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Quotes of the Day:
“Everyone is a prisoner of his own experiences. No one can eliminate prejudices – just recognize them.”
– Edward R. Murrow
"Life is like playing a violin solo in public and learning the instrument as one goes on."
– Samuel Butler
"If the pen is mightier than the sword then words are weapons and we must learn to wield them well."
– G.K. Chesterton
1. A New Asian Bloc in the Making?
2. North Korea accuses Trump administration of ‘gambling’ on war after military drills
3. U.S. reaffirms commitment to working with S. Korea under acting President Han
4. Acting president calls for respecting Constitutional Court's decision on Yoon's impeachment
5. Hyundai to invest $21B in US as Trump touts tariff policy win
6. North Korea's suspected bitcoin holdings surpass Tesla's
7. UNHRC adopts final report on review of N. Korean human rights
8. Russia agrees to N.K. doctors' internships in Moscow hospitals, pharmaceuticals modernization
9. Ministry says S. Korea, U.S. consulting on high-level communication amid hopes for Han-Trump call
10. S. Korea expresses 'deep regret' over Japan's approval of textbooks distorting history
11. KAI, Korean Air make bids for Black Hawk helicopter upgrade project
12. Acting President Han, Alaska Gov. discuss energy cooperation
13. N. Korea doubles foreign currency quotas for overseas workers
14. N. Korean security ministry launches manhunt for missing reconstruction workers
15. North Korean troops sent to Russia included relatives of defectors: report
16. Emergency fundraiser looks to save North Korean human rights NGOs after US cuts
1. A New Asian Bloc in the Making?
Searching for the anchor?
Conclusion:
To be sure, nothing could come from the meeting in Tokyo. There is tension between the U.S. and its Asian allies: Japan has resisted U.S. demands to increase military spending, and South Korea resents being designated a “sensitive nation” – that is, a nation engaged in nuclear weapons development. And diplomatic actions are just gestures. Still, even gestures can have significant meanings. In this case, they suggest China has been forced to reconsider its geopolitical imperatives and move closer to the U.S. Either way, it’s further evidence that in an unanchored world, countries are searching for an anchor.
A New Asian Bloc in the Making?
By George Friedman -
March 24, 2025
Open as PDF
https://geopoliticalfutures.com/a-new-asian-bloc-in-the-making/?tpa=MjA1OTFmMjgyMzQ3Nzg5Y2M2NzIyZjE3NDM2OTUzOTg4Y2QwYzQ&mc_cid=4ef3c65801
Senior officials from China, South Korea and Japan will soon meet in Tokyo to try to establish a more formal relationship, replete with security and economic benefits. Informal talks had already been held between China and Japan, so it appears the two found enough to agree on in principle to proceed to the next level. In practice, it’s unclear what a partnership entails. Japan has said it wants to increase agriculture exports to China and to force North Korea to abandon its nuclear program. Naturally, the latter point brought South Korea into the talks.
Beijing is in a dangerous geopolitical position. The emerging U.S.-Russia entente leaves China in an isolated position at a time when its economy has weakened dramatically. Contrary