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Quotes of the Day:
"Never have so many been manipulated so much by so few."
– Aldous Huxley
"Authority that does not exist for Liberty is not authority but force"
– Lord Action
"Be silent, if you choose; but when it is necessary, speak – and speak in such a way that people will remember it."
– Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
1. Trump Pitches Meeting With Kim Jong Un During Asia Tour: ‘Put Out the Word’
2. North Korea’s Soldiers Reportedly Directing Russian Strikes on Ukraine, UK Says
3. Trump says he's open to meeting Kim in Korea if Kim would like to
4. Trump says trade deal with S. Korea 'pretty close to being finalized'
5. Trump describes N. Korea as 'sort of nuclear power': AFP
6. U.S. expert expects Trump to back S. Korea's 'END' peace initiative
7. N. Korea's Kim pays tribute at tombs of fallen Chinese soldiers ahead of key anniversary
8. Georgia governor vows continued support for Korean investors amid U.S. visa concerns
9. Rival parties vow bipartisan response against Japan's Dokdo claim
10. U.S. keen to 'nail down' trade deal with S. Korea as soon as possible: senior official
11. Meeting with Kim not on Trump's schedule during Asia trip, but 'things can change': senior U.S. official
12. Editorial: Will U.S.-South Korea Training Be Scaled Down for Five-Year Term?
13. President Donald Trump Acknowledges North Korea as Nuclear Power
14. Trump ‘would like’ to meet Kim Jong Un on Asia trip
15. Only acceptable end state: free and unified Korea, regardless of polls
1. Trump Pitches Meeting With Kim Jong Un During Asia Tour: ‘Put Out the Word’
Now I have to change my tune. Maybe it will happen now that POTUS is making a public statement. Afterall the June 2019 meeting at Panmunjom was coordinated after a POTUS tweet on X/Twitter.
Trump Pitches Meeting With Kim Jong Un During Asia Tour: ‘Put Out the Word’
By Timothy W. Martin
Follow, Meridith McGraw
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Oct. 25, 2025 5:38 am ET
WSJ
North Korean leader refuses to discuss denuclearization, but meeting would boost his global legitimacy
https://www.wsj.com/world/asia/trump-pitches-meeting-with-kim-jong-un-during-asia-tour-ba0c55ec
Oct. 25, 2025 5:38 am ET
President Trump speaks to members of the media as he departs for Asia from the White House. Kylie Cooper/Reuters
Departing for his first Asia trip of his second term, President Trump publicly called for a meeting with a regional leader not on his diplomatic itinerary: North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.
Trump, speaking to reporters on Air Force One en route to Malaysia, reiterated his openness to meeting Kim, asking the media to “put out the word.” Trump concludes his multi-stop trip to Asia in South Korea, where the president would be within roughly 250 miles from the Korean Demilitarized Zone—site of the two leaders’ last face-to-face encounter in 2019.
In his overture on Friday evening, Trump seemed to suggest he’d welcome extra help reaching out to the 41-year-old dictator.
“They have a lot of nuclear weapons,” Trump said, “but not a lot of telephone service.”
Recognizing North Korea as a nuclear state would be a dramatic shift in U.S. policy, which for decades has aimed to persuade Pyongyang to dismantle its arsenal with a mix of economic and diplomatic pressure. Ending that stance would usher in a new era in U.S. relations with North Korea, one where the two countries engage as fellow nuclear powers instead of fierce adversaries.
That animosity has led to years of nuclear threats and driven North Korea into closer ties with China and Russia, with Pyongyang even sending troops to assist Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Trump recalled the last time he met with Kim, he “put it out over the internet” that he was coming to South Korea and was open to a meeting. But when asked by a reporter about any plans to see Kim, Trump said the dictator hasn’t been in contact.
Two senior U.S. officials said the Trump administration hadn’t sent Kim an invitation for a meeting. Trump’s remark to the press has been the only request, they said.
Kim, who has been photographed with a smartphone, is no stranger to Trump. The two met three times during Trump’s first term in 2018 and 2019. That included their rendezvous at the DMZ when Trump, while attending the Group of 20 summit in nearby Japan, floated an abrupt get-together on social media, an offer that surprised Trump’s own advisers. The meeting came together within a day.
Trump and Kim met in the Korean Demilitarized Zone in 2019. Susan Walsh/Associated Press
The question now is whether Kim will accept the invitation—and on what terms. He has fewer reasons to bend to Trump than in the past.
The Trump administration has said it remains committed to the “complete” denuclearization of North Korea. But it hasn’t presented a clear strategy of how to engage with the North, with turmoil in Europe and the Middle East grabbing much of the U.S.’s focus.
Last month, Kim issued his first direct response to Trump’s overtures, expressing a willingness to discuss “peaceful coexistence” with the U.S., though he made it clear he wouldn’t consider renouncing the country’s ever-expanding nuclear weapons program. Kim made the remarks in a lengthy policy speech to his rubber-stamp parliament on Sept. 21.
“I say ‘denuclearization’ is the last, last thing to expect from us,” Kim said. North Korean state media didn’t have immediate comment on Trump’s invitation.
Asked about Pyongyang’s desire to be recognized as a nuclear state, Trump acknowledged North Korea is “sort of a nuclear power.”
“I know how many weapons they have. I know everything about them,” he said. “They have a lot of nuclear weapons.”
Accepting North Korea as a nuclear state would create a dangerous precedent for the world, nonproliferation experts say. Other rogue nations with nuclear ambitions could feel emboldened to launch programs of their own. Accepting a nuclear-armed Pyongyang would prompt further calls from South Korea, Japan and other Washington allies to possess nuclear weapons for self-defense.
Trump ordered the bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities earlier this year to prevent the country from acquiring its first nuclear weapon.
But some analysts have long argued that the U.S. could never persuade North Korea to part with its nuclear arsenal and missile program, as Pyongyang has spent decades developing both. No country would invest such time and resources just to give them up under sanctions and political pressure.
