to American and allied officials.

In a rare foray from his country, Mr. Kim would travel from Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital, probably by armored train, to Vladivostok, on the Pacific Coast of Russia, where he would meet with Mr. Putin, the officials said. Mr. Kim could possibly go to Moscow, though that is not certain.

Mr. Putin wants Mr. Kim to agree to send Russia artillery shells and antitank missiles, and Mr. Kim would like Russia to provide North Korea with advanced technology for satellites and nuclear-powered submarines, the officials said. Mr. Kim is also seeking food aid for his impoverished nation.

Both leaders would be on the campus of Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok to attend the Eastern Economic Forum, which is scheduled to run Sept. 10 to 13, according to the officials. Mr. Kim also plans to visit Pier 33, where naval ships from Russia’s Pacific fleet dock, they said. North Korea celebrates the anniversary of its founding on Sept. 9.

On Wednesday, the White House warned that Mr. Putin and Mr. Kim had exchanged letters discussing a possible arms deal, citing declassified intelligence. A White House spokesman, John F. Kirby, said high-level talks on military cooperation between the two nations were “actively advancing.” U.S. officials declined to give more details on the state of personal ties between the leaders, who are considered adversaries of the United States.

The new information about a planned meeting between them goes far beyond the previous warning. The intelligence relating to the plans has not been declassified or downgraded by the United States, and the officials describing it were not authorized to discuss it. They declined to provide details on how spy agencies had collected the information.

While the White House declined to discuss the new intelligence, Adrienne Watson, a National Security Council spokeswoman, said in a statement that Sergei K. Shoigu, the Russian defense minister, traveled to North Korea, officially known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, to try to persuade Pyongyang to sell artillery ammunition to Russia.

“As we have warned publicly, arms negotiations between Russia and the DPRK are actively advancing,” she said. “We have information that Kim Jong-un expects these discussions to continue, possibly to include high-level diplomatic engagement in Russia.”

At other times since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, U.S. officials have released declassified intelligence to try to dissuade North Korea, China and other countries from supplying Russia with weapons. U.S. officials say White House warnings about planned transfers of North Korean artillery shells stopped previous cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow.

In late August, a delegation of about 20 North Korean officials, including some who oversee security protocols for the leadership, traveled by train from Pyongyang to Vladivostok, and then flew to Moscow, an indication that North Korea was serious about a visit by Mr. Kim. Their trip, believed to be a planning expedition, took about 10 days, according to officials briefed on the intelligence reports.

One potential stop for Mr. Kim after Vladivostok, an official said, is Vostochny Cosmodrome, a space launch center that was the site of a meeting in April 2022 between Mr. Putin and Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus and a partner of Mr. Putin’s in the war in Ukraine. The center, whose first rocket launch took place in 2016, is about 950 miles north of Vladivostok.

The idea for the Russia visit came out of the trip by Mr. Shoigu to North Korea in July for Mr. Kim’s celebration of the 70th anniversary of the “victory” over South Korean and U.S. forces in the Korean War, officials said. (In reality, the three-year war halted in 1953 in a stalemate and armistice agreement, and the two Koreas are still officially at war.)

Mr. Kim took Mr. Shoigu to an exhibition of weaponry and military equipment that included ballistic missiles banned by the United Nations.

During the meeting, Mr. Kim presented Mr. Shoigu with options for greater military cooperation and asked for Mr. Putin to visit North Korea, officials said. Mr. Shoigu then made a counterproposal, suggesting that Mr. Kim travel to Russia.

Mr. Shoigu’s visit to North Korea was the first by a Russian defense minister since the fracturing of the Soviet Union in 1991. Mr. Shoigu presented Mr. Kim with a letter from Mr. Putin, according to the Korean Central News Agency, or KCNA, the country’s state news service.

The agency did not indicate that Mr. Kim had explicitly mentioned Ukraine in the conversations, but it said that he had “expressed his views on the issues of mutual concern in the struggle to safeguard the sovereignty, development and interests of the two countries from the highhanded and arbitrary practices of the imperialists and to realize international justice and peace.”

Mr. Putin has characterized his war against Ukraine as one of protecting Russian sovereignty, since in his view Ukraine should be part of a restored Russian Empire.

Image

Mr. Putin wants Mr. Kim to agree to send Russia artillery shells and antitank missiles.Credit...Pool photo by Ekaterina Chesnokova

In June, Mr. Kim sent Mr. Putin a message on Russia’s national day in which he pledged to “hold hands” with the Russian leader and promised that the Russian people would have North Korea’s “full support and solidarity” for their “all-out struggle,” according to the KCNA.

“The strengthening of the Russia-North Korea alliance comes at an opportune time for two countries with very few allies and a shared adversary in the United States,” said Jean H. Lee, a recent senior fellow on the Koreas at the Wilson Center. “It’s the resurrection of a traditional alliance that serves the strategic interests of both Putin and Kim.”

A Chinese delegation led by Li Hongzhong, a member of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party, also visited North Korea for its celebration, and Mr. Li handed Mr. Kim a letter from Xi Jinping, China’s leader, according to North Korean state media.

Mr. Kim often exchanges affectionate and sometimes downright effusive letters with foreign leaders whom he considers allies or potential partners. He and President Donald J. Trump exchanged a series of letters as they prepared for historic face-to-face summits.

For the second of those summits, held in February 2019 in Hanoi, Vietnam, Mr. Kim traveled by armored train for two days from Pyongyang through China and across its tropical border with Vietnam. Mr. Kim’s father, Kim Jong-il, and his grandfather, Kim Il-sung, both preferred to travel by train outside the country.

Mr. Kim first visited Russia in 2019, when he arrived in Vladivostok on his armored green train to meet with Mr. Putin. As the train pulled slowly into the station, white-gloved North Korean attendants raced alongside it, frantically wiping down any handholds and other surfaces that Mr. Kim might touch as he disembarked.

A beaming Mr. Kim stepped off in a black fedora and long black coat. He was received by an honor guard and brass band. Mr. Kim’s bodyguards jogged next to the black limousine that carried him through the city.

The United States first warned about cooperation between North Korea and Russia a year ago. Officials, citing declassified U.S. intelligence, said that Russia planned to buy artillery shells for use in Ukraine.

In subsequent disclosures, Mr. Kirby said North Korea had shipped munitions to Russia through the Middle East and North Africa.

But U.S. officials said that the disclosures had deterred North Korea and that few if any North Korean weapons had made it to the front lines in Ukraine.

