Quotes of the Day:

"The discipline of the written word punishes both stupidity and dishonesty."

– John Steinbeck

"Rebellion is born when rulers forget who they are meant to serve."

– Confucius

"First you fascinate the fools, then you muzzle the intelligent."

– Bertrand Russell

1. Seoul Says It Has Reached Deal With U.S. to Release Workers Detained in Hyundai Raid

2. South Korea says US release of video showing workers’ arrest was regrettable

3. How an ICE Raid Caused a Diplomatic Incident With a U.S. Ally

4. MAGA media set their sights on South Korea

5. N. Korea remains silent on NYT report of 2019 secret U.S. SEAL mission against its regime

6. Trump preparing to visit S. Korea next month for APEC summit: report

7. Talks with U.S. concluded for release of detained S. Korean workers in Georgia

8. Hyundai Motor advises employees to postpone U.S. trips following immigration raid

9. Consular officials begin meeting S. Koreans detained in U.S. immigration crackdown

10. Hilbert appointed commander of U.S. 8th Army in South Korea

11. Raid on Hyundai-LG plant

12. U.S. military 'special operations' failures (Chosun Ilbo OpEd)

13. Analysis: Kim Jong Un’s daughter not ready for succession spotlight

14. North Korea builds grain centers to tighten control over food distribution

15. Seoul's slow response to detained Koreans in Georgia exposes diplomatic cracks

16. Most arrested South Koreans entered U.S. on ESTA

1. Seoul Says It Has Reached Deal With U.S. to Release Workers Detained in Hyundai Raid

Seoul Says It Has Reached Deal With U.S. to Release Workers Detained in Hyundai Raid

South Korea’s presidential office says plane will be sent to repatriate them

https://www.wsj.com/world/asia/seoul-says-it-has-reached-deal-with-u-s-to-release-workers-detained-in-hyundai-raid-5048b38c

By Jiyoung Sohn

Follow

Sept. 7, 2025 7:55 am ET

The Hyundai logo at a car dealership in Seoul. Photo: jung yeon-je/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

SEOUL–South Korea and the U.S. have reached a deal to release Korean citizens who were detained last week in a large scale raid at a Hyundai Motor plant in Georgia, according to the office of the South Korean president.

Kang Hoon-sik, chief of staff of South Korea’s presidential office, said Sunday that Seoul has concluded talks with the U.S. to release Korean citizens who were detained in Thursday’s raid.

Some administrative procedures remain, but once they are cleared, a chartered plane will be sent to the U.S. to bring the South Korean citizens home, Kang said. He didn’t elaborate on the timing, nor on the nature of the deal agreed to with the U.S.

The U.S. Embassy in Seoul didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Updates to follow as news develops.

Write to Jiyoung Sohn at jiyoung.sohn@wsj.com

2. South Korea says US release of video showing workers’ arrest was regrettable

​The Korean press is showing video of the reports on deplorable conditions at the detention center where the Korean citizens are being held.

South Korea says US release of video showing workers’ arrest was regrettable

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/south-korea-says-us-release-of-video-showing-workers-arrest-was-regrettable

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More than 300 South Koreans were arrested by US immigration officials at a Hyundai-LG battery plant being built in the southern US state of Georgia.

PHOTO: AFP

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South Korea

Published Sep 07, 2025, 07:45 AMUpdated Sep 07, 2025, 10:00 AM

SEOUL - South Korea said on Sept 6 that the US release of photos and a video of the 

arrest of hundreds of Korean workers

 was regrettable, especially as the incident followed so closely after a summit between the two nations’ leaders.US immigration officials raided a Hyundai Motor car battery factory on Sept 4 and later released a video and photos of workers shackled at the wrists, waist and ankles getting on a bus after the raid.

The crackdown could risk damaging ties between Washington and Seoul, a key Asian ally and US investor, when the two are 

trying to narrow their differences

 and finalise a trade deal after a summit between US President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung.First Vice-Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo told US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker in a telephone call that it was regrettable the incident “occurred at a critical time, when the momentum of trust and cooperation between the two leaders, forged through their first summit, must be maintained”, the foreign ministry said in a statement released late on Sept 6.

Mr Park also asked Ms Hooker to ensure a fair and swift resolution to the matter.

“The economic activities of our companies that have invested in the US and the rights and interests of our citizens should not be unfairly infringed upon during the course of US law enforcement,” he said.

The arrest of some 475 workers at the plant near Savannah, Georgia, included more than 300 Koreans and was the largest single-site enforcement operation in the US Department of Homeland Security’s history.

The video and photos of the raid, which involved a helicopter and armoured vehicles, showed hundreds of workers standing in front of a building, some wearing yellow vests with the names “Hyundai” or “LG CNS.” Two workers hid in a pond before they were arrested.

Mr Lee ordered a swift, all-out response to the arrests, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said at an emergency meeting on Sept 7. Mr Cho said he may go to Washington to meet with officials if needed.

LG Energy Solution, which is working with Hyundai to build the factory, said it had asked employees to return from US business trips while suspending travel to the United States except for customer meetings.

Hyundai Motor said it would investigate its suppliers and their subcontractors to ensure they meet regulations.

Mr Trump, when asked about the raid, said on Sept 5: “I would say that they were illegal aliens and ICE was just doing its job.” REUTERS

3. How an ICE Raid Caused a Diplomatic Incident With a U.S. Ally

How an ICE Raid Caused a Diplomatic Incident With a U.S. Ally

TIME · Rebecca Schneid

The arrest of hundreds of South Korean nationals in a sweeping immigration raid in Georgia on Thursday has caused a diplomatic spat between the United States and one of its key allies in Asia.

Just two weeks after South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and President Donald Trump met at the White House to celebrate a trade deal that included $350 billion worth of investment in the United States, more than 300 Korean citizens were detained at a Hyundai plant near Savannah.

It was the largest single-site enforcement operation ever carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to date, and it caused shockwaves in Seoul. The next two days saw a flurry of diplomatic activity in response to the raid.

President Lee held an emergency meeting, and the country's Foreign Minister, Cho Hyun, called a press conference to announce he was “deeply concerned” about the operation. Cho said President Lee had ordered “all-out efforts" to support the arrested South Koreans, and that Lee had “emphasized that in the course of U.S. law enforcement, the rights of our people and the economic activities of South Korean investors in the U.S. must not be unjustly infringed upon.”

“We will discuss sending a senior Foreign Ministry official to the site without delay, and, if necessary, I will personally travel to Washington to hold consultations with the U.S. administration,” Cho told reporters on Saturday.

The next day, presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik said the government had negotiated the release of the workers with the U.S. and was chartering a plane to repatriate the 300 workers.

South Korea has been a staunch economic and strategic ally of the United States in recent years, bolstered by a recent trade deal with President Donald Trump in which it pledged to invest $350 billion in the U.S., including major commitments in sectors like shipbuilding, electric vehicle batteries, and technology. Lee and Trump’s meeting at the White House less than two weeks ago ended with what Trump described as a “full and complete trade deal” between the two countries.

But Trump’s crackdown in Georgia may undo some of that diplomacy, particularly as it targeted South Korea’s largest auto manufacturer.

Jang Dong-hyeok, chair of the main opposition People Power Party in Korea, urged President Lee on Saturday to take swift action, citing broader repercussions to other Korean businesses.

“At a time when numerous Korean firms are expanding investment and building factories across the U.S., such mass detentions of workers could pose a serious risk at the national level,” he said, according to Korean media. The South Korean government launched an emergency response team on Friday, with consulate officials dispatched to the site of the raid.