Kim watches a military parade in Pyongyang, in a picture released this month by North Korean state media. kcna/Reuters
Recognizing that North Korea is, and likely will remain, a nuclear power is simply the reality of Pyongyang’s achievement, some current and former U.S. officials say.
Trump is set to arrive in Malaysia on Sunday local time, before traveling next to Japan. He finishes the trip in South Korea, where he is expected to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday. The leaders of the world’s two superpowers haven’t met in person since Trump took office in January.
A Trump-Kim meeting would be a high-profile addition. It would represent the first formal engagement between the U.S. and North Korea in more than six years.
During that time, Kim has dramatically expanded his nuclear arsenal, upgraded his weapons capabilities and drawn closer to Russia. North Korean hackers have stolen billions of dollars from cryptocurrency exchanges, providing much-needed funds for a regime facing sanctions punishing Pyongyang for its nuclear program. With Moscow’s support, the main United Nations panel overseeing enforcement of those sanctions was disbanded last year.
The result is a Kim operating much differently from Trump’s first term, when direct talks with the U.S. leader took priority to win sanctions relief for his cash-strapped nation. The North Korean leader has told his people to defy the economic struggles from sanctions. And Kim’s confidence in his country’s nuclear program is so strong that he has signaled a major policy shift next year, where advances in conventional weaponry will take equal footing with the nukes.
“Back then, Kim needed concessions from Trump,” said Hwang Ji-hwan, a professor of international relations at the University of Seoul. “Now, there’s no motivation to seek concessions or negotiate with the U.S.”
If Kim is able to meet Trump without discussing denuclearization, the North Korean leader could spin the get-together as another sign of his legitimacy on the global stage. Just last month, Kim traveled to Beijing for a Chinese military parade where he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Kim appeared alongside China's Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin last month in Beijing. Rao Aimin/Associated Press
Trump has repeatedly touted his close relationship with Kim, suggesting on the campaign trail last year that the North Korean leader missed him. During a White House visit by South Korea’s president in August, Trump said he would like to meet Kim this year if possible.
Any immediate meeting between Trump and Kim would likely be for “political messaging” rather than achieving substantial progress with North Korean denuclearization, said Jo Bee-yun, a security analyst at South Korea’s Sejong Institute think tank.
“A Trump-Kim meeting may present North Korea’s nuclear status as a fait accompli,” she said.
Write to Timothy W. Martin at Timothy.Martin@wsj.com, Meridith McGraw at Meridith.McGraw@WSJ.com and Alexander Ward at alex.ward@wsj.com
Copyright ©2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
WSJ
2. North Korea’s Soldiers Reportedly Directing Russian Strikes on Ukraine, UK Says
This is an important. capability that the nKPA is demonstrating.
North Korea’s Soldiers Reportedly Directing Russian Strikes on Ukraine, UK Says
https://united24media.com/latest-news/north-koreas-soldiers-reportedly-directing-russian-strikes-on-ukraine-uk-says-12789
Oct 24, 2025 14:55
2 min read
Authors
Dariia Mykhailenko
News Writer
North Korean army rehearsal parade on Kim il Sung square, Pyongan Province, Pyongyang, North Korea on April 13, 2008 in Pyongyang, North Korea. (Source: Getty Images)
For the first time, North Korean military personnel have been observed providing direct support to Russia's offensive operations against Ukraine, specifically by assisting with strikes on the Sumy region.
The UK Ministry of Defense, citing intelligence data, reported on October 24 that DPRK soldiers stationed in Russia's Kursk region are involved in coordinating reconnaissance and helping to direct Russian firepower onto Ukrainian territory.
This marks a significant escalation, as it is the first confirmed instance of North Korean troops actively supporting or facilitating Russian offensive actions against a sovereign Ukrainian region.
According to British intelligence, DPRK operators of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) are helping Russian forces aim multiple launch rocket systems to target Ukrainian positions in Sumy. These North Korean-made drones are reportedly used to adjust the fire of multiple launch rocket systems, boosting the precision of Russian attacks.
While North Korean personnel had previously conducted drone operations and served as attritional infantry in the Kursk region—where they suffered over 6,000 casualties (more than half of the estimated 11,000 troops initially deployed)—their role is now shifting to direct combat support inside the operational zone.
The UK MoD also notes that the DPRK is likely using this war to upgrade its military capabilities and improve its drone technology. Any decision to deploy these troops further into internationally recognized Ukrainian territory would require the direct approval of both Russian President Vladimir Putin and DPRK leader Kim Jong Un.
Earlier, it was reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is moving forward with plans to build a museum in Pyongyang to honor servicemen of the Korean People's Army. The museum will be dedicated to those who, in his words, took part in a military operation to “liberate Russia's Kursk region”—a reference to their involvement in Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.
3. Trump says he's open to meeting Kim in Korea if Kim would like to
Please just remember the 26 million.
Trump says he's open to meeting Kim in Korea if Kim would like to | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · Song Sang-ho · October 25, 2025
By Song Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, Oct. 25 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump has said he is open to meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his upcoming visit to South Korea next week if Kim would like to meet, in a renewed show of his willingness to resume diplomacy with the reclusive leader.
Trump made the remarks during a press meeting aboard Air Force One on Friday, as he was en route to Malaysia as part of his Asia trip that will also take him to South Korea and Japan. Trump is set to visit Korea on Wednesday and Thursday on the occasion of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
"Well, I would if he would contact. The last time I met him, I put it out over the internet that I'm coming to South Korea and if he'd like to meet, I'm open to it. I'd do it," he said, according to the White House pool report, as he responded to a question about whether he has any plans to meet with Kim during his trip to Korea.
"If you want to put out the word, I'm open to it," he added.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media aboard Air Force One on Oct. 24, 2025, in this photo released by AFP. (Yonhap)
Trump last met Kim at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom in June 2019. It was the third in-person meeting between the leaders following their first in Singapore in June 2018 and the second in Hanoi in February 2019.
Trump reiterated that he had a "great" relationship with Kim, and that he "got along very well" with Kim.