Deterring support for Russia from North Korea, Iran and China is a critical element of the Biden administration’s strategy for helping Ukraine in its defense against Russia.

China, warned by Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken in February not to provide lethal aid, has supplied dual-use technology and components but has not yet sent drones or heavy weaponry to the Russian military, U.S. officials said.

Iran has supplied drones and is helping Russia build a drone factory. But U.S. officials believe their warnings have helped prod Iran to reconsider plans of providing ballistic missiles to Russia, at least so far.

Edward Wong is a diplomatic correspondent who has reported for The Times for more than 24 years from New York, Baghdad, Beijing and Washington. He was on a team of Pulitzer Prize finalists for Iraq War coverage. More about Edward Wong

Julian E. Barnes is a national security reporter based in Washington, covering the intelligence agencies. Before joining The Times in 2018, he wrote about security matters for The Wall Street Journal. More about Julian E. Barnes

2. North Korea’s Kim Jong Un Expected to Meet Putin in Russia

I wonder if he will go visit his father's birthplace which is north of Vladivostok.

North Korea’s Kim Jong Un Expected to Meet Putin in Russia

Reclusive leader’s planned trip comes as talks advance over Pyongyang selling munitions to Moscow for use in Ukraine

https://www.wsj.com/world/north-koreas-kim-jong-un-expected-to-meet-putin-in-russia-cb1f8dc8?page=1

By Warren P. Strobel

and William Mauldin

Updated Sept. 4, 2023 8:16 pm ET

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin during a 2019 meeting in Russia. PHOTO: ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO/ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON—North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is expected to travel to Russia soon to meet with President Vladimir Putin, U.S. officials said Monday, the latest sign that negotiations are accelerating over ammunition Moscow is seeking for its war in Ukraine.

The trip would be unusual for the North Korean leader, who rarely travels abroad. Moscow and Pyongyang have grown closer amid economic sanctions and diplomatic pressure from the U.S. and its allies.

The planned Kim-Putin meeting was earlier reported by the

New York Times, which said Kim would likely travel by armored train to meet Putin next week in Vladivostok, on Russia’s eastern coast.

“Arms negotiations between Russia and the DPRK are actively advancing,” White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said in a statement, noting that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu traveled to Pyongyang in July to try to persuade North Korea to sell artillery ammunition to Russia. North Korea’s formal name is the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

“We have information that Kim Jong Un expects these discussions to continue, to include leader-level diplomatic engagement in Russia,” Watson said.

It couldn’t be determined what intelligence information led to the U.S. assessment of the expected Kim-Putin summit and the accelerating bargaining over weaponry.

Under heavy Western sanctions and locked in a costly war of attrition in Ukraine, Russia has been seeking weapons from many countries. It has received drones and other material from Iran and has also sought assistance from China.

North Korea has thus far shied away from large-scale weapons sales to Russia, although U.S. officials say in late 2022 it delivered infantry rockets and missiles for use by the Kremlin-backed Wagner Group.

But last week, the White House said publicly it had new information that Moscow-Pyongyang weapons talks were advancing.

(LEAD) Seoul says N. Korea should seek int'l norms-based cooperation amid report of possible Kim-Putin summit | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · September 5, 2023

(ATTN: ADDS details in last two paras, photo, byline)

By Lee Minji

SEOUL, Sept. 5 (Yonhap) -- North Korea needs to seek cooperation with other nations in a way that does not hurt international norms and peace, South Korea's unification ministry said Tuesday, in response to a report that the leaders of the North and Russia may meet next week for talks on a possible arms agreement.

The New York Times reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may travel to Vladivostok next week to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and discuss a possible arms deal.

"In regard to this, cooperation between North Korea and a nearby country, in all forms, should be conducted in a direction that does not hurt international order and peace," an official at Seoul's ministry told reporters on condition of anonymity.

"The government, alongside the international community, is closely watching cooperative ties involving North Korea and has raised the reminder that all member countries of the United Nations have a duty to comply with the U.N. Security Council resolutions," he added.

This photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on July 27, 2023, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (R) talking to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu (L) during an arms exhibition in Pyongyang the previous day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

The report came amid growing speculation that North Korea may supply weapons to Russia for its use in the war with Ukraine as the North seeks to bolster ties with China and Russia amid growing security cooperation among South Korea, the United States and Japan.

Kim and Putin previously met in the eastern Russian city in April 2019, months after his talks with then U.S. President Donald Trump fell through in Hanoi.

More recently, the North invited a military delegation from Russia, led by its defense minister Sergei Shoigu, to the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice in Pyongyang in a rare move following the COVID-19 breakout. During the visit, Kim gave a tour of an arms exhibition to Shoigu, further raising speculation over a possible arms deal.

"North Korea has been explicitly supporting Russia and boasting its ties to the country. ... Under these circumstances, the chances of the North and Russia cooperating through an arms deal are becoming greater," the official said.

During a closed-door briefing to the parliamentary intelligence committee Monday, Seoul's spy agency was quoted as saying that Russia had proposed conducting three-way naval exercises with North Korea and China when Shoigu visited the North in late July.

North Korea has yet to hold joint military drills with any other country to date.

This file photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (L) toasting Russian President Vladimir Putin during their meeting in Vladivostok, Russia, on April 25, 2019. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

mlee@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · September 5, 2023

4. N. Korea's Kim likely flaunting daughter at military events to elicit loyalty: Seoul

Or he is trying to show the world that not all Koreans in the north go hungry. She looks very well fed in the photos.

(LEAD) N. Korea's Kim likely flaunting daughter at military events to elicit loyalty: Seoul | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · September 5, 2023

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details throughout)

By Kim Soo-yeon

SEOUL, Sept. 5 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has mainly brought his daughter, believed to be named Ju-ae, to military-related events in an apparent bid to highlight his feats in the military sector and elicit the loyalty of the armed services, South Korea's unification ministry said Tuesday.

Kim's daughter has made public appearances on 15 occasions since she made her first one in November 2022, and 12 cases of the total, or 80 percent, were at military-related events, the ministry said, based on reports by the Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper.

In contrast, she attended events related to the economy and social affairs three times, it added.

This image, captured from footage of North Korea's state-run Korean Central Television on Aug. 29, 2023, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (L) and his daughter, believed to be named Ju-ae, visiting the country's naval command two days earlier to celebrate Navy Day, which fell on Aug. 28. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

Ju-ae, believed to be around 10 years old, made her first public appearance on Nov. 18, when she, along with her father, attended the firing of a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile.