The raid also alarmed South Korean company LG Energy Solution (LGES), a battery manufacturer that co-owns the plant, and which announced on Saturday that it was going to suspend employee business travel to the US after 47 of its employees were detained. It also advised any employees in the U.S. to return to South Korea.

When asked if he was worried the raid would harm relations with South Korea, Trump defended ICE.

“I would say that they were illegal aliens, and ICE was just doing its job,” he told reporters..

Steven N. Schrank, special agent in charge of Homeland Security investigations in Georgia and Alabama, said in a statement on Saturday that those arrested were either in the country illegally or working unlawfully.

“We welcome all companies who want to invest in the U.S., and if they need to bring workers in for building or other projects, that's fine — but they need to do it the legal way,” he said.

Schrank also told reporters at the site on Friday that some U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents had been detained in the raid and were later released. A total of 475 people were arrested at the site.

Kang Hoon-sik, South Korea's Presidential Chief of Staff, said in a televised address that the country would review its visa system to prevent similar mistakes in the future.

“We will not let our guard down until we have our people safely back home,” he said.

TIME · Rebecca Schneid

4. MAGA media set their sights on South Korea

​Will this backfire for the MAGA media after the ICE raid in Georgia?  

MAGA media set their sights on South Korea

flip.it · Written by Jane Lee & Isabella Corrao

Research/Study

The September conference Build Up Korea 2025 features MAGA personalities who have spread conspiracy theories about South Korea’s elections

Research contributions from Payton Armstrong

Published 09/04/25 10:57 AM EDT

MAGA media personalities with ties to Trump ally Steve Bannon are holding a conference in South Korea with the goal of starting “a MAGA movement” in Korea called Build Up Korea. As South Korea faced political turmoil over the past year, these figures defended the former Korean president’s use of martial law and pushed wild conspiracy theories that China had infiltrated the Korean Democrat Party and interfered in the 2025 Korean presidential election. Bannon’s War Room has become a focal point of these conspiracy theories, with Bannon and his troupe repeatedly warning their audience that Yoon’s impeachment is part of a larger, worldwide movement targeting conservative leaders and that his impeachment, “to the Third World War, is Bloody Kansas to the Civil War. Or Spain, 1935.”

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Background

• On December 3, then-President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law. Yoon accused the National Assembly — controlled by Korea’s Democratic Party — of plotting insurrection and attempting to “overthrow” democracy. He claimed the measures were necessary to ensure “the freedom and safety of the people” and to keep the country from collapse. Yoon lifted martial law after mass protests from both citizens and lawmakers, which included members of his own party. [New York Times, 12/3/24; Center for Strategic & International Studies, 12/3/24]
• Yoon was subsequently impeached by the National Assembly, which was later upheld by the Constitutional Court in April. A snap presidential election was held in June, which resulted in Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party nominee, elected as president. [Associated Press, 4/5/25; CNN, 6/4/25]
• Build Up Korea 2025, which is seemingly styled after the TPUSA movement, features personalities who have spread claims that China had infiltrated Korea’s Democrat Party and interfered in the June election to ensure that Lee would win. As one expert noted in Reuters, the electtion fraud claims regarding Lee and the Chinese Communist Party “reek of conspiracy theories and paranoia” — even a White House official noted that the Korean election was “free and fair.” PBS called these claims “unsubstantiated conspiracy theories.” [Twitter/X, 8/26/25; Reuters, 6/4/25; PBS, 6/2/25]
• 
  

Jack Posobiec

• Steve Bannon and Jack Posobiec claimed that the CCP is “deeply enmeshed in the politics of South Korea” and that the impeachment of Yoon was a coup operated by the CCP. [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 4/4/25]
• On the day of South Korea’s snap election, Posobiec worried that Korea would “fall to a pro-CCP" party. Bannon described Korea’s Democratic Party as “a puppet government that basically threw Korea into a crisis by throwing out the conservative.” [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 6/2/25]
• Posobiec declared that China had “knocked off the government of South Korea." [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 6/6/25]
• Posobiec tweeted, “Pro-CCP candidate wins in South Korea." [Twitter/X, 6/3/25]

Mina Kim

• Mina Kim, founder of the purported Korean MAGA movement, Build Up Korea, defended Yoon and his decision to declare martial law at length: “President Yoon believes that the National Assembly has been infiltrated by these foreign interests, particularly pro-CCP forces, and that there are even pro-North Korean sympathizers within our legislative body. And many politicians, in his view, have clearly compromised. And faced with this reality, President Yoon saw martial law as the only constitutional power he had left. And it was a last resort decision that he had to make. And while the timing may be controversial, it exposed deep corruption and injustice within our government. And importantly, no violence was used. The Declaration of Martial Law was peaceful and a strong but lawful appeal to the people, I believe.” [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 4/4/25]
• Kim declared that “one of the biggest threats Korea is facing right now is China's growing influence inside Korea,” citing espionage, land ownership, and long-term legal residents voting in local elections. [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 4/17/25]
• Kim: “With the June 3 presidential election coming up, especially with the young people, we're at a major turning point. And then, the young people realize that the outcome will likely decide whether we continue down the road of freedom with the United States, or shift towards more socialist, China, pro-China direction.” [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 5/27/25]
• Kim claimed that “there’s been many reports of Chinese interference” in South Korea’s election based on anecdotal reports from TikTok and other claims of voter fraud. [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 6/3/25]
• At a TPUSA event called Student Action Summit, Kim glorified South Korean President Rhee Syngman, a dictator who died in exile after his police violently suppressed protesters, killing over 100. Bannon then urged Koreans to start their own MAGA movement, declaring, “We’ve got to take Korea back.” [Global Nonviolent Action Database, accessed 9/2/25; Real America’s Voice, War Room, 7/12/25]
• Kim tweeted, “South Korea Needs You America, your ally is at a crossroads. In this video, I explain what South Korea and our president are facing—and why it matters to YOU. Freedom, faith, and the values we share are under threat. Together, we can make a difference.” [Twitter/X, 1/16/25]
• Kim tweeted, “Freedom-loving Christian patriots have gathered in Gwangju, South Korea - one of Korea’s most left-leaning cities - with Korean and U.S. flags in their hands to pray for our president’s release. South Korea is God's nation. Let's Make Korea Great Again and Make Korea Godly Again!” [Twitter/X, 2/14/25]
• In a tweet, Kim lamented Yoon’s impeachment, calling it a “tragedy” and warning that “countless enemies have infiltrated our government, culture and society.” Kim also pleaded that the U.S. stand with Yoon and his supporters: “With the attention and support of American leaders and citizens, we believe this moment can be turned around.” [Twitter/X, 4/4/25]

Rob McCoy

• Co-Chair of TPUSA Faith Rob McCoy praised Yoon imposing martial law, arguing that “they needed it there” because “communists have infiltrated these these seven areas of societal influence, arts, entertainment, media, business, politics. They're everywhere. And the same thing infiltrated with us with DEI and critical race theory.” In a December appearance on Flashpoint, McCoy commented on martial law in South Korea, saying that, “One of the reasons why you're seeing what's happening in South Korea is very similar to what was happening here in the United States. Communists have infiltrated these seven areas of societal influence, arts and entertainment, media, business, politics. They're everywhere. And the same thing infiltrated with us with DEI and critical race theory and all that was happening. And they were about to take over the country, and what they would do is is secure the military and change the constitution. Well, in South Korea, like our president elect understood, they had to stop it. And thank god we didn't need martial law, but they needed it there. And so, it's a fight for freedom, and, I'm excited to see what's gonna happen because America's leading the way.” McCoy's remarks appear to refer to the so-called Seven Mountain Mandate, “a theological approach that calls on Christians to impose fundamentalist values on all aspects of American life.” The Mandate “calls on Christians to gain influence, or 'take dominion,' over seven key areas of culture: religion, family, education, government, media, business and the arts.” [Victory Channel, Flashpoint, 12/3/24; TPUSA Faith, accessed 9/4/25; Media Matters, 2/21/24; Ohio Capital Journal, 7/10/25]