"He probably knows I'm coming, right? If you want to put out the word, I'm open to it. There's not a lot of ways other than the internet. They have very little telephonic service," he said.
"But he knows I'm coming. I'd be open to it 100 percent."
In a separate online press briefing on Friday, a senior U.S. official said a meeting between Trump and Kim is not on the current schedule for Trump's Asia trip, while noting that "things can change."
Speculation has persisted that Trump might seek to resume his personal diplomacy with Kim when he visits South Korea, as the White House has said the president remains open to talks with the North Korean leader "without any preconditions."
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · Song Sang-ho · October 25, 2025
4. Trump says trade deal with S. Korea 'pretty close to being finalized'
A positive indicator.
Trump says trade deal with S. Korea 'pretty close to being finalized' | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · Song Sang-ho · October 25, 2025
By Song Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, Oct. 25 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump has said a trade deal with South Korea is "pretty close to being finalized," noting that he is "ready" if the Asian country is ready for finalizing the details of the framework deal struck in July.
Trump made the remarks in a press meeting aboard Air Force One on Friday, as he was en route to Malaysia as part of his Asia trip that will also take him to South Korea and Japan. Seoul and Washington have struggled to bridge differences over how to implement Korea's US$350 billion investment pledge under the July deal.
"It's pretty close to being finalized," he said, according to the White House pool report. "If they have it ready, I'm ready."
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media aboard Air Force One on Oct. 24, 2025, in this photo released by AFP. (Yonhap)
In a separate online briefing on Friday, a senior U.S. official said the United States is keen to "nail down" a trade deal with South Korea as soon as Seoul is willing to take "appropriate" commitments.
The two countries reached their trade deal in late July, under which Seoul committed to investing $350 billion in the U.S., among other pledges, in return for Washington's agreement to lower its "reciprocal" tariff and sector-specific duty on South Korean autos to 15 percent from 25 percent.
But the deal has yet to take effect amid negotiations to reconcile differences over a series of sticking points, including how to fund the investment package.
In recent weeks, top South Korean officials, including Kim Yong-beom, the presidential chief of staff for policy, Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol and Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan, have visited Washington multiple times, underscoring Seoul's stepped-up efforts to finalize the deal.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · Song Sang-ho · October 25, 2025
5. Trump describes N. Korea as 'sort of nuclear power': AFP
Dr. Bruce Bennett still owns the best description of north Korea: "A non-compliant unsafe nuclear experimenter." But I guess that makes it "sort of a nuclear power."
Trump describes N. Korea as 'sort of nuclear power': AFP | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · Park Boram · October 25, 2025
SEOUL, Oct. 25 (Yonhap) -- United States President Donald Trump has described North Korea as "sort of a nuclear power," AFP reported Saturday, as he seeks to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his ongoing trip to Asia.
Trump made the remarks aboard Air Force One en route to Asia, AFP said, quoting him as saying, "I think they are sort of a nuclear power."
"When you say they have to be recognized as a nuclear power, well, they got a lot of nuclear weapons, I'll say that," he was also quoted as saying.
Trump is seeking a meeting with Kim during his trip to Asia, including South Korea from Oct. 29-30 on the occasion of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
A U.S. official said no meeting with Kim is currently on Trump's schedule for the trip but added "things can change."
Kim is apparently pursuing U.S. recognition as a nuclear power.
During a parliamentary meeting last month, he said he has "good memories" of Trump and remains open to talks with the U.S. if Washington drops its demand for the country's denuclearization.
AFP also quoted Trump as saying, before leaving Washington, "I would ... I'm open to it," referring to speculation that he could meet Kim during his trip.
This EPA image shows U.S. President Donald Trump. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · Park Boram · October 25, 2025
6. U.S. expert expects Trump to back S. Korea's 'END' peace initiative
I am sure Victor is correct.
But I still think these fourteen words are better.
"Unification first, then denuclearization; the path to unification is through information and human rights.
And neither POTROK nor POTUS will win the Nobel for anything less than the achievement of a free and unified Korea.
U.S. expert expects Trump to back S. Korea's 'END' peace initiative | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · Song Sang-ho · October 25, 2025
By Song Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump may support South Korea's new initiative to engage with North Korea and promote peace on the Korean Peninsula as it would be viewed as part of the overall effort to bring Pyongyang back to dialogue, a prominent U.S. expert said Friday.
During an online press briefing, Victor Cha, president of the Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department and Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, made the comment on the "END" initiative to foster peace through "exchange," "normalization" and "denuclearization."
"I think that he would not have a problem supporting the END initiative because he would see it as part of the overall effort to bring North Korea back to the table," Cha said during the briefing on Trump's upcoming visit to Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit set to take place on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.
This photo, taken on Sept. 19, 2025, shows Victor Cha, president of the Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department and Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, speaking during a press meeting in Seoul. (Yonhap)
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung unveiled the initiative during a speech at the U.N. General Assembly in New York last month, as his administration seeks to resume inter-Korean engagement to reduce tensions and improve cross-border relations.
The initiative came as Trump has expressed his willingness to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un this year -- a move that Lee supported by pledging to become a "pacemaker" to help Trump play a role as a "peacemaker" during their bilateral summit at the White House in August.
On the likelihood of Trump meeting Kim during his visit to Korea on Wednesday and Thursday, Cha did not rule it out, citing a report that North Koreans have started cleaning up a border area -- something that they usually do not conduct unless they plan to have a meeting there.
Speculation has continued that Trump would seek to resume his personal diplomacy with Kim when he travels to Korea next week, as the White House has said that he remains open to talks with the reclusive leader "without any preconditions."
Trump held three in-person meetings with Kim during his first term -- the first in Singapore in June 2018, the second in February in Hanoi and the third at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom in June 2019.
Asked if the second summit between Lee and Trump, set for Wednesday, can proceed in a friendly manner as it did during their first summit in August, the expert took note of ongoing efforts by Seoul and Washington to bridge differences over Korea's US$350 billion investment pledge under a trade deal struck in July.