Since then, her public appearances have been focused on the military field, including a military parade in February and an inspection in May of a facility to prepare the launch of the country's first spy satellite.

North Korean state media have carried a total of 107 photos featuring her. Of them, seven photos were placed on the front page of the Rodong Sinmun, and 80 photos, or 75 percent, showed her right next to Kim Jong-un.

Despite an increase in her appearances in state media, many North Korean observers see the possibility of Ju-ae becoming a hereditary successor as low, given the North's patriarchal society and the rumored existence of an eldest son among Kim's children.

South Korea's spy agency told lawmakers Monday that it is "hasty" to judge that Ju-ae has been anointed as the successor, as North Korea, a male-dominant society, is "obsessed" with the Paektu bloodline of Kim's royal family.

"(Ju-ae's public appearances) seem to indicate that whoever will become the successor, the Paektu line will go on, and people are required to continue to show their loyalty," a unification ministry official told reporters.

On her Aug. 27 visit to the naval command, the official said she appears to have behaved in accordance with protocol as she showed a relatively formal attitude, not a childlike one as in the past.

At the naval command, she walked slightly behind her father on a red carpet, likely displaying the quasi-scene of inspecting a guard of honor, and was seen reading what looked like the script of her father's speech on an elevated podium.

"The North may be in the process of making protocol norms for her," the official said.

Meanwhile, Kim Jong-un has delivered speeches 98 times since he assumed power in late 2011, and state media has carried out 32 reports of his addresses delivered via his voice, the ministry said.

He addressed the nation the most during the country's fight against COVID-19, delivering five and six speeches in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

This photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Aug. 29, 2023, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (C) shaking hands with Navy officials during his visit to the naval command with his daughter, believed to be named Ju-ae (L), two days earlier. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

This file photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on April 19, 2023, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (R) and his daughter, believed to be named Ju-ae, visiting the country's state space development agency the previous day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

sooyeon@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · September 5, 2023

5. Devotion for People's Wellbeing (north Korea)

Do we think the nKPA and the KOrean people in the north are inspired by these types of reports and Kim's actions?

So they discover a waterfall in the north that had never been discovered. So the army built a road to it so the people could visit the spectacular scenery. The devoted efforts of the KPA brought joy to the people and the benevolent father of the people was happy.

I could not resist sharing this propaganda from the regime.

Devotion for People's Wellbeing

https://kcnawatch.org/newstream/1693906561-194166842/devotion-for-peoples-wellbeing/

Date: 05/09/2023 | Source: KCNA.kp (En) | Read original version at source

It was in August Juche 90 (2001) that Chairman Kim Jong Il got a report from the Korean People's Army soldiers that they discovered Ullim Falls in the Ullim Pass and completed the project for building a road to it.

He soon visited the area of Ullim Pass, saying that another scenic spot was presented to the people.

On an observation platform at the valley of Ullim Falls along the pass, he said with satisfaction that he was very happy to see another spectacular scenery to be enjoyed by the people.

Going round the valley, he said he was very pleased with the fact that another precious gift for the people was provided thanks to the devoted efforts of KPA soldiers, creators of the people's happiness, and highly appreciated their feat.

Indeed, Kim Jong Il was the benevolent father of the people who found his happiness in the people's joy. -0-

www.kcna.kp (Juche112.9.5.)

6. Kim Jong Un Has Many Reasons to Meet With Vladimir Putin

Excerpts;

Putin has plenty to gain from talking to Kim. In the past, North Korea has sent thousands of workers abroad—many of them to Russia. Kim’s regime could agree to send more at a time when Russia is suffering from high labor shortages, especially in Siberia and its far east.

The potential meeting would come as Ukraine’s forces have made progress piercing through some Russian fortifications in the south. Russia’s forces are facing shortages of artillery shells and even basic munitions could help its position on the battlefield, Western officials have said. Pyongyang could help stabilize munitions supplies as Moscow scales up production.

But North Korea has some limitations in its ability to supply weaponry. North Korea has more than 300 munitions factories capable of producing weapons, though years of international sanctions have affected operations due to a lack of raw materials or replacement parts, South Korea’s defense ministry said.

North Korea isn’t well positioned to supply modern lethal aid, weapons experts say. Much of Pyongyang’s stockpiles are Soviet-era missiles. The country hasn’t begun mass production of the advanced weaponry that it has revealed in recent years.

Any arms deal between Pyongyang and Moscow would violate United Nations Security Council resolutions, as would any increase in North Korean laborers sent to Russia.

Kim Jong Un Has Many Reasons to Meet With Vladimir Putin

North Korea stands to gain more in aid, diplomatic showmanship, as U.S. officials expect a meeting between the two leaders next week

https://www.wsj.com/world/asia/kim-jong-un-has-many-reasons-to-meet-with-vladimir-putin-e57ca00?page=1

By Timothy W. Martin

and Dasl Yoon

Sept. 5, 2023 6:15 am ET

Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok, Russia, in 2019. PHOTO: YURI KADOBNOV/ASSOCIATED PRESS

SEOUL—For more than four years, Kim Jong Un has stayed inside his country’s borders, focused on a deadly virus, a stifled economy and a corrupt elite.

Now, the North Korean leader, U.S. officials said, could be planning his first foreign trip to Russia for a meeting with Vladimir Putin. Talks could advance between the two countries about ammunition sales that could replenish Russia’s stockpile for its Ukraine war.

U.S. officials say the get-together between Kim and Putin could occur next week in the eastern Russian city of Vladivostok, which was the site of the two leaders’ first and only meeting in April 2019.

Russia could potentially provide aid to North Korea, which is suffering its worst food shortage in decades, after the impoverished nation kept its borders shut during the Covid-19 pandemic. Kim’s regime can also use his return to overseas statesmanship in its propaganda to show it has moved on from pandemic isolation. And with coordination deepening between Washington, Tokyo and Seoul, any military strengthening with Moscow could serve as a reminder that the isolated regime has powerful friends.

“North Korea feels really threatened,” said Artyom Lukin, an expert on Russia-Asia relations and professor at the Far Eastern Federal University. “Kim Jong Un understands well how weak North Korea is, even with its nuclear weapons, vis-à-vis the U.S. alliance with South Korea and Japan.”

On Monday, South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers that Russia had also proposed conducting naval exercises with North Korea and China during a recent visit to Pyongyang by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

Russia said it had nothing to say on a potential summit, while North Korea hasn’t publicly commented on the matter.