War Room and Steve Bannon

• Following the impeachment of Yoon in December, Steve Bannon declared, “South Korea, to the Third World War, is Bloody Kansas to the Civil War. Or Spain, 1935. … This is much, much, much more dangerous than the late 1930s, by five orders of magnitude.” [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 1/8/25]
• Bannon stated that Yoon’s impeachment was “essentially a coup d’etat … driven by the Chinese Communist Party.” Retired Col. John Mills then justified Yoon declaring martial law, claiming that Yoon had been trying to investigate election fraud: “A lot of people don't understand the reason for the president to declare martial law, which is in the Constitution, was so that he could conduct a raid of the National Election Commission back in early December. The National Election Commission is on par with maybe Fulton County, Georgia, as far as trustworthiness. Because this is how the DP, the Democrat Party, essentially seized control of the National Assembly.” [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 1/8/25]
• Mills credited War Room with galvanizing South Korean conservatives against the “coup” enacted by South Korea’s Democratic Party “in collusion with the Chinese Communist Party.” [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 3/19/25]
• Bannon warned, “As soon as South Korea falls by a rigged election, you're going to have — these are not exercises anymore. These are rehearsals. … These are rehearsals for the invasion of Taiwan. And these dominoes are all going to fall, and they're going to fall quickly, unless somehow we get engaged in this.” War Room guest and professor Bradley Thayer added, “The CCP is conquering South Korea now, not using kinetic warfare, not using bullets, but using political warfare to infiltrate the political parties, Democratic Party on the left, and the People's Power Party on the right.” [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 5/31/25]
• Bannon: “This is how the CCP operates, and they're very smart at political warfare. In Korea, they didn't need bullets. They got it by ballots.” [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 6/3/25]
• Former U.S. Ambassador Morse Tan said, “We see massive indications of election fraud” in the South Korean presidential election. He elaborated: “This was the biggest election fraud operation in the history of South Korea.” [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 6/3/25]
• Retired Col. Grant Newsham defended Yoon declaring martial law, accusing Korean leftists of stealing the 2020 and 2024 elections: “In the 2020 and 2024 elections, the leftists, who cheated, were able to get overwhelming control of the National Assembly, of their Congress. And they had so much power in South Korea that it makes life for a president, a conservative like Yoon, he simply cannot govern. He has no budget. He's being impeached once a week. And you just can't operate. … He used the expression he was in a legislative dictatorship. And the idea was that by declaring martial law, he could wake people up.” [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 6/3/25]
• Bannon and Newsham repeatedly cast doubt on the results of South Korea’s snap presidential election, suggesting there had been fraud. Bannon said Korea’s National Election Commission was “basically a totalitarian fascist dictatorship.” Regarding the commission’s vote counting system, Newsham claimed that it was “something that probably Chinese high school hackers could get into without breaking a sweat” and that “it is something where you really don’t have much confidence in the counting.” [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 6/3/25]
• Bannon claimed the Korean Democratic Party “are controlled by Beijing.” Bannon continued, “The way they won in stealing that election was by Beijing. The Chinese Communist Party, political warfare at the ballot box.” [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 6/4/25]
• Cpt. James Fanell said that “the election results in the Korean peninsula and South Korea are very concerning” but it’s “part of Beijing's grand strategy, the Chinese Communist Party’s strategy, to drive the United States out of Asia and by basically taking South Korea and putting them under their wing.” Bannon declared: “Korea has fallen.” [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 6/4/25]
• Secretary general of the anti-CCP lobby group New Federal State of China Forrest Zhou compared this situation to Tiananmen Square where students were “naive” and “trusted the CCP.” He continued to explain that in South Korea the “Chinese Communist Party already waged this war, this unrestricted war, for a long time,” so “the American people need to understand this.” [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 6/4/25]
• Ava Chen, also from New Federal State of China, suggested that South Korea was “controlled completely by the CCP,” and that there were “various innovative disruptions that basically interrupts the voting process and also the voting counting process, including voter fraud.” She continued, “If you're looking any countries that is pro-CCP and pro-Russia, you will see the same playbook and being played again and again.” [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 6/17/25]
• Bannon warned listeners that conservative leaders are supposedly being targeted around the world, including Yoon: “Folks, you don't take care of this now, they steal the election in 2028, you're all going to go to prison. You're going to go to prison. They don't care what — they'll make it up.” [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 7/10/25]
• Tan: “There are various indications of election fraud going on, so much so that even legacy media in South Korea … are even reporting on it.” [Twitter/X, 5/30/25]
• Mills: “For the last 30 years, this slow python squeeze on South Korean society by the Chinese Communist Party. You walk around it’s almost like, is there an election going on? It is almost silent out there.” [Twitter/X, 5/30/25]
• Newsham: “Hardcore Korean leftists who turned the country into a one-party state that is aligned with North Korea and the Chinese Communist Party. … If people raise the issue of election fraud or integrity, and even just say, you know we ought to have a free election. They will find that the prosecutors and the cops show up at their door.” [Twitter/X, 5/30/25]
• Bannon suggested: “Our strongest ally in the region may actually flip to the Chinese Communist Party camp, because this party, this progressive party they got, this liberal party they got, to me is infiltrated totally with a CCP element.” [Twitter/X, 5/31/25]
• Bannon’s War Room account posted: “STOP THE STEAL: Morse Tan On Largest Election Fraud Operation In Korea.” [Twitter/X, 6/2/25]
• Bannon’s War Room: “We’re being sucked into a conflict with the CCP and Russia that we’re not going to be able to turn around. And today in Korea, we could lose South Korea to a CCP-backed party. People aren’t awake to how we’re being dragged in everywhere.” [Twitter/X, 6/3/25]
• Mills: In South Korea, “citizen activists … are just flooding X with reports of fraud.” [Twitter/X, 6/3/25]
• War Room posted on its website: “Battlefield Report – Korea: CCP Influence, Election Fraud, and the Resistance Rising,” which details “The Election That Shook the Peninsula.” [War Room, 6/4/25]
• Bannon’s War Room posted: “Mina Kim, founder of Build Up Korea, and the group’s leaders gathered at George Washington’s Mount Vernon to pray for the next gen of Koreans standing with America. They gave a special shout-out to Steve Bannon.” [Twitter/X, 8/9/25]

flip.it · Written by Jane Lee & Isabella Corrao

5. N. Korea remains silent on NYT report of 2019 secret U.S. SEAL mission against its regime

​The regime is certainly trying to figure out how to exploit this. Since the regime never called attention to this does it mean that the mission went undetected? If so, exploiting this now could expose the regime's weakness and create criticism that the regime is unable to defend itself. Especially if you factor in the report of another supposedly successful infiltration in 2005

And of course we should certainly be trying to determine how we can exploit this. Yes, the leak is bad (and treasonous) but it is out there so we should figure out how we can exploit this in the information environment (if we had any tools left for use by the information instrument of national power.)

N. Korea remains silent on NYT report of 2019 secret U.S. SEAL mission against its regime | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · Park Boram · September 6, 2025

SEOUL, Sept. 6 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Saturday remained silent on a recent report that United States Navy special operations forces infiltrated North Korea in early 2019 to install a device aimed at intercepting leader Kim Jong-un's communications.