"If they can reach agreement by the time Trump's there (in Korea), then the meeting will go fairly well," Cha said. "But if they don't reach agreement, I think they will still try to put on a good face."
The two countries reached a framework trade deal in late July, under which Seoul has committed to investing $350 billion in the U.S., among other pledges, in return for Washington's agreement to lower its "reciprocal" tariff and sector-specific duty on South Korean autos to 15 percent from 25 percent.
But the deal has yet to go into force amid negotiations to reconcile differences over a series of sticking points, including how to fund the investment package.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · Song Sang-ho · October 25, 2025
7. N. Korea's Kim pays tribute at tombs of fallen Chinese soldiers ahead of key anniversary
He actually means but can't say that China saved north Korea.
N. Korea's Kim pays tribute at tombs of fallen Chinese soldiers ahead of key anniversary | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · Park Boram · October 25, 2025
SEOUL, Oct. 25 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has paid tribute at a cemetery for Chinese soldiers who died fighting for the North during the Korean War, as the countries marked the anniversary of China's entry into the war, state media reported Saturday.
Kim "visited the Cemetery of the Fallen Soldiers of the Chinese People's Volunteers in Hoechang County, South Phyongan Province and paid a high tribute to them" the previous day, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.
On Saturday, North Korea and China commemorate the 75th anniversary of Chinese troops' entry into the 1950-53 Korean War to aid the North. The countries observe the anniversary on Oct. 25, the day Chinese troops scored their first military victory in the war in 1950.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un rearranges the ribbons of a flower basket at the Chinese People's Volunteers in Hoechang County, South Phyongan Province, where he paid tribute to Chinese soldiers who died fighting for the North in the Korean War, on Oct. 24, 2025, in this Korean Central News Agency photo released the following day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
Kim paid a silent tribute in memory of the fallen soldiers and visited the grave of Mao Anying at the cemetery, a Chinese military officer and the eldest son of Mao Zedong, the founder of the People's Republic of China, where he placed flowers and paid homage, according to the KCNA.
The news agency said the faces of the fallen soldiers, who assisted North Korea's revolutionary war at the cost of their blood, "remain deep in the hearts of the peoples of the two countries as a symbol of valuable DPRK-China friendship."
DPRK refers to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.
North Korea will never forget the blood shed by the Chinese soldiers, the KCNA said.
"The DPRK-China friendship forged at the cost of blood would powerfully demonstrate its inexhaustible vitality in the sacred struggle to realize the cause of independence against imperialism, the socialist cause, in the future, too," it added.
Kim last visited the Hoechang cemetery in 2020 ahead of the 70th anniversary. The cemetery was established at the site where China operated the command of volunteer forces during the Korean War.
Flanked by officials, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (C, in long leather coat) pays tribute at the Chinese People's Volunteers in Hoechang County, South Phyongan Province, on Oct. 24, 2025, in this Korean Central News Agency photo released the following day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and key officials pay tribute at the Chinese People's Volunteers in Hoechang County, South Phyongan Province, on Oct. 24, 2025, in this Korean Central News Agency photo released the following day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · Park Boram · October 25, 2025
8. Georgia governor vows continued support for Korean investors amid U.S. visa concerns
The Georgia ICE Raid debacle put the Governor in a tough position.
(Yonhap Interview) Georgia governor vows continued support for Korean investors amid U.S. visa concerns | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · Choi Kyong-ae · October 24, 2025
By Choi Kyong-ae
SEOUL, Oct. 24 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. state of Georgia remains committed to ensuring the success of South Korean companies investing there, Brian Kemp, governor of the American state, said Friday, amid lingering visa issues following a sweeping immigration raid of hundreds of Korean workers in September.
Kemp expressed such a pledge in an interview with Yonhap News Agency in Seoul, following meetings with executives from Hyundai Motor Group, SK Group and LG Group in South Korea this week. He was visiting Seoul to attend a meeting marking the 40th anniversary of the state's Seoul office.
"We had very positive and productive conversations with our partners here and have reassured them that Georgia remains committed to ensuring their success -- whether by providing the world-class infrastructure and relationships they have always enjoyed or by conveying their concerns to our partners at the federal level," Kemp said in the interview held at a hotel in Seoul
Kemp noted the importance for South Korean companies to communicate with the local community so that the community "understands the need for these workers, and that they are indeed temporary and not taking American jobs."
He did not specify what was discussed during the meetings with Korean business groups.
This photo taken Oct. 24, 2025, shows Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp speaking on the state's commitment to ensuring the success of S. Korean firms investing there during an interview with Yonhap News Agency at Grand Hyatt Seoul hotel in central Seoul. (Yonhap)
Kemp's visit comes nearly two months after the arrest and detention of more than 300 Korean workers in a U.S. immigration raid at a construction site for a Hyundai-LG Energy Solution battery joint venture in Georgia in early September. The detained workers were later released.
At that time, U.S. authorities reportedly raised issues regarding what they considered inappropriate visas held by several non-Korean workers at the site.
The governor stressed that the operation was conducted by federal authorities, and his state had no jurisdiction over visa or law enforcement matters in connection with the raid.
Kemp said he has had communication with the Donald Trump administration in connection with the incident, which has sparked widespread outrage among the South Korean business community, raising concerns over the United States' credibility as a reliable investment partner.
In particular, the incident occurred after South Korea pledged to invest US$350 billion in the U.S. as part of a bilateral trade deal reached in late July. Seoul and Washington have been working to finalize the details of the investment package.
"I've spoken to the president directly about the issue -- and also about the need for skilled Korean workers to handle highly technical tasks involving proprietary equipment and processes, whether it's setting or calibrating equipment or training individuals to operate it," the governor said, adding, "He (Trump) understands the need for that."
Further, the governor explained that he helped facilitate direct communication between Trump administration officials and executives at Hyundai Motor Group to address the issues and find solutions.
"I've also proposed to President Trump the idea of a manufacturing visa -- a very short-term visa of no more than 90 days, unlike the B-1 visa, that could help alleviate some of these problems, especially in advanced manufacturing. It would be quite different from the B-1 visa used by IT workers," he said.