U.S. officials previously accused North Korea of shipping infantry rockets and missiles to the Wagner Group, the Russian paramilitary force, among other attempts to replenish lethal aid—assertions that Moscow and Pyongyang have denied.

Putin has plenty to gain from talking to Kim. In the past, North Korea has sent thousands of workers abroad—many of them to Russia. Kim’s regime could agree to send more at a time when Russia is suffering from high labor shortages, especially in Siberia and its far east.

The potential meeting would come as Ukraine’s forces have made progress piercing through some Russian fortifications in the south. Russia’s forces are facing shortages of artillery shells and even basic munitions could help its position on the battlefield, Western officials have said. Pyongyang could help stabilize munitions supplies as Moscow scales up production.

But North Korea has some limitations in its ability to supply weaponry. North Korea has more than 300 munitions factories capable of producing weapons, though years of international sanctions have affected operations due to a lack of raw materials or replacement parts, South Korea’s defense ministry said.

Kim Jong Un met with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, left, in Pyongyang in July. PHOTO: KCNA VIA KNS/ASSOCIATED PRESS

North Korea isn’t well positioned to supply modern lethal aid, weapons experts say. Much of Pyongyang’s stockpiles are Soviet-era missiles. The country hasn’t begun mass production of the advanced weaponry that it has revealed in recent years.

Any arms deal between Pyongyang and Moscow would violate United Nations Security Council resolutions, as would any increase in North Korean laborers sent to Russia.

The sanctions are limited in effect as long as China and Russia block the international community from putting additional pressure on North Korea, leaving the U.S. with no option but to strengthen military cooperation with its allies, said Chun In-bum, a former special forces commander in the South Korean army.

The lack of recourse against North Korea has helped catalyze increased coordination by the U.S., Japan and South Korea, which have agreed to knit together their missile-radar systems and boost joint military exercises.

“Unfortunately, I don’t see any viable nonmilitary actions left,” Chun said. “Ironically, the North Koreans are fostering trilateral cooperation.”

Putin and Kim have expressed appreciation for one another, as much of the West shunned the Russian leader for the invasion of Ukraine and Kim for his spree of missile tests. In June, Kim promised in a letter to keep “holding hands firmly” with Putin. The two leaders have exchanged a series of letters. Last month, Putin wrote to Kim, pledging to bolster ties in all fields.

High-level visits between the two countries began about six weeks ago, when Shoigu led a Russian delegation to Pyongyang for a tour at a defense expo and a North Korean military parade. That visit, U.S. officials said, was aimed at convincing Pyongyang to sell artillery ammunition to Moscow. Since then, Russian officials have traveled to Pyongyang for follow-on discussions, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.

Kim hasn’t left North Korea since June 2019, when he stepped over the Korean Demilitarized Zone to meet with then-President Donald Trump. The visit capped a string of overseas exchanges with Trump, Putin, Chinese leader Xi Jinping and the heads of South Korea, Vietnam and Singapore.

Thomas Grove contributed to this article.

Write to Timothy W. Martin at Timothy.Martin@wsj.com and Dasl Yoon at dasl.yoon@wsj.com

7. What's behind North Korea's 'nuclear attack' drills?

Excerpts:

The upgraded Moscow-Pyongyang alliance is arguably the most significant change in recent years, with both sides benefiting. The US government has claimed that North Korea is planning to supply artillery shells to Moscow, which is running short on conventional munitions as it continues the war in Ukraine, and it is likely that Russia will pay with oil and foodstuffs, both of which it produces in abundance and which North Korea is desperate to obtain.

"The North originally got their shells from the Soviet Union and through China and have continued to manufacture this sort of ammunition, meaning they have huge stockpiles and they can keep making more," said Gatling. "They will sell their inventory and while it may be old it will still be effective and, for the North, valuable because these shells will allow them to bring in food and oil.

"To me, it's clear that will strengthen both sides."

What's behind North Korea's 'nuclear attack' drills? – DW – 09/04/2023

Julian Ryall

16 hours ago16 hours ago

Pyongyang has carried out a series of unprecedented military drills and threatened to use nuclear weapons in an invasion of South Korea. It's partly encouraged by closer alliances with Russia and China, experts say.

Pyongyang has managed to increase the already elevated tensions on the Korean Peninsula in recent days with a number of military firsts.

State media reported last week that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had overseen military exercises that simulated a "scorched earth" nuclear strike against the South followed by an invasion across the Demilitarized Zone that divides the peninsula and then the occupation of North Korea's ideological rival.

The North said it had acted as South Korea and the US were plotting a pre-emptive nuclear assault on the North, adding, "The [Korean People's Army] staged a tactical nuclear strike simulating scorched-earth strikes at major command centers and operational airfields of the [South Korean] military gangsters."

The drills included the firing of two tactical ballistic missiles from mobile launchers close to Pyongyang.

North Korea's 'clear message' to US, South Korea

Pyongyang said it was sending a "clear message" to Seoul and Washington, which have recently completed the 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield joint military exercise that included US nuclear-capable B-1B strategic bombers flying with a fighter escort over the peninsula.

The North insisted that the flights show the US was "moving toward a pre-planned nuclear pre-emptive strike against us."

Seoul and Washington have recently completed the 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield joint military exerciseImage: Defense Ministry/ZUMAPRESS/picture

Pyongyang followed that exercise up with a "simulated tactical nuclear attack" on Saturday with the launch of two cruise missiles carrying dummy nuclear warheads, state-run media added.

Analysts say that it is clear the North has made great strides in its development of nuclear weapons and long-range missile systems, but it has little chance of successfully invading and occupying the southern half of the peninsula — despite a standing army of 1.3 million service members.

"In the past, the North Koreans invested heavily in artillery and building up their ammunition supplies, but virtually all of that is from the 1940s and 1950s," said Lance Gatling, a security and aerospace analyst and founder of Tokyo-based Gatling Associates.

"So, while they have a tremendous amount of this stuff and rocket artillery, it is not very precise over long ranges. Also, the ubiquitous intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities of advanced countries have a tremendous impact on any offensive capability they [North Korea] might have," he told DW.

Tensions between North and South Korea remain high

Satellites orbiting at 500 kilometers (310 miles) above the Earth and with the ability to provide intelligence 24 hours a day and in all weather conditions means that any looming North Korean attack will be visible well in advance.