A day earlier, the New York Times reported that the classified mission by Sea, Air and Land (SEAL) Team 6 -- the same unit that killed Osama bin Laden -- took place while Pyongyang was engaging in high-level nuclear talks with the Donald Trump administration during its first term.

The report said the mission was unsuccessful after U.S. forces encountered North Koreans aboard a civilian boat, whom they reportedly killed.

As of 6 p.m. on Saturday, about a day after the report, neither North Korean state media nor the country's foreign ministry had issued a response to the news.

Experts said acknowledgement by North Korea of the U.S. infiltration would be tantamount to admitting failures in border security and protection of nationals, suggesting this could explain the regime's silence.

This photo showing a drill of Sea, Air and Land (SEAL) Team 6, provided by the U.S. Department of Defense, is not directly related with the story. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

pbr@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · Park Boram · September 6, 2025

6. Trump preparing to visit S. Korea next month for APEC summit: report

Trump preparing to visit S. Korea next month for APEC summit: report | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · Chae Yun-hwan · September 7, 2025

By Chae Yun-hwan

SEOUL, Sept. 7 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump is making preparations to visit South Korea next month to attend the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, CNN reported Sunday, citing multiple Trump administration officials.

South Korea will host the APEC gathering in the southeastern city of Gyeongju between late October and early November, with President Lee Jae Myung inviting Trump to the event during their talks in Washington last month.

"A visit to South Korea is being discussed, which would focus on economic collaboration," a White House official was quoted as saying, adding the trip also aims to focus on discussions around trade, defense and civil nuclear cooperation.

The officials also said that there have been serious discussions about a bilateral meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the gathering but no firm plans are in place, according to CNN.

Trump's possible attendance at the APEC gathering has raised speculation about a potential meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un after the U.S. president voiced hopes to meet Kim this year during last month's meeting with Lee.

CNN, however, reported that more attention is being placed on organizing a potential meeting with Xi.

This AP file photo shows U.S. President Donald Trump (L) and Chinese President Xi Jinping. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · Chae Yun-hwan · September 7, 2025

7. Talks with U.S. concluded for release of detained S. Korean workers in Georgia

(LEAD) Talks with U.S. concluded for release of detained S. Korean workers in Georgia | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · Chae Yun-hwan · September 7, 2025

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout; RECASTS headline; CHANGES photo)

By Chae Yun-hwan

SEOUL, Sept. 7 (Yonhap) -- A senior official at South Korea's presidential office said Sunday that negotiations for the release of South Korean workers detained by a recent U.S. immigration raid in Georgia have concluded, adding that a chartered plane would head for the United States if administration procedures are completed.

Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik made the announcement after hundreds of South Koreans were taken into custody during the raid Thursday on a battery plant construction site operated by South Korean companies in Bryan County.

"There are still administrative procedures left," Kang said during a senior-level meeting between the ruling Democratic Party and the government. "Once the procedures are complete, the chartered plane will depart to bring our citizens."

Kang also vowed to push for improvements to the visa system for South Korean nationals traveling to the U.S. for work to prevent similar incidents.

More than 300 South Korean nationals out of 457 people have been taken into custody during the raid on the site operated by Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said those arrested were found to be working illegally in the U.S., including those on short-term or recreational visas that prohibit them from working.

U.S. officials cast the raid as "the largest single site enforcement operation in the history of Homeland Security Investigations."

Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik (3rd from R) speaks during a high-level meeting between the ruling Democratic Party and the government at the prime minister's residence in central Seoul on Sept. 7, 2025. (Yonhap)

yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · Chae Yun-hwan · September 7, 2025

8. Hyundai Motor advises employees to postpone U.S. trips following immigration raid

​And other companies as well. What will be the 2d and 3d order effects of this "raid?"  

Hyundai Motor advises employees to postpone U.S. trips following immigration raid | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · Lee Minji · September 7, 2025

SEOUL, Sept. 7 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Motor Group has advised employees to postpone travelling to the United States for business trips after hundreds of South Koreans were taken into custody following an immigration raid in Georgia, industry sources said Sunday.

In a notification to employees who were set to make business trips to the U.S. next week, the company advised them to review such plans, with the exception of urgent and essential visits, according to the sources.

The advisory was apparently seen as part of efforts to prepare for potential situations that could arise following the recent raid, although no Hyundai Motor employees have been detained.

More than 300 South Korean nationals out of 457 people have been taken into custody during the raid on the site operated by Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution Ltd. The presidential office has announced that negotiations for the release of the South Korean workers have concluded.

This photo, captured from the social media X account of the Atlanta bureau of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, shows agents carrying out a raid at the Hyundai Motor-LG Energy Solution venture's electric vehicle battery plant construction site in Ellabell, located in Bryan County, west of Savannah, in Georgia on Sept. 4, 2025. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

mlee@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · Lee Minji · September 7, 2025

9. Consular officials begin meeting S. Koreans detained in U.S. immigration crackdown

(LEAD) Consular officials begin meeting S. Koreans detained in U.S. immigration crackdown | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · Song Sang-ho · September 7, 2025

(ATTN: ADDS more info in paras 6-11)

By Song Sang-ho and Lee Yu-mi

FOLKSTON/WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 (Yonhap) -- Consular officials on Saturday started meeting South Korean nationals detained in a recent U.S. immigration crackdown at an electric vehicle battery plant construction site in Georgia, checking their health and other conditions, according to Seoul officials.

The officials from South Korea's Consulate General in Atlanta had consultations with them at an immigration detention center in Folkston, after U.S. immigration authorities arrested them during Thursday's raid in the site operated by South Korean companies, Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution Ltd., in Bryan County.

During the raid, 475 people were arrested. Of them, more than 300 are South Koreans. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said that they were found to be working illegally in the United States, including those on short-term or recreational visas that prohibit them from working.

"During the consultations, consuls are basically checking if there are any humanitarian issues or inconveniences, and asking the U.S. side to ensure that those issues won't arise," said an official from the South Korean government's on-site support team.

The on-site team is currently led by Cho Ki-joong, consul general at the Korean Embassy in Washington. The team focuses on ensuring that the detained Koreans will be set free as soon as possible amid concerns that the investigation process could be prolonged.

Later in the day, Cho visited officials at the Folkston ICE Processing Center.

"I asked them to care about our citizens as much as they can to ensure that they do not experience inconveniences while at the center," Cho told reporters after meeting the officials.

He added that consular staff were not able to meet all of the Koreans at the center and their consultations will resume on Sunday morning.

"We are trying to find out about whether all of them have any big issue while staying there," he said. "Consuls have looked into the facility, and those that they have talked to were found to be in good shape."

Asked when he expects them to be released, Cho said, "There isn't anything we can talk about at this point."

Those at the Folkston center will be moved based on their individual circumstances, according to U.S. officials.

U.S. officials cast Thursday's raid as "the largest single site enforcement operation in the history of Homeland Security Investigations." U.S. President Donald Trump expressed his support Friday for the ICE operation, describing those detained as "illegal aliens."

ICE unveiled a short video clip of the raid into the Korean plant site, showing Korean and other workers being screened, shackled with handcuffs and metal chains, and loaded onto an "inmate transport" vehicle.

This photo, captured from a video clip from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), shows people arrested during an immigration raid on an electric vehicle battery plant construction site, operated by South Korean companies, Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution Ltd., on Sept. 4, 2025, (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

sshluck@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · Song Sang-ho · September 7, 2025

10. Hilbert appointed commander of U.S. 8th Army in South Korea

​I feel old.. Commissioned in 1993. 