Currently, Korean workers with B-1 visas are allowed to stay for up to six months per visit.
This photo taken Oct. 24, 2025, shows Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp stepping into SK Group's headquarters building in central Seoul for a meeting with the group's battery-making unit SK On's CEO Lee Seok-hee to discuss ways to enhance cooperation and strengthen business ties. (Yonhap)
Seoul and Washington agreed Wednesday to seek practical support to ensure the smooth entry of South Korean business personnel into the U.S. during their second round of talks on visa issues.
In their previous meeting last month, the two sides agreed to establish a working group and set up a dedicated visa desk at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul for Korean businesses. The visa desk is reportedly expected to open soon.
Last month, the U.S. confirmed that Korean companies can use the B-1 visa for activities related to their investment projects in the country -- such as installing, servicing and repairing equipment purchased from overseas -- and that those entering under the ESTA program can engage in the same activities as B-1 visa holders.
ESTA, or Electronic System for Travel Authorization, allows visa-free entry for short-term business or tourism.
Construction of the affected battery plant has resumed, but completion will be delayed until next year, from the originally scheduled completion date of late this year, according to an LG Energy Solution official.
"The companies can speak more to their timeline, but as a state, we are using this opportunity to move forward together and make it easier for companies in the future to achieve mutual prosperity in Georgia," Kemp said.
The site affected by the immigration raid is a dedicated battery manufacturing complex of Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA), which serves as the South Korean automotive group's third U.S. production base, following Hyundai Motor Co.'s Alabama plant and Kia Corp.'s Georgia factory.
Regarding Georgia's role in mitigating the impact on Korean battery makers following the Trump administration's revision of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which removed certain electric vehicle (EV) purchase subsidies, the governor said, "We relayed those concerns to the previous administration at the time.
"Georgia's approach to doing business has always been to listen to our partners and to adapt to market needs."
On U.S. tariff policies, Kemp saw the measures as the "exclusive purview of the federal government," while highlighting that his state's role in related developments was to "help our companies navigate the impacts and minimize uncertainty for those who have invested in Georgia or plan to invest."
In this file photo, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung speaks during the opening ceremony of Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America in Ellabell, Georgia, on March 26, 2025. (Yonhap)
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · Choi Kyong-ae · October 24, 2025
9. Rival parties vow bipartisan response against Japan's Dokdo claim
One step forward two, steps back.
Rival parties vow bipartisan response against Japan's Dokdo claim
en.yna.co.kr
Rival parties vow bipartisan response against Japan's Dokdo claim | Yonhap News Agency
Park Sang-soo
All News 13:14 October 25, 2025
SEOUL, Oct. 25 (Yonhap) -- The ruling and the main opposition parties denounced Japan's territorial claims to South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo on Saturday as they marked Dokdo Day.
"Dokdo is historically, geographically our territory," the ruling Democratic Party (DP) said in its commentary. "But Japan still claims its sovereignty over Dokdo and distorts shared history."
The DP said it wants a future-oriented relationship between South Korea and Japan, but Japan's groundless claims to Dokdo and its distortion of history are not acceptable.
The main opposition People Power Party also denounced Japan's claims to Dokdo, adding that the islets are part of South Korea's territory in terms of history and international law.
Japan's territorial claim to Dokdo has long been a key source of diplomatic friction in relations with South Korea, where many people still harbor deep anti-Japanese resentment for its brutal 1910-45 colonial rule.
South Korea keeps a small police detachment on the islets, effectively controlling Dokdo.
South Korea's national flag is seen with the easternmost islets of Dokdo in the background, in this file photo taken Oct. 23, 2023. (Yonhap)
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(END)
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10. U.S. keen to 'nail down' trade deal with S. Korea as soon as possible: senior official
U.S. keen to 'nail down' trade deal with S. Korea as soon as possible: senior official | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · Song Sang-ho · October 25, 2025
By Song Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 (Yonhap) -- The United States is keen to "nail down" a trade deal with South Korea as soon as Seoul is willing to take "appropriate" commitments, a senior U.S. official said Friday, as the two countries strive to bridge differences over how to implement Korea's US$350 billion investment pledge under the framework deal.
The official made the remarks during an online press briefing amid uncertainty over whether Seoul and Washington could reach a breakthrough to finalize details of the trade deal before or during a summit between Korean President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump, set for Wednesday in Korea.
Trump is set to pay a two-day state visit to Korea on Wednesday and Thursday, as Korea will host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in the southeastern city of Gyeongju on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.
"We are very keen to nail down a deal with Korea as soon as possible, as soon as they're willing to take the commitments that we think are appropriate," the official said.
The official reaffirmed the Trump administration's interest in shipbuilding cooperation with South Korea.
"We welcome their know-how, their capital and ... the general collaboration to help America revive its manufacturing, defense industry, shipbuilding and submarine building."
The two countries reached their trade deal in late July, under which Seoul committed to investing $350 billion in the U.S., among other pledges, in return for Washington's agreement to lower its "reciprocal" tariff and sector-specific duty on South Korean autos to 15 percent from 25 percent.
But the deal has yet to take effect amid negotiations to reconcile differences over a series of sticking points, including how to fund the investment package.
In recent weeks, top South Korean officials, including Kim Yong-beom, the presidential chief of staff for policy, Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol and Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan, have visited Washington multiple times, underscoring Seoul's stepped-up efforts to reconcile differences over sticking points in the trade talks.
The White House in Washington. (Yonhap)
sshluck@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · Song Sang-ho · October 25, 2025
11. Meeting with Kim not on Trump's schedule during Asia trip, but 'things can change': senior U.S. official
I feel for the Secret Service. However, they can turn on a dime. They showed they could make a last minute meeting work in 2019 at Panmunjom. I am sure they are already doing the advanced preparation necessary just in case. They have more fore warning this time so they can anticipate the change if there is an agreement to meet.