North's ground forces outclassed

Another problem the North faces is that it only has three potential ground routes of attack against the South, due to the geography of the peninsula, with any assault funneled into narrow areas and quickly resulting in what experts call "a cauldron of death" for the North's elderly tanks and under-equipped infantry units at the hands of the South and US forces.

It would be a similar situation for the North's air force, said Garren Mulloy, a professor of international relations at Daito Bunka University in Japan and an expert on military issues.

"Fighter pilots in NATO countries will put in a minimum of 200 hours of operational flying every year on the most advanced aircraft in their arsenals," he said. "It is estimated that North Korean pilots are only able to put in 20 hours a year due to shortages of fuel and their inability to obtain spare parts for their aircraft."

There are additional question marks over the North's capabilities in other areas, including chemical, biological and bacteriological weapons, often dubbed the "poor man's nuclear weapons."

"We know they have them and while no other country in the world would use them, we cannot entirely rule out the possibility of Pyongyang using these weapons, depending on just how threatened they felt," Mulloy said.

The North has no qualms about touting its nuclear capability, with the Seoul-based Korea Institute for Defense Analysis releasing a report in January estimating that Pyongyang's scientists have produced more than 2.2 tons of weapons-grade highly enriched uranium and as much as 78 kilograms (172 pounds) of plutonium.

That amount of fissile material would be sufficient for up to 90 warheads and, if development continues at the same pace, the institute believes North Korea could have 166 nuclear weapons by 2030.

It is this saber that Pyongyang is now rattling, and with increased confidence as geopolitical events in other parts of the world have led to alliances of mutual convenience with both Russia and China.

State media reported last week that Kim Jong Un had overseen military exercises that simulated a 'scorched earth' nuclear strike against the SouthImage: KCNA/AP Photo/picture alliance

'Escalation of threats of violence'

"South Korea is not responsible for the escalation of these threats of violence from the North, although it has also been argued that the closer alliance between the South, the US and Japan has stimulated Pyongyang into those closer ties with Beijing and Moscow," said Lim Eun-jung, an associate professor of international studies at Kongju National University in South Korea.

The upgraded Moscow-Pyongyang alliance is arguably the most significant change in recent years, with both sides benefiting. The US government has claimed that North Korea is planning to supply artillery shells to Moscow, which is running short on conventional munitions as it continues the war in Ukraine, and it is likely that Russia will pay with oil and foodstuffs, both of which it produces in abundance and which North Korea is desperate to obtain.

"The North originally got their shells from the Soviet Union and through China and have continued to manufacture this sort of ammunition, meaning they have huge stockpiles and they can keep making more," said Gatling. "They will sell their inventory and while it may be old it will still be effective and, for the North, valuable because these shells will allow them to bring in food and oil.

"To me, it's clear that will strengthen both sides."

Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru

8. Security Nexus paper on Northeast Asia’s Military Tech & South Korean Defense Implications

Download the 9 page paper at this link: https://dkiapcss.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/N2646-Yoon-security-Nexus.pdf

Security Nexus paper on Northeast Asia’s Military Tech & South Korean Defense Implications - Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies

dkiapcss.edu · by APCSS Editor · August 17, 2023

A recent Security Nexus paper titled “Emerging New Military Technologies in Northeast Asia and Implications for South Korean Defense Strategy” by retired Navy Captain Sukjoon Yoon, ROKN, highlights the escalating pursuit of advanced military technologies in Northeast Asia amid growing military disparities. The implications of new military technologies in Northeast Asia are uncertain. While they might fuel an arms race, the high costs and demographic considerations could push some countries towards arms control.

New military technologies are reshaping South Korea’s defense policies. Following the Biden-Moon Summit in 2021, the ROK-US alliance has expanded its focus from North Korea to the larger Indo-Pacific region. South Korea is adjusting its defense budget, and its 2023-27 acquisition plan emphasizes R&D in disruptive technologies to enhance future war readiness.

Read the full Security Nexus Paper

The views expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the DKI APCSS or the United States Government.

dkiapcss.edu · by APCSS Editor · August 17, 2023

9. Culture ministers of S. Korea, Japan, China to meet for 1st time in 4 years

Soft power battles.

Culture ministers of S. Korea, Japan, China to meet for 1st time in 4 years | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Eun-jung · September 5, 2023

SEOUL, Sept. 5 (Yonhap) -- The culture ministers of South Korea, Japan and China will hold a meeting later this week to discuss ways to expand cultural exchanges and cooperation among the Asian neighbors, the Seoul government said Tuesday.

South Korean Culture Minister Park Bo-gyoon will attend the 14th trilateral ministerial meeting with Japanese counterpart Keiko Nagaoka and Chinese counterpart Hu Heping at the National Intangible Heritage Center in Jeonju, a historic city located about 240 kilometers south of Seoul, from Thursday to Friday.

It will be their first in-person talks in four years as virtual conferences replaced previous meetings since the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The cultural minister meeting of South Korea, China and Japan is a strategic platform dedicated to cultural and person-to-person exchanges in East Asia," Park said in a release. "The upcoming meeting is expected to have in-depth discussions on ways to further expand the scope of cultural and people-to-people exchanges."

On Thursday, the ministers will have back-to-back bilateral meetings and a trilateral session, and visit a craft exhibition jointly held by the three nations.

The next day, they will announce a joint declaration outlining ways to bolster cultural exchanges of young generations and cooperation in the entertainment content industry, according to the ministry.

Culture Minister Park Bo-gyoon speaks during a gender equality award ceremony held in western Seoul on Sept. 5, 2023, in this photo provided by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

ejkim@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Eun-jung · September 5, 2023

10. Yoon: N. Korea is in worst economic condition since Kim took power

I know I am known as Chicken Little and the boy who cried wolf but we need to be concerned with the indicators of potential internal instability and be prepared for what comes next in north KOrea.

Yoon: N. Korea is in worst economic condition since Kim took power

donga.com

Posted September. 05, 2023 08:22,

Updated September. 05, 2023 08:22

Yoon: N. Korea is in worst economic condition since Kim took power. September. 05, 2023 08:22. by Joo-Young Jeon aimhigh@donga.com.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said North Korea is in its worst economic condition since Kim took power. “Unless North Korea stops its nuclear development, the regime’s instability will continue to increase,” he added. In addition, President Yoon urged China to make constructive efforts for North Korea’s denuclearization.