Hilbert appointed commander of U.S. 8th Army in South Korea

Former Alaska commander brings field artillery expertise and Indo-Pacific strategic experience to key South Korea post​

https://www.chosun.com/english/national-en/2025/09/07/GMSNPMLF4JBSBMSS6PBADAVSS4/

By Kim Dong-ha

Published 2025.09.07. 19:34

Army Lieutenant General Joseph Hilbert, newly appointed commander of the US Eighth Army in Korea.

U.S. Army Lieutenant General Joseph Hilbert has been appointed as the new commander of the U.S. 8th Army in South Korea. A field artillery officer by training, he previously served as commander of the U.S. Army in Alaska.

U.S. President Donald Trump promoted Brigadier General Hilbert to lieutenant general and appointed him as commander of the 8th Army and chief of staff of the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command on the 5th, local time, according to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The current commander of the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command and U.S. Forces Korea is General Xavier Brunson. The new 8th Army commander will oversee U.S. ground forces stationed in South Korea.

Hilbert, commissioned as a U.S. Army field artillery officer in 1993, has primarily served in the U.S. and Germany, including as commander of the 7th Army Training Command in Germany. He also led a HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) unit. Most recently, he served as commander of the 11th Airborne Division and U.S. Army Alaska at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. Alaska, closer to China and Russia than the U.S. mainland, is a key strategic hub for U.S. Indo-Pacific security. The 11th Airborne Division, which participated in the Korean War (6·25 War), was disbanded in 1958 and reactivated in 2022, a move interpreted as preparing for threats from Russia and China in the Pacific and Arctic regions.

The previous 8th Army commander, Lieutenant General Christopher Ranev, moved to serve as Senior Military Advisor to Defense Secretary Hegseth in April.

※ This article has been translated by Upstage Solar AI.

11. Raid on Hyundai-LG plant

​Excerpts:

On a smaller scale, there was another raid in 2020, where U.S. authorities nabbed 13 Korean workers at an SK plant in Georgia. Those 13 Korean nationals were also on a visa waiver program at that time. Out of this crisis, Korean businesses with major operations or those building new facilities in the U.S. are scurrying to secure proper visas for their workers. With the government having pledged to improve the visa system also, both government and conglomerates must make sure such incidents do not occur.

Now that the talks over the safe release and return of the Korean nationals are wrapped up, the two nations must affirm that they remain on the same page in furthering economic relations and seeing through the tariff agreement between the two nations. In July, Korea pledged a $350 billion investment in the United States among other things, in exchange for lowering the blanket tariff from 25 percent to 15 percent.

More importantly, the U.S. president must close the jarring gap between his aggressive immigration policy, as seen in ICE's measures, with his industrial policy of demanding more foreign businesses invest and manufacture in the United States. He needs to provide a legitimate sense of security and trust for Korea, an important ally and a major trade partner. South Korea is one of the major investors in the United States, with big firms like Samsung, LG, SK, Hanwha and Hyundai operating factories or labs as well as building new facilities. The U.S. president must also remember that Korea remains a vital ally in Asia and the Indo-Pacific.

Both the Korean government and the Korean conglomerates must work in tandem to thoroughly improve the visa system to offer top protection and safety for Koreans working there. The U.S. is reluctant to issue H-1B work visas, and Korea has been unsucessful in securing E-4 highly skilled work visas for Korean nationals with specialized skills or expertise, to date. The two sides can hopefully make some improvements so that Korea's pledged investments in the U.S. are not delayed.

Raid on Hyundai-LG plant - The Korea Times

The Korea Times · ListenListenText SizePrint

This handout photo released by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Sept. 5 allegedly shows a Homeland Security Investigations police officer at a company workplace in Ellabell, Ga., Sept. 4. More than 300 Koreans were among 475 people arrested by U.S. immigration officials in a raid on a Hyundai-LG battery plant being built in the southern U.S. state of Georgia, the foreign minister in Seoul said on Sept. 6. Steven Schrank, a Homeland Security Investigations special agent in Atlanta, said earlier that Thursday's operation was the largest single site raid carried out so far under U.S. President Donald Trump's nationwide anti-migrant drive. AFP-Yonhap

The Korea Times · ListenListenText SizePrint

Published Sep 7, 2025 1:54 pm KST

Updated Sep 7, 2025 6:56 pm KST

Government must not let up until its nationals in Georgia, U.S. are safe released

Since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January, Korea has dealt with unexpected volatility on trade issues from the United States. With Trump's second tenure, Korea remained steadfast, dealing with confidence while trade's rough seas got a little rougher. Korea rode out the waves with globetrotting diplomacy and investment.

But the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) raid on Thursday (local time) on a pair of Korean conglomerates' plant in Georgia, where more than 475 people were arrested, including some 300 Korean nationals, is unprecedented in scale and lands with a thudding shock. Hyundai Motor Group manufactures electric vehicles on the site. It partnered with LG Energy Solution to build a battery factory scheduled to open in 2026.

The U.S. immigration authorities worked with various regional offices for the crackdown, conducted after months of investigations, U.S. officials said. The issue at heart, according to U.S. authorities, is that the arrested people overstayed B1 visas or worked without authorization, i.e., while on a visa waiver program. It is bitterly ironic to note that the site was hailed during the former U.S. President Joe Biden's administration as a significant investment from an ally and foreign investor. Last week, U.S. immigration officials "hailed" the raid as the "largest single-site enforcement operation in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's history."

The Korean government has expressed concern and regret. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said that the rights of Korean nationals and economic activities of the Korean firms should not unfairly infringed. President Lee Jae Myung has ordered an all-out, swift resolution. To our relief, progress was being made. Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik said late Sunday afternoon that negotiations with the United States over the Korean detainees were completed and a charter plane would be sent once the administrative procedures were done. The government also said it would improve the visa system for Korean workers traveling to the U.S. to prevent similar occurrences.

It was more than regrettable to see a Korean plant subject to such a massive enforcement operation. Families back home had to watch their loved ones being shackled and worried for their safety in the detention facilities.

On a smaller scale, there was another raid in 2020, where U.S. authorities nabbed 13 Korean workers at an SK plant in Georgia. Those 13 Korean nationals were also on a visa waiver program at that time. Out of this crisis, Korean businesses with major operations or those building new facilities in the U.S. are scurrying to secure proper visas for their workers. With the government having pledged to improve the visa system also, both government and conglomerates must make sure such incidents do not occur.

Now that the talks over the safe release and return of the Korean nationals are wrapped up, the two nations must affirm that they remain on the same page in furthering economic relations and seeing through the tariff agreement between the two nations. In July, Korea pledged a $350 billion investment in the United States among other things, in exchange for lowering the blanket tariff from 25 percent to 15 percent.

More importantly, the U.S. president must close the jarring gap between his aggressive immigration policy, as seen in ICE's measures, with his industrial policy of demanding more foreign businesses invest and manufacture in the United States. He needs to provide a legitimate sense of security and trust for Korea, an important ally and a major trade partner. South Korea is one of the major investors in the United States, with big firms like Samsung, LG, SK, Hanwha and Hyundai operating factories or labs as well as building new facilities. The U.S. president must also remember that Korea remains a vital ally in Asia and the Indo-Pacific.

Both the Korean government and the Korean conglomerates must work in tandem to thoroughly improve the visa system to offer top protection and safety for Koreans working there. The U.S. is reluctant to issue H-1B work visas, and Korea has been unsucessful in securing E-4 highly skilled work visas for Korean nationals with specialized skills or expertise, to date. The two sides can hopefully make some improvements so that Korea's pledged investments in the U.S. are not delayed.