(LEAD) Meeting with Kim not on Trump's schedule during Asia trip, but 'things can change': senior U.S. official | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · Song Sang-ho · October 25, 2025
(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES throughout)
By Song Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump has no plan to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on the current schedule for his upcoming trip to Asia, but "things can change," a senior U.S. official said Friday, noting Trump's openness to reengaging with the recalcitrant leader.
In an online press briefing, the official made the remarks, as Trump is set to begin his two-day state visit to South Korea on Wednesday on the occasion of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit set to take place in the southeastern city of Gyeongju on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.
"Obviously, things can change," he said. "The president, of course, has expressed his willingness to meet with Kim Jong-un in the future. It is not on the schedule for this trip."
He was responding to a question about the chances of a Trump-Kim meeting at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas next week. Trump's planned visit to Korea is part of his Asia trip that will also take him to Malaysia and Japan.
This file photo, taken June 30, 2019, shows U.S. President Donald Trump (L) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un meeting at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom. (Yonhap)
Speculation had persisted that Trump might seek to resume his personal diplomacy with Kim during his visit to South Korea for the APEC summit, as the White House has said that the president remains open to talks with the North Korean leader "without any preconditions."
Adding to the speculation were news reports that North Korean authorities had started cleaning up an area on the North's side of the border village of Panmunjom -- a move typically made in preparation for an important event -- while a field trip program to Panmunjom will be suspended during the APEC summit period.
The administration of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has expressed its support for Trump's efforts to reengage with Kim, as it seeks to resume inter-Korean engagement to reduce tensions and promote peace on the Korean Peninsula.
During the White House summit with Lee in August, Trump expressed his hope to meet with Kim this year -- a move that Lee supported by pledging to become a "pacemaker" to help Trump play a role as a "peacemaker."
Trump held three in-person meetings with Kim during his first term -- the first in Singapore in June 2018, the second in February in Hanoi and the third at the border village of Panmunjom in June 2019.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · Song Sang-ho · October 25, 2025
12. Editorial: Will U.S.-South Korea Training Be Scaled Down for Five-Year Term?
Look, if POTROK and POTUS intend to use the word deterrence toward north Korea (and China) then their advisors need to understand that you have to demonstrate the ability to fight and win the war in order to have deterrence. Therefore we must train more, not less, to ensure we have the absolute combined capability to fight and win the war. You have To demonstrate capability and will to fight and win. That is the only way to sustain deterrence. Every time someone says out loud that Korea can be more responsible for its own defense and that the US can reduce forces or that both the South and the US can reduce combined training as a concession to the north to in some misguided way seek reduced tension, those voices are undermining alliance deterrence.
Deterrence requires the physical demonstration of capabilities and effective messaging to communicate intention to fight and win in order to maintain deterrence. Right now both ROK and US messaging (and actions appear to be undermining deterrence.
Of course all deterrence rests on understanding the answer to these two questions: What deters Kim Jong Un from attacking the South? What deters Kim Jong Un from employing his nuclear weapons?
Editorial: Will U.S.-South Korea Training Be Scaled Down for Five-Year Term?
Government Faces Criticism for Scaling Back Exercises Amid North Korean Missile Provocations
https://www.chosun.com/english/opinion-en/2025/10/25/ZV4VTY2JI5BVBKIGVGKR4YR5FE/
By The Chosunilbo
Published 2025.10.25. 00:00
A Republic of Korea Air Force FA-50 fighter jet lands at Gwangju Air Base during the joint air exercise 'Freedom Flag' held last April. /News1
The U.S.-South Korea joint aerial exercise ‘Freedom Flag,’ originally scheduled to run for two weeks starting next week, has been shortened to one week. The first week’s schedule partially overlaps with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, and military training will not be conducted during this period to maintain combat readiness. The first week’s training will be carried out solely by the U.S. 7th Air Force.
The military previously postponed this month’s annual outdoor mobility training, ‘Homeland Training,’ to next month, also citing APEC. The Gyeongju APEC summit will be held for two days, from the 31st to the 1st of next month. Training was delayed even before the summit began. In August, about 20 out of around 40 joint outdoor mobility trainings were postponed due to ‘extreme heat.’ The military claimed the postponed trainings would be conducted last month, but two months later, less than half have been completed. Within the military, there are even comments that the remaining trainings might soon be delayed due to ‘cold waves.’
This government’s reduction and postponement of military trainings likely stems from its wariness of Kim Jong-un. The Lee Jae-myung government seeks dialogue with Kim Jong-un and anticipates a meeting between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un. Government officials openly state they will scale down joint trainings if North Korea desires. They refuse to do anything Kim Jong-un dislikes.
Contrary to the president’s hopes, North Korea launched a ballistic missile for the first time since this government took office. On the 19th, around 20 North Korean soldiers crossed south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) on the western front and retreated after South Korean warning shots. Regarding the ballistic missile provocation, the president said, “North Korean leader Kim Jong-un seems to have endured for a very long time.” Is he expressing gratitude?
The president has emphasized self-reliant defense, stating, “Thinking that self-defense is impossible without foreign troops is a submissive mindset.” Real combat training is fundamental to self-reliant defense. How can there be self-reliant defense with an undisciplined military that does not train? Negotiations with North Korea are important, but strong defense capabilities are necessary to enable dialogue. Negotiations and military readiness must be completely separated. If this trend continues, the government might cancel, reduce, or postpone military trainings throughout its five-year term.
· This article has been translated by Upstage Solar AI.
13. President Donald Trump Acknowledges North Korea as Nuclear Power
Hmmm.....Is this a concession and giving Kim what he wants. Let's understand the nature, objectives, and sraegy of the Kim family regime.