“The hardships faced by North Koreans in their everyday lives are worsening, and its economy continues to register negative growth,” said President Yoon in a written interview with the Associated Press published on Monday before he visited Indonesia and India to attend the ASEAN Summit and G20 Summit from Tuesday through Monday.

“China seems to have considerable leverage over North Korea,” said the South Korean president, referring to the high dependence of the North Korean economy on China. He claimed that China should make constructive efforts to denuclearize North Korea as China has the responsibility to maintain peace and stability in the international community as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council if the North continues to sophisticate its nuclear and missile capabilities and violate the sanctions of the United Nations Security Council. As of 2022, 96.7 percent of North Korea’s trade is with China.

He emphasized that North Korea’s nuclear program has a negative effect on China’s national interests by further disrupting regional order. “At the upcoming ASEAN-related Summits and the G20 Summit, I intend to urge the international community to resolutely respond to North Korea’s ever-escalating missile provocations and nuclear threats and to work closely together on its denuclearization,” said the president. “As long as the U.N. Security Council sanctions currently in place are faithfully implemented, North Korea’s financial means for developing weapons of mass destruction can be blocked to a significant extent.”

He added that he would underscore the need to actively deter North Korea from stealing cryptocurrency, dispatching workers overseas, facilitating maritime transshipments, and other illegal activities, which are the main funding sources for its nuclear and missile development. He also said that he would call for the international community’s attention to the horrific violation of human rights of North Korean people who are used as a means of the North Korean regime to maintain its power.

한국어

donga.com

11. Russian Ambassador, ‘DPRK-China-Russia joint training is appropriate’

Of course he would say that. It is his job to say that. But we should ask ourselves not why they are doing this but how we can exploit this. How is the GEC handling this?

Russian Ambassador, ‘DPRK-China-Russia joint training is appropriate’

donga.com

Posted September. 05, 2023 08:22,

Updated September. 05, 2023 08:22

Russian Ambassador, ‘DPRK-China-Russia joint training is appropriate’. September. 05, 2023 08:22. .

Russian Ambassador to North Korea Alexander Matsegora said in an interview with TASS on Friday that the idea of including North Korea in the joint military exercises between Russia and China “seems quite appropriate.” Although Ambassador Matsegora said it was a “purely personal idea,” he raised the need for a trilateral joint drill between North Korea, China, and Russia. North Korea has never participated in joint China-Russia exercises since the mid-2000s. Previously, South Korea's National Intelligence Service reported to the National Assembly that it believed that Russia had offered North Korea to join the joint exercises.

The DPRK-China-Russia joint drills seem to be at the stage of proposal toward North Korea that Russia hopes for. However, it is true that the possibility of its realization is not remote. Russia, mired in a seemingly endless war of attrition in Ukraine, is in desperate need of military aid from China and North Korea. However, since China is refusing direct military aid, Russia has no choice but to dwell on North Korea, and North Korea is seeing it as an opportunity to escape from isolation and poverty. Circumstances in which North Korean ammunition has already secretly found its way to Russia have been detected in various places, and since the Russian Defense Minister attended the military parade in North Korea at the end of July, the South Korean and U.S. authorities believe that North Korea and Russia have initiated a phase of negotiating specific implementation details by holding high-level exchanges.

Whether such bilateral military cooperation extends to trilateral joint exercises will depend on how accommodating China is to that opinion. As the war in Ukraine becomes more protracted and strategic competition between the U.S. and China intensifies, the possibility of it becoming a reality will only increase. If North Korea is included in the China-Russia joint training, a trilateral alliance of dictatorships challenging the liberal international order, especially the DPRK-China-Russia trilateral system against the ROK-US-Japan trilateral cooperation in East Asia, will emerge, forcing Korea to be at the forefront of the very confrontation.

Recently, Russia is said to have been sending warning messages to the South Korean government, displaying its discomfort with the closer relationship developed between the three countries since the Camp David summit between Korea, the U.S., and Japan on August 18. It is questionable whether Russia, which violates the sovereignty of its neighbors and turns a blind eye to North Korea's illegal provocations, has the right to do so, but in the harsh international reality, we cannot rely solely on the cooperation mechanism between the three countries. We need to make special preparations to prevent immediate potential damage to our people and businesses and devise meticulous diplomatic strategies to deal with the risk of ideological confrontation, including more sophisticated North Korean nuclear threats.

한국어

donga.com

12. Time to manage Korea’s relations with China

I am not sure about CHina moderating the nK-Russia relationship.

Excerpt:

Fortunately, China intends to moderate the speed at which North Korea and Russia get closer to one another. Beijing also lifted the ban on group tours to South Korea last month, which suggests room for the government to engage in practical diplomacy with China. We hope President Yoon helps stabilize Northeast Asia through a tripartite summit with China and Japan followed by Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Seoul in the near future.

Tuesday

September 5, 2023

dictionary + A - A

Published: 05 Sep. 2023, 20:31

Time to manage Korea’s relations with China

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2023-09-05/opinion/editorials/Time-to-manage-Koreas-relations-with-China/1862768

President Yoon Suk Yeol is keeping up with his diplomatic schedule in Jakarta for the Asean summit, starting with a meeting with Koreans living in Indonesia. During his seven-day trip to the country and India, Yoon plans to strengthen solidarity with Asean members, show Korea’s global middle power diplomacy, and bring the 2030 Expo to Busan through bilateral and multilateral summits with leaders of relevant countries.

Since his inauguration last year, President Yoon has focused on augmenting Korea’s relations with the United States and Japan, and consolidating relations with the European Union given the need for aggressive diplomacy with the U.S.-led group of democracies to build solid security for the country. After making significant achievements at the tripartite summit at Camp David, President Yoon wants to rally broader support from members of Asean and G20.

In an interview with Kompas, a major daily in Indonesia, President Yoon expressed his will to cooperate with China by highlighting the need to “put tripartite cooperation between Korea, Japan and China back on track.” He added that the trilateral cooperation is not aimed at excluding — or jointly responding to — a certain country. In the past, the president indirectly criticized China for “not participating in international sanctions on North Korea in violation of UN resolutions.”

China competes with the U.S. over diplomatic, military and economic frontiers, but is a key player in Asia. At the same time, it is a close ally to North Korea and the largest trade partner of South Korea. We welcome President Yoon’s forward-looking remarks about China in Jakarta.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will reportedly pursue a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit to Moscow in the near future. Security experts are raising the possibility of North Korea joining the joint military drills between Russia and China. As secluded North Korea attempts to get closer to the two countries to confront the South Korea-U.S.-Japan trilateral cooperation, security in Northeast Asia is fluctuating sharply. The development could demand a more complex strategy from South Korea, the U.S. and Japan to jointly deal with the deepening nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.