12. U.S. military 'special operations' failures (Chosun Ilbo OpEd)

EnglishOpinion

U.S. military 'special operations' failures

[Manmoolsang] Leadership missteps and tragic consequences in U.S. special ops: Iran to North Korea

https://www.chosun.com/english/opinion-en/2025/09/07/VIFUAQISP5DGNAILSUCVZG4WHA/

By Kim Tae-hoon

Published 2025.09.07. 20:22

Illustrated by Rhee Choul-won

Until World War II, the U.S. military had little interest in special operations. It believed that overwhelming firepower could defeat and occupy any target. However, as the importance of special operations—such as counterterrorism and hostage rescue—grew over full-scale warfare, the role of special forces became critical. The Army fields units like the Green Berets, Delta Force, and the 75th Ranger Regiment, while the Navy and Air Force maintain elite special operations units such as the Navy SEALs and the 720th Special Tactics Squadron, respectively.

Training a special operations soldier requires massive time and financial investment. It is said to cost approximately 3 billion Korean won to train a single Navy SEAL. Their track record is impressive: special forces played pivotal roles in the Panama invasion, the Gulf War, and the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. The Navy SEALs were also the unit that tracked down and eliminated Osama bin Laden at his hideout. However, failures are also notable. The 1979 “Eagle Claw” mission to rescue U.S. hostages in Iran and the 1993 “Gothic Serpent” operation to eliminate Somali warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid are iconic failures.

Failed operations share common traits: poor leadership and arrogance that underestimated the enemy. During “Eagle Claw,” the U.S. military hastily deployed mine-clearing helicopters—unsuited for reconnaissance or rescue—without sandstorm training. A helicopter collided with a transport aircraft, killing eight and exposing their position, forcing a retreat. In “Gothic Serpent,” commanders sent a unit specialized in night infiltration into a crowded city at midday, where enemy forces swarmed. Despite boasting, “We’ll win and return within three weeks,” the mission resulted in over 90 casualties and downed helicopters.

The New York Times reported that in 2019, during Trump’s first administration, Navy SEALs infiltrated North Korean waters to conduct a surveillance operation on Kim Jong-un but failed. When eight operatives were spotted by civilians in boats near the coast, they allegedly killed all witnesses and retreated. This was a tragic failure that cost innocent civilian lives.

U.S. special operations are a staple of Hollywood films. *Black Hawk Down*, set in Mogadishu, and *Zero Dark Thirty*, about the bin Laden raid, do not shy from depicting helicopter crashes during operations. Yet they emphasize camaraderie—soldiers rushing into enemy territory to save comrades—and courage in completing missions under crisis. During *Black Hawk Down*’s production, the U.S. Special Operations Command requested, “Please portray every soldier as a hero,” and filmmakers obliged. What would those who criticized the heroes of the Cheonan and Yeonpyeong naval battles say?

※ This article has been translated by Upstage Solar AI.

13.

​Speculation continues.

None of us have the answer on this.

But I wholly agree with his conclusion:

Ultimately, whether it’s Kim Ju Ae or anyone else, the North Korean system must never continue into a fourth generation of hereditary succession. Rather than debating whether it will be Kim Ju Ae or not, we should consider what we can do to prevent the horrific prospect of this dictatorial system extending to a fourth generation.

​What do we do to prevent a horrific 4th generation? We must solve the "Korea question." Some recommendations:

Kim can change. Or Kim can be changed by the Korean people in the north.

The Korean people must solve the “Korea question” (which is the unnatural division of the peninsula described in paragraph 60 of the1953 Armistice).

Key Points:

––Key strategic assumption is that Kim will never negotiate away his nuclear weapons.

––The United States has failed to achieve denuclearization in North Korea for four decades, and a new approach is needed that includes a new focus on human rights and the pursuit of a free and unified Korea.

–– South Korea unveiled the 8.15 Unification Doctrine in August 2024, emphasizing freedom, peace, and prosperity as core values for unification.

––Kim Jong Un's recent policy changes, including declaring South Korea as the "main enemy" and abandoning peaceful unification, present an opportunity for a new strategy.

––A human rights up front approach focusing on educating Koreans in the north about their universal human rights will empower them to create change.

––The right of self-determination for the Korean people is a fundamental justification for pursuing a free and unified Korea that requires transformation of the regime.

––Four paths to unification are: war, regime collapse, peaceful unification, and regime transformation. The U.S. (along with South Korea) should support regime transformation by the Korea people in the north as the optimal path to peaceful unification.

–– The long term “Two Plus Three strategy” of the U.S. must rest on these two traditional efforts:

(1) the foundation of military deterrence To Prevent War as the vital US national interest and;

(2) “strategic strangulation” – the well-executed use of sanctions and all instruments of national power to prevent weapons proliferation, cyber-attacks, and global illicit activities to support the regime.  

––The radical new strategy must consist of three pillars to support the Korean people in the north to create the conditions for change inside north Korea:

(1) a human rights upfront approach (emphasizing the fundamental human right of self-determination of government per the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights);

(2) an information and influence campaign to inform and educate the Korean people in the north about their human rights and provide them practical knowledge for how to take collective action and create the conditions for change;

3) support to the Korean people on both sides of the DMZ as they seek to solve the Korean question and establish a free and unified Korea, a new nation, a United Republic of Korea (ROK).

––There is a through line from the 1776 Declaration of Independence to a Free and Unified Korea. The American Declaration influenced the 1919 Korean Declaration of Independence. Both influenced Mahatma Ghandi as he pursued Indian Independence and he in turn influenced Dr. Martin Luther King’s strategies. The virtuous circle will be complete when all the Korean people have the right to self-determination of government and achieve a free and unified Korea.

–– The only way we are going to see an end to the nuclear program, military threats, and the crimes against humanity is through achievement of unification and the establishment of a free and unified Korea that is secure and stable, non-nuclear, economically vibrant, and unified under a liberal constitutional form of government based on individual liberty, rule of law, free market principles, and human rights as determined by the Korean people: A free and unified Korea or in short, a United Republic of Korea (U-ROK). Again, Kim can change or be changed.

Analysis: Kim Jong Un’s daughter not ready for succession spotlight

In North Korea, where patriarchal thinking still prevails, it would be extremely difficult for a woman to assume the position of supreme leader

By Kang Dong Wan, Dong-A University - September 5, 2025

dailynk.com · September 5, 2025

North Korea's Workers' Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported Sept. 3 that "Comrade Kim Jong Un arrived by special train in Beijing on the afternoon of Sept. 2 to attend events commemorating the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's Anti-Japanese War and World Anti-Fascist War." His daughter Ju Ae was confirmed to have accompanied him. (Rodong Sinmun·News1)

It would be no exaggeration to say that Kim Jong Un was the star of the military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of Victory Day held in China on Sept. 3. He showed off the status of the North Korea-China-Russia triangular alliance, strutting with his hands clasped behind his back between Xi Jinping and Putin. He stood shoulder-to-shoulder with China and Russia on the Tiananmen rostrum, watched by the entire world. In bilateral talks with Russia, he received Putin’s highest expressions of gratitude for the recent troop deployment.

Media outlets across China competed to capture footage of the special train departing from Pyongyang, and as if enjoying this attention, North Korea even disclosed through Rodong Sinmun the exact time the train crossed the border. When the train arrived in Beijing, another point of interest was the sight of Kim Ju Ae standing behind Kim Jong Un. Notably absent was Kim Jong Un’s wife Ri Sol Ju, with Kim Ju Ae taking her place. This led South Korean and international media to describe it as Kim Ju Ae’s “successor initiation ceremony.”