Kim Family Regime Strategy
-
Vital Interest: Survival of the Kim Family Regime
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Strategic Aim: Unification of the Peninsula
- Subversion, coercion, extortion, use of force
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Key Condition: Split the ROK/US Alliance
- US forces off the Peninsula
- “Divide and Conquer” – Divide the Alliance and conquer the ROK
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Desire: Recognition as "global"and nuclear power – negotiate SALT/START
- Nuclear weapons key to deterrence – Hwang Jong Yop
- nK believes US will not attack a nation with nuclear weapons
President Donald Trump Acknowledges North Korea as Nuclear Power
U.S. Refusal to Recognize Pyongyang's Status Faces New Scrutiny Amid Trump-Kim Meeting Speculation
https://www.chosun.com/english/world-en/2025/10/25/2GNMARFAKZAC3HNFNLE2N47CR4/
By Kim Ji-won
Published 2025.10.25. 15:55
Updated 2025.10.25. 16:51
U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un /Yonhap
U.S. President Donald Trump referred to North Korea as a “nuclear power.” This remark could be interpreted as a potential acknowledgment of North Korea’s status as a nuclear-armed state, sparking anticipated repercussions in the international community.
On the 24th, ahead of his Asia tour, President Trump responded to a question during a press conference aboard the presidential aircraft Air Force One about whether he would accept North Korea’s demand for recognition as a nuclear power. He stated, “They already have many nuclear weapons,” adding, “I’ll say that.”
This is not the first time Trump has used the term “nuclear power” in reference to North Korea. During his inauguration ceremony last January, he also described North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as a “nuclear power,” and has repeated the phrase since. At the time, the White House cautioned against overinterpreting the remark, stating it was merely an objective acknowledgment of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal. Diplomatic circles also speculated that Trump might not have fully grasped the precise definition of a “nuclear power” when making the statement.
However, today’s remarks are expected to cause significant controversy, as they directly address the question of recognizing North Korea’s nuclear status. The U.S. has long refused to officially recognize North Korea as a nuclear state and has adhered to the principle of denuclearization—a stance fundamentally at odds with such recognition.
Earlier in the day, Trump expressed his desire to meet with Chairman Kim during his upcoming visit to South Korea. When asked by reporters if he planned to meet Kim Jong-un, he replied, “I would like to meet,” adding, “I have gotten along with him very well.”
· This article has been translated by Upstage Solar AI.
14. Trump ‘would like’ to meet Kim Jong Un on Asia trip
POTUS' words are getting a lot of attention in Korea.
Trump ‘would like’ to meet Kim Jong Un on Asia trip
U.S. leader said Washington let Pyongyang know of Trump’s travel, no meeting set yet
https://www.nknews.org/2025/10/trump-would-like-to-meet-kim-jong-un-on-asia-trip/
Joon Ha Park October 25, 2025
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump shake hands at Panmunjom on June 30, 2019 | Image: Trump White House
U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday he “would like to” meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un next week, amid growing speculation about a possible encounter while the U.S. leader is in South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Cooperation (APEC) summit.
Trump made the remarks while speaking to reporters before departing for Malaysia, the first stop of his three-nation tour of Asia.
“I don’t know. We let him know. He knows that I’m going there. I would like to. I get along with him very well,” Trump told White House pool reporters when asked if he planned to meet Kim.
Trump is scheduled to arrive in South Korea on Oct. 29 and return to Washington the following day after holding bilateral meetings with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Yet, a U.S. official briefing reporters Friday said a meeting was “not on the schedule for this trip,” despite Trump having “expressed his willingness to meet with Kim Jong Un in the future.”
During a press gaggle aboard Air Force One en route to Malaysia, Trump reiterated that he was “open to” meeting Kim at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
“They have very little telephonic service, but he knows I’m coming and yeah, I’d be open. 100 percent,” Trump said.
The U.S. president also stated that he views North Korea as “sort of a nuclear power” in response to questions about Pyongyang’s insistence that it must be recognized as such to hold talks with Washington.
“I know how many weapons they have. I know everything about them, and I’ve had a very good relationship with Kim Jong Un,” he said.
“When you say they have to be recognized as a nuclear power, well, they’ve got a lot of nuclear weapons. I’ll say that.”
Kim declared in September that his country will “never, ever” give up its nuclear weapons but stands ready to discuss “peaceful coexistence” with the U.S. if it “discards its absurd obsession with denuclearization.”
“I still personally have good memories of current U.S. President Trump,” the North Korean leader said to the DPRK’s rubber-stamp parliament.
Trump’s reference to Pyongyang as a “nuclear power” is not new.
The U.S. president previously described North Korea that way just hours after taking the oath of office in January, and his Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, also referred to the DPRK as a “nuclear state” during his confirmation hearing.
In an interview with CNN released Thursday, Lee said it would be a “good thing” if Trump met Kim during his trip to Seoul. Trump also said during his August summit with Lee that he hopes to meet with Kim before the end of the year.
Trump and Kim last met in June 2019 at the Joint Security Area (JSA) in Panmunjom, just 32 hours after Trump publicly proposed the meeting on Twitter.
During that encounter, Trump briefly stepped across the inter-Korean border into North Korea, and the two leaders agreed to resume working-level talks — though negotiations broke down later that year.
On Monday, South Korea’s Unification Ministry announced it would suspend tours of the JSA “from late October to early November,” a move widely seen as an effort to clear the area for a potential second Trump-Kim meeting at Panmunjom.
Edited by Kristen Talman
15. Only acceptable end state: free and unified Korea, regardless of polls
Voices Oct. 24, 2025 / 1:44 PM
Only acceptable end state: free and unified Korea, regardless of polls
https://www.upi.com/Voices/2025/10/24/perspective-poll-reunification/1771761155073/
By David Maxwell
A woman looks through binoculars toward the North Korean side of the border from the Odusan observatory near the Demilitarized Zone in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, in August. File Photo by Jeon Heon-kyun/EPA
Oct. 24 (UPI) -- Public opinion polling in South Korea shows that a slim majority -- 51% -- believes unification with North Korea is "not necessary."
Commentators and political figures have seized on this as proof that unification is a fading dream.
But polling is not destiny, and it must never substitute for strategy, history, constitutional duty or national purpose. Korea's division was never chosen by the Korean people. It was imposed by outside powers, weaponized by a totalitarian regime and perpetuated by geopolitical inertia.