Fortunately, China intends to moderate the speed at which North Korea and Russia get closer to one another. Beijing also lifted the ban on group tours to South Korea last month, which suggests room for the government to engage in practical diplomacy with China. We hope President Yoon helps stabilize Northeast Asia through a tripartite summit with China and Japan followed by Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Seoul in the near future.

13. Hyesan inminbans encourage people to exchange foreign currency at banks

Foreign currency works best for the markets and it is a threat to the regime.

Hyesan inminbans encourage people to exchange foreign currency at banks

“Basically, people avoid changing money in banks because they’re afraid of coming to the attention of law enforcement after the transaction,” a source told Daily NK

By Lee Chae Un - 2023.09.05 5:00pm

dailynk.com

Hyesan inminbans encourage people to exchange foreign currency at banks | Daily NK English

FILE PHOTO: Hyesan, Yanggang Province. (Daily NK)

Inminban (neighborhood watch units) in Hyesan have recently been coaxing their members to exchange their foreign currency in banks, Daily NK has learned.

Speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons, a source in Yanggang Province told Daily NK on Friday that “during meetings in mid-August, neighborhood watch unit leaders said individuals who are caught using foreign currency face confiscations, big fines and criminal punishments.”

The source said that the leaders urged people with dollars or yuan to “go to the bank and change them into won rather than suffer punishment and regret.”

People have long changed their money at private money changers to avoid uncomfortable questions from banks about the source of their money. However, the neighborhood watch unit leaders told people to use the banks with peace of mind as they “would never face” interrogations there.

The unit leaders also said banks offer better rates than private money changers, according to the source.

North Korean banks offer rates of KPW 1,260 to the yuan, while private money changers offer KPW 1,255. For dollars, banks offer rates of KPW 8,350, while private money changers offer KPW 8,320, a KPW 30 difference.

For example, if you were to change RMB 100 at a bank, you would receive KPW 126,000. However, through a private money changer, you would receive KPW 125,500, a difference of just KPW 500.

“Basically, people avoid changing money in banks because they’re afraid of coming to the attention of law enforcement after the transaction,” the source said. “Moreover, it’s only a KPW 500 difference for RMB 100, so who’s going to use the bank?”

With most people suffering economic hardships, even just eating non-glutinous rice puts people on a watchlist now, so nobody is going to go to a bank for a few extra won, the source said.

Police in Hyesan have been cracking down recently on professional money changers. The intensive crackdown appears aimed shrinking the currency exchange market with a view to force people to exchange their foreign currency at banks.

Although the authorities are using every means possible to make people conduct transactions at banks, “it won’t be easy to change the minds of people who have no trust or faith in the banks,” the source claimed.

Meanwhile, money changers busted in last month’s crackdown in Hyesan are yet to be released.

“In the past, they’d be released after two or three days, or a week at the latest, but this time, it’s been over 10 days and they’ve yet to be released,” the source said. “Given the circumstances, most money changers are laying low, with only a handful conducting transactions on the sly.”

Translated by David Black. Edited by Robert Lauler.

Daily NK works with a network of sources who live inside North Korea, China and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous due to security concerns. More information about Daily NK’s reporting partner network and information gathering activities can be found on our FAQ page here.

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

Read in Korean

Lee Chae Un

Lee Chae Un is one of Daily NK’s full-time journalists. She can be reached at dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.

dailynk.com

14. N. Korea continues to export weapons to Russia, Iran, Syria and others

There should be no doubt that the regime proliferates weapons, equipment, and training to conflict areas in return for hard currency to sustain the regime and fund the nuclear and missile programs.

We really need to aggressively enforce the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) and take all available means to hinder these proliferation activities.

N. Korea continues to export weapons to Russia, Iran, Syria and others

The country is selling older weapons in its existing stocks to overseas customers as it replaces the Korean People’s Army (KPA)’s stockpiles with new weapons

By Seulkee Jang - 2023.09.05 10:00am

dailynk.com

N. Korea continues to export weapons to Russia, Iran, Syria and others | Daily NK English

Weapons systems put on display during North Korea’s military parade on October 10, 2020. (Rodong Sinmun - News1)

North Korea is actively smuggling weapons to Russia and other countries, according to multiple sources inside the country recently.

“The government’s weapons exports have increased recently,” a Daily NK source in North Korea said Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons. “Not only Russia, but many other countries are asking for our weapons.”

According to the source, recent importers of North Korean weapons include Russia, Iran, Syria, Egypt and Qatar.

The source explained that the weapons are usually smuggled aboard ships on the high seas. In most of the states in question, armed groups operating within those states purchase the weapons, which are then transported to China hidden in cargo ships carrying ore. From China, they are shipped to third countries.

Officials from the Defense Ministry’s General Equipment Bureau and the Munitions Industry Department’s Second Economic Commission have been dispatched to China, where they largely serve as middlemen to facilitate arms smuggling, the source said.

Russia is major purchaser of weapons

The biggest recent purchaser of North Korean weaponry is Russia. North Korea ships weapons directly to Russia rather than indirectly through other countries, exporting them by train or ship from the port of Rason.

North Korea mostly sells ammunition and artillery shells to Russia, though 7.62mm and 5.45mm automatic rifles are major export items as well.

Rodong Sinmun reported on Aug. 6 that leader Kim Jong Un paid onsite guidance visits to key munitions factories from Aug. 3 to 5, including a production factory for large-caliber multiple launch platforms. The media published photos of Kim inspecting weapons himself, including a 7.62mm rifle.

“The party has directed that North Korea receive wheat, gas and oil from Russia in return for the weapons, and to not accept rubles — the value of which has collapsed since the war — when taking cash payments,” the source told Daily NK.

Another source inside North Korea claimed that the North Korean government recently received blueprints and process charts for nuclear-related application technologies as payment for weapon sales.

However, North Korea adheres to a principle of refusing to sell new weapon systems recently produced in the country’s munitions factories to overseas customers.

Older weapons exported overseas

Multiple sources told Daily NK that North Korea is selling older weapons in its existing stocks to overseas customers as it replaces the Korean People’s Army (KPA)’s stockpiles with new weapons.