Analysis and assessment

To conclude from the outset, I believe it is premature to judge Kim Ju Ae’s visit to China with Kim Jong Un as a successor initiation ceremony. In North Korea, where patriarchal thinking still prevails, it would be extremely difficult for a woman to assume the position of supreme leader. I have consistently emphasized that Kim Ju Ae serves as a prop for Kim Jong Un’s image politics. This is why we should focus more on “Kim Jong Un standing next to Kim Ju Ae” rather than on Kim Ju Ae herself. While this China visit is being framed as Kim Ju Ae’s successor initiation ceremony, it needs to be viewed from a different angle.

Five key points of analysis

First, the argument that Kim Ju Ae has elevated status because she stepped forward ahead of Choe Son Hui, Jo Yong Won, and Kim Dok Hun when disembarking from the train is unfounded. This scene has already been witnessed at various events within North Korea and is nothing new. Rather, what stands out more in that scene is Kim Jong Un receiving hospitality and welcome from China’s highest-ranking officials.

Second, the claim that North Korean authorities officially announced Kim Ju Ae as successor through the Sept. 3 Rodong Sinmun report is even more baseless. The newspaper contained none of the usual expressions used to describe Kim Ju Ae, such as “respected” or “beloved child,” and made no mention of her at all. The only thing published was a photo showing Kim Ju Ae behind Kim Jong Un, which must be interpreted within the context of the newspaper’s content — namely, to show that Kim Jong Un received the highest hospitality and welcome in China, projecting the image of a great leader.

Moreover, in this photo, an interpreter is clearly shown blocking Kim Ju Ae’s image. If she were considered the successor with supreme dignity, such a photo would be highly disrespectful. Given North Korea’s meticulous management, such a photo would not appear in Rodong Sinmun for North Korean citizens to see. Furthermore, every time Kim Ju Ae appears, one wonders why she copies Ri Sol Ju’s fashion, hairstyle, even hand gestures and walking style. If she were the successor, would there be any need for such imitation?

Third, crucially, Kim Ju Ae did not ascend to the rostrum, which was the centerpiece of this military parade. While other national leaders entered with their wives, creating the possibility that Kim Jong Un might enter with Kim Ju Ae, he did not bring her along. If this were an initiation ceremony, she should have been on that rostrum.

Fourth, the very expression “initiation ceremony” lacks foundation. In a place where Kim Jong Un enjoys absolute power, what reason would North Korea have to hold an initiation ceremony for a fourth-generation hereditary successor?

Fifth, the most significant meaning of Kim Jong Un’s visit to China was its use as a propaganda venue to demonstrate his status as an equal to China and Russia under the strengthened North Korea-China-Russia triangular alliance. In the entrance ceremony of the military parade with 26 national leaders participating, Kim Jong Un stood to Xi Jinping’s left and entered alongside Putin, creating an impression that other nations were following behind the North Korea-China-Russia trio. Ultimately, Kim Jong Un’s purpose in participating in this military parade was to flaunt his absolute power — not Kim Ju Ae’s — and to clearly demonstrate his value to Russia and China. In short, Kim Ju Ae was not the protagonist. Kim Jong Un’s inhumane behavior of packaging his own children as commodities to strengthen his political position domestically and internationally deserves condemnation.

Conclusion

Ultimately, whether it’s Kim Ju Ae or anyone else, the North Korean system must never continue into a fourth generation of hereditary succession. Rather than debating whether it will be Kim Ju Ae or not, we should consider what we can do to prevent the horrific prospect of this dictatorial system extending to a fourth generation.

Read in Korean

dailynk.com · September 5, 2025

14. North Korea builds grain centers to tighten control over food distribution

​Does central control ever really work in a sustained manner for the benefit of the people?

Concussion:

“The government promotes this project as a ‘policy for the people,’ but it remains unclear whether the state’s centralization of food distribution will lead to concrete improvements in citizens’ lives,” the source added. “If they simply restrict grain sales that were previously handled in markets, it could create negative effects such as soaring food prices due to supply shortages.”

North Korea builds grain centers to tighten control over food distribution

"The system looks comprehensive on paper, but practical problems could emerge, such as electricity shortages, lack of technical personnel and logistical deficiencies," a source told Daily NK

By Lee Sang-yong - September 5, 2025

dailynk.com · September 5, 2025

North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun newspaper reported on Oct. 8, 2024, that this year’s rice harvest was expected to exceed plans by more than a ton on average and that threshing began one week earlier than last year due to applying scientific farming techniques per the Juche farming method. (Rodong Sinmun, News1)

A grain management center under construction in Hwangju county, North Hwanghae province, since February will be completed this fall. Inside North Korea, concern is growing that authorities plan to intensify control over grain production, distribution and sales in line with recent revisions to the country’s grain law.

According to a Daily NK source in North Korea recently, builders have erected roughly half the framework of the grain management center in Hwangju. Not only have regional construction companies been mobilized for the project, but army engineers have also been deployed.

Construction costs are being shared by the central government, province and county on a 1:2:7 ratio, with authorities working diligently to avoid poor-quality construction—they even use the phrase “a plan that lasts 10,000 years” to emphasize precision.

Grain management centers are under construction in six locations across North Hwanghae province this year alone, including in Unpa county and Yontan county.

Modern complexes, not simple warehouses

These grain management centers are not merely storage warehouses. They are designed as modern facilities that will select and process grain for long-term storage, as well as directly distribute grain after packaging it hygienically, the source explained.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un toured construction sites for provincial factories in late August 2024, during which he ordered the simultaneous construction of public health facilities, technology provision offices and grain management centers. He emphasized, “Do not simply renovate existing facilities, but build new management centers to store grain and ensure food quality.”

While Kim ostensibly called for modernizing grain distribution, people believe his real objective is for the state to completely control grain distribution. Behind the slogan to “improve people’s lives” lies the political calculation to control citizens by exercising a monopoly over food distribution.

“For people, eating is the most important issue, and for the state to take responsibility for this is extremely significant from the supreme leader’s perspective,” the source said. Accordingly, Kim “appears strongly determined to monopolize food distribution.”

This goal aligns with North Korea’s legal framework. The country’s grain law, amended in 2022, added “sales” to existing provisions covering the “procurement, storage, processing, distribution and consumption” of grain. This legally restricted autonomous grain sales in markets, granting the state authority to sell grain.

In Article 1 of the amended grain law, North Korea stated it would “strictly establish a system and order in the procurement, storage, processing, distribution, sale and consumption of grain.” Regarding grain procurement, the law replaced language about “timely acquisition” with specific wording on “seamlessly organizing harvests, threshing, drying, packaging and transport.”

Completing the control framework

With the construction of grain management centers, North Korea will have completed its roadmap for strengthening centralized control through interconnected laws, policies, and physical infrastructure. North Korea established the legal foundation with its 2022 law revision, consolidated its policy direction with Kim’s 2024 order, and entered the implementation phase with grain management center construction in 2025.

Overall management of these centers will be handled by the Ministry of Grain Management, while the centers’ directors, technical heads, party secretaries and procurement managers, along with processing teams, storage teams and security teams, will operate under a management system spanning both provincial and city or county people’s committees.

“The system looks comprehensive on paper, but practical problems could emerge, such as electricity shortages, lack of technical personnel and logistical deficiencies,” the source said. “The centers have the organizational structure, but they face serious risks of being less effective in reality.”

“The government promotes this project as a ‘policy for the people,’ but it remains unclear whether the state’s centralization of food distribution will lead to concrete improvements in citizens’ lives,” the source added. “If they simply restrict grain sales that were previously handled in markets, it could create negative effects such as soaring food prices due to supply shortages.”

Read in Korean

dailynk.com · September 5, 2025

15. Seoul's slow response to detained Koreans in Georgia exposes diplomatic cracks

​Slow response? What government has acted faster than the ROKG in similar situations? The ROKG seems to be doing more for its citizens than most governments around the world.  