For the Republic of Korea, the United States and the Korean nation as a whole, there remains only one acceptable end state: a free and unified Korea.
Related
Unification is not a romantic concept. It is a security necessity, a moral imperative, a constitutional mandate and a strategic requirement. To abandon it because of shifting public sentiment would be shortsighted, dangerous and ultimately self-defeating.
Polls measure mood, not meaning, principles or strategy
Polls reflect the present emotional climate, not a nation's long-term interests or obligations. South Koreans in their 20s and 30s have known only prosperity, deterrence and a frozen status quo.
The North feels distant, abstract and inconvenient -- something to be "managed" rather than solved. A single number in a single poll cannot outweigh the facts of history, identity and national security.
Even more importantly, when we measure the Korean nation, not just the South, the picture changes entirely. There are approximately 78 million Koreans on the peninsula with 52 million in South, while there are 26 million trapped in the North without a voice or a vote.
They are part of the same Korean nation. If even a fraction of them desires liberation and eventual unification -- and decades of escapee testimony confirms they do -- then the majority of the entire Korean people still support the idea of one Korea. A poll that excludes half the nation is at best incomplete and at worst misleading.
Ignorance is not informed consent
When I visited nine South Korean universities in 2023 and asked students why young people seem indifferent to unification, the answer was consistent: "We never learned about it."
After studying unification, human rights in the North and the strategic landscape, those very same students overwhelmingly told me they now supported unification and believed it was necessary for peace and prosperity.
This is the key point: Ignorance is not the same as opposition. Lack of interest reflects lack of education, not a settled national will.
This is precisely why the 2024 8.15 Unification Doctrine rightly includes a dedicated line of effort on education and narrative. If citizens do not understand the stakes -- the human suffering in the North, the constitutional mandate in the South and the strategic dangers of permanent division -- then polls will reflect apathy, not understanding. The answer is not surrender. The answer is education, leadership and clarity of purpose.
Reality will force unification decisions
History will not allow indefinite drift. One of three futures will occur:
• War and regime destruction -- If the North attacks, it will lose, the regime will be destroyed and the peninsula will require immediate political integration.
• Internal collapse without war -- Famine, elite fracture, succession crisis or internal revolt will force Korea and its allies to create a new governing structure over the entire peninsula.
• Change from within the North: New leadership, driven by the Korean people themselves, may seek peaceful unification when the truth becomes undeniable. Co-existence with a free and prosperous South is impossible for a regime built on terror, isolation and hereditary rule.
The regime could continue to "muddle through" as it has done for decades, but eventually one of the three scenarios will occur. In all three scenarios, the Republic of Korea will face the same question: Is Korea one nation or two? There is only one principled, constitutional, and strategically sound answer.
The moral indictment of "peaceful co-existence"
Some in the South sincerely believe peaceful coexistence is the more "realistic" path. But peaceful co-existence, as a permanent end state, means something very specific:
• Twenty-six million Koreans remain enslaved in a totalitarian system.
• Generations continue to be born without freedom, rights or truth.
• Gulags' (concentration camps') torture, songbun apartheid and systematic crimes against humanity continue indefinitely.
• The Kim regime retains nuclear weapons and coercive leverage over the entire region.
Coexistence is not peace. It is the normalization of evil. If the South says, "We are satisfied with two Koreas forever," it is also saying, "We accept the perpetual imprisonment of our own people." No morally serious nation can embrace that position and remain true to its founding principles or its own Constitution.
Constitutional mandate and strategic necessity
The ROK Constitution is unambiguous:
• Article 3: The territory of the Republic of Korea shall consist of the Korean peninsula and its adjacent islands.
• Article 4: The Republic of Korea shall seek unification and shall formulate and carry out a policy of peaceful unification based on the basic free and democratic order.
• Article 66(3): The president shall have the duty to pursue sincerely the peaceful unification of the homeland.
A South Korean president cannot swear to uphold the Constitution while rejecting unification.
Strategically, only unification can:
• End the north Korean nuclear threat at its source
• Remove the permanent war footing on the peninsula
• Prevent Chinese or Russian exploitation of a collapsing north
• Eliminate the world's most militarized border
• Free U.S. and ROK resources for regional and global missions
• Unlock massive economic and demographic gains for a unified nation
Division guarantees recurring crisis. Unification enables lasting security.
The only acceptable end state: The United Republic Of Korea
The objective must be clear: a secure, stable, non-nuclear, economically vibrant, liberal-democratic Korea -- a United Republic of Korea.
Planning must accelerate now in five areas:
• Governance and rule of law
• Security and stabilization
• Economic and infrastructure integration
• Information and narrative warfare
• Human rights and transitional justice
The question is not whether unification will be required, but whether the South and its allies will be ready.
Leadership, not polling, must guide national destiny
Public opinion is not fixed. It can be led, informed and inspired. What it cannot do is substitute for vision, strategy and moral courage. The role of leadership is not to follow polls, but to shape conditions so that the public can see the path to a better future.
The unification question is not ultimately about preference. It is about identity, duty, freedom and sovereignty.
Conclusion
A divided Korea guarantees permanent danger, permanent suffering and permanent instability. A unified Korea offers the only path to freedom for all Koreans, the only path to true peace and the only path to a region no longer held hostage by a rogue nuclear state.
We must therefore reject defeatism and re-anchor national purpose in a single strategic truth: Unification first, then denuclearization. The path to unification is through information and human rights.
David Maxwell is a retired U.S. Army Special Forces colonel who has spent more than 30 years in the Asia Pacific region. He specializes in Northeast Asian security affairs and irregular, unconventional and political warfare. He is vice president of the Center for Asia Pacific Strategy and a senior fellow at the Global Peace Foundation. After he retired, he became associate director of the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University. He is on the board of directors of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea and the OSS Society and is the editor at large for the Small Wars Journal.
De Oppresso Liber,
David Maxwell
Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy
Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation
Editor, Small Wars Journal
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
Phone: 202-573-8647
email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com
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