“Not only the KPA, but also the militia, Worker-Peasant Red Guards, Red Youth Guards and other groups are modernizing their weapons, and all the old weapons these organizations had can be exported overseas,” one of the sources told Daily NK.

On a related note, Daily NK reported in late August that after Kim Jong Un’s tour of key munitions factories, workers at the plants received provisions of food, including rice, cooking oil and liquor. In return, they were instructed to “repay the Supreme Leader with loyalty by keeping the factories going at full capacity to boost production.”

Translated by David Black. Edited by Robert Lauler.

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

Read in Korean

Seulkee Jang

Seulkee Jang is one of Daily NK’s full-time journalists. Please direct any questions about her articles to dailynk@uni-media.net.

dailynk.com

15. ＜Breaking News＞Kim Jong-un regime restarts public executions…Nine people shot to death in Hyesan City on August 30 according to witness

We must never forget the brutality of the regime. I think Kim can be more brutal than many of the extremist Jihadists we fear.

＜Breaking News＞Kim Jong-un regime restarts public executions…Nine people shot to death in Hyesan City on August 30 according to witness

asiapress.org

The Korean People’s Army slogan “Protect the Paektu Bloodline to the Death” first appeared at a military parade held in February 2023. The slogan makes clear that the military’s duty is to protect the Kim family at all costs. Screen capture from KCTV.

On the afternoon of August 30, a public trial was held in Hyesan, Yanggang Province, that ended in the execution of nine people. A reporting partner who was mobilized to witness the proceedings provided the following report. (KANG Ji-won)

◆ The nine committed the crime of killing and distributing the remains of a state-owned bull

The public executions were held at the Hyesan Airport, which is located on a high elevation area of Hyesan. Many people from various companies, government agencies and the Socialist Women’s Union of Korea were gathered there to witness the proceedings.

Nine people were executed for killing a state-owned bull used in farming and the transport of goods before secretly distributing its remains.

The reporting partner who witnessed the proceedings said: “The judge read out a judgement that said (the accused) disrupted the Workers’ Party’s efforts to solve food issues through the ‘agriculture first ideology’ and that they deserved to die. The nine were then immediately shot to death.”

The reporting partner also said that “after the executions, the judge warned that ‘nobody would be forgiven for perpetrating illegal acts and warned that those committing anti-socialist or non-socialist acts would face serious punishment by the state.’ I still have goosebumps from watching so many people die such bloody deaths. I still tremble because it was so frightening.”

For a long time, the Kim Jong-un regime has refrained from conducting public executions by firing squad, instead opting to conduct such executions in secret. Given that the execution was conducted in Hyesan, which is right on the border with China, the North Korean authorities likely intended for information about the execution to quickly spread to the outside world.

The restart of public executions, which are meant to serve as examples to others, suggests that the Kim Jong-un regime has decided to rule over its people by thoroughly instilling a sense of fear in them.

※ ASIAPRESS communicates with its reporting partners through Chinese cell phones smuggled into North Korea.

asiapress.org

16. Premature to say Kim Jong-un's daughter an heir: Seoul

I concur. We should not be speculating about this. I think we are playing into Kim's hands as we focus on what is really a distraction.

Premature to say Kim Jong-un's daughter an heir: Seoul

koreaherald.com · by Ji Da-gyum · September 5, 2023

State media reports suggest NK has been establishing specific protocol standards for Ju-ae

By Ji Da-gyum

Published : 2023-09-05 17:09:51

This image, captured from footage of North Korea's state-run Korean Central Television on Aug. 29, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (left) and his daughter, Ju-ae, visiting the country's naval command two days earlier to celebrate Navy Day, which fell on Aug. 28. (Yonhap)

North Korean state media's ongoing efforts to spotlight Kim Ju-ae, the daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, primarily serve to underscore Pyongyang's commitment to upholding fourth-generation hereditary succession, rather than indicating her formal designation as the heir apparent, South Korea's Unification Ministry said Tuesday.

The Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea that mainly targets North Korean audiences, reported a total of 15 public activities attended by Ju-ae, according to data provided by the ministry.

"It's very premature to discuss whether she is the heir apparent at this juncture. She is still young, and it hasn't even been a year since her first public appearance," a senior official -- who requested to remain anonymous -- said during a closed-door briefing on North Korea's recent political trends.

But the ministry's assessment is that North Korea's aim is to "showcase its determination to hereditary succession" within the Paektusan bloodline, representing the Kim dynasty.

North Korea intends to convey the "message that the Paektusan bloodline will persist, demanding ongoing loyalty for generations to come," the official said when asked by The Korea Herald about the ultimate goal of the Kim Jong-un regime in publicly showing Ju-ae.

But North Korean state media reports suggest that North Korea has been "establishing protocol standards" specifically for Ju-ae, the official underscored.

For instance, Marshal of the Korean People's Army Pak Jong-chon and Defense Minister Kang Sun-nam were observed walking behind Ju-ae on the red carpet when the North Korean leader reviewed the honor guard of the KPA Navy during his visit to the Navy Command on Aug. 27.

The official also emphasized, "What's particularly noteworthy is that this movement was in strict accordance with formal protocol."

North Korea's state media also reported Ju-ae sitting directly beside her father on the podium during their visit to the naval headquarters, marking the first occurrence of such an arrangement. Additionally, she was seen perusing what appeared to be Kim Jong-un's speech manuscript, a privilege not granted to the hundreds of other participants.

The Unification Ministry further highlighted that Ju-ae has been publicly associated with military-related activities on 12 occasions, constituting 80 percent of her public engagements since her debut at a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile launch site in mid-November last year.

The activities include attending events like a military parade celebrating the Korean People's Army's foundation in February, the first launch of the solid-fuel Hwasong-18 ICBM in April as well as live-fire drills alongside her father.

In contrast, her involvement in social and economic sectors has been limited to just three occasions so far -- attendance at two sporting events and the groundbreaking ceremony for a new street in the Sopho area of Pyongyang.

The Unification Ministry said Ju-ae "primarily participated in events that focused on showcasing military and economic achievements, and eliciting loyalty from the military."

koreaherald.com · by Ji Da-gyum · September 5, 2023

De Oppresso Liber,

David Maxwell

Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy

Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation

Editor, Small Wars Journal

Twitter: @davidmaxwell161

Phone: 202-573-8647

email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com

De Oppresso Liber,

David Maxwell

Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy

Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation

Editor, Small Wars Journal

Twitter: @davidmaxwell161

email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com

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

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

Access NSS HERE

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