I think the response has been pretty impressive.

Sunday

September 7, 2025

 dictionary + A - A 

Seoul's slow response to detained Koreans in Georgia exposes diplomatic cracks

https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-09-07/national/diplomacy/Seouls-slow-response-to-detained-Koreans-in-Georgia-exposes-diplomatic-cracks/2393263

Published: 07 Sep. 2025, 18:05

This image from video provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement via Dvids shows manufacturing plant employees waiting to have their legs shackled at the Hyundai Motor Group’s electric vehicle plant in Ellabell, Georgia, on Sept. 4. [AP/YONHAP]

The Korean government's naivety and belated response to the Donald Trump administration's strict crackdown on visa issues and individuals entering the United States illegally came under fire in light of the mass detention of Korean nationals in Georgia — exacerbated by the fact that key diplomatic posts in the United States remain vacant, including the ambassador to Washington and the consul general in Atlanta.

On Thursday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained hundreds of Koreans as part of a crackdown led by the White House, which has pledged to deport one million undocumented immigrants.

Related Article

Release of detained Koreans in Georgia secured

Georgia facility where Koreans are detained has history of health and safety violations

Korean community in U.S. angry, on edge after Georgia ICE raid

Trump defends immigration raid at Hyundai-LG battery plant in Georgia

Just 10 days earlier, President Lee Jae Myung met with Trump in the Oval Office in a seemingly amicable encounter. But Trump later drew a clear line, saying that the workers in Georgia were "illegal aliens" and that ICE was doing its job, highlighting his uncompromising stance on immigration.

Caught off guard

Critics argue that Korea should have been better prepared for potential fallout, especially given Trump’s “Make America Great Again” agenda and his track record of taking a hard line on immigration — even against allies.

While the original warrant for the raid reportedly listed four individuals believed to be of Latin American origin, Korean nationals were subject to a mass arrest. Yet Seoul issued no immediate protest nor took any visible action to challenge the legality of the raid.

U.S. immigration authorities detained hundreds of Korean nationals during a crackdown at the construction site of the joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution on Sept. 4. The picture has been taken from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's website. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

U.S. immigration authorities detained hundreds of Korean nationals during a crackdown at the Korean construction site of the joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution on Sept. 4. The picture has been taken from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's website. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

A legal expert noted that detaining 300 people under a single search warrant may violate the principle of proportionality, depending on the circumstances.

“If it turns out that some of the individuals were engaged in activities consistent with their visa status, the enforcement could be deemed unlawful,” the expert said.

The Korean Consulate General in Atlanta plans to assemble a legal team to visit the detention facility soon.

The visa gap

Many of the detained Koreans were reportedly in the United States under the Visa Waiver Program, ESTA, or on B1 business visas intended for short-term visits such as attending conferences. Legally working at a local factory requires H-1B visas for skilled professionals or L1 and E2 visas for intracompany transferees, but these are notoriously difficult to obtain.

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said authorities are still reviewing the exact visa categories of those detained, adding that "the United States is examining whether activities by those holding B1 visas were consistent with the visa's intended purpose."

The Korean Embassy in the United States in Washington [JOONGANG ILBO]

The demand for employment-based visas far exceeds supply. H-1B visas are capped at 85,000 per year, including 20,000 reserved for holders of advanced degrees from U.S. institutions, and are issued by random lottery. Although legislation to allocate separate quotas for skilled Korean workers has been introduced multiple times since 2013, none has passed Congress. In practice, many Korean companies have relied on ESTA or B1 visas to meet urgent project timelines.

The incident was likely the result of companies struggling to align employee visa types with tight construction schedules amid strict ICE enforcement, according to Suh Sang-pyo, former consul general in Atlanta.

“Most of these Korean workers entered the country legally, but some may have worked outside the scope of their visas,” Suh said, noting that improper documentation is more common among subcontractors. “If this turns out to be an isolated incident, the damage may be limited. But if raids continue, it could have a direct impact on investment returns. Construction and equipment installation may be delayed if key personnel are blocked from entering.”

Diplomatic void under scrutiny

The absence of an ambassador to the United States and a consul general in Atlanta has left Korea’s diplomatic response weakened.

Cho Ki-joong, consul general at the Korean Embassy in Washington, is currently leading the response on the ground. Rep. Kim Gunn of the People Power Party, a former diplomat and ranking member of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, said, “In cases like this, the bureaucracy doesn’t move unless high-level officials issue strong directives — but right now, there’s no senior-level channel to the U.S. administration.”

Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun delivers opening remarks at the ministry in central Seoul on Saturday during a joint task force meeting on responses after hundreds of Koreans were detained in a U.S. immigration raid at a Hyundai Motor-LG Energy Solutions battery plant construction site in Georgia. [NEWS1]

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is scheduling a visit to the United States for the coming week, but has not been able to talk to his counterpart, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The government has not even addressed the claims of Tori Branum, a Georgia-based right-wing politician who recently took credit on social media for reporting the Korean companies to ICE.

"Yes, I did report the Hyundai plant to ICE and yes, I did talk to an agent," Branum wrote on her Facebook account on Saturday, claiming that the Korean companies received tax credits from the U.S. government but failed to hire U.S. workers.

Observers argue that both the foreign policy establishment and lawmakers must present a united front. “Domestic political support is crucial for strong diplomacy,” said Lee Byong-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies. “Korea should consider summoning U.S. Ambassador Joseph Yun to lodge a formal protest.”

"The goal is to make it clear, both domestically and internationally, that this is a serious matter,” said Democratic Party Rep. Kim Young-bae, senior member of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, which will hold a hearing on Monday to address the issue. “Because this is an unresolved diplomatic issue, we must avoid jumping to conclusions. We are also considering a resolution or parliamentary diplomatic efforts.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

BY PARK HYUN-JU [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]

16. Most arrested South Koreans entered U.S. on ESTA

​So... not one Korean crossed the border from Mexico or Canada illegally?

All entered the country legally. None came to conduct criminal activities or to live off the US taxpayers's dime.

However I fear the blowback could be a US decision to end the Visa waiver program for Korea. That would be a huge mistake.  

Imagine this huge "investigation" conducted by ICE over many months to find all this "wrongdoing." What other investigations had resources diverted to support this which as it turns out is only an embarrassment to both the ROK and the US governments?

What is the solution? Issue sufficient B-1 VIsas for Korean businesses if we want South Korea to remain the largest foreign direct investor in the US.

Most arrested South Koreans entered U.S. on ESTA

https://www.donga.com/en/article/all/20250906/5831701/1

Most of the South Koreans detained on Sept. 4 local time at the Hyundai Motor-LG Energy Solution joint battery plant in Georgia were reported to have entered the United States on Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) or on B-1 visas.

ESTA is a travel authorization that permits short-term, visa-free entry to the United States. The U.S. government issues it to citizens of 40 countries in the Visa Waiver Program, including South Korea, waiving visa applications for stays of up to 90 days for tourism or business trips. Because ESTA is not a visa, applicants do not need an embassy interview and can receive approval online by submitting personal information. By contrast, travelers seeking a B-1 business visa for meetings or contract negotiations, or a B-2 visa for tourism, must file an application and complete an embassy interview.

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, which has pursued a hard-line immigration policy, has increased enforcement against people who remain in the country long-term with only ESTA, without obtaining business visas. Under U.S. immigration law, manual labor is prohibited for those on ESTA or B-1 visas, and authorities are concentrating enforcement on short-term work arranged under ESTA. U.S. immigration authorities are reportedly closely reviewing entry and exit records of foreigners with a history of staying for several weeks on ESTA alone.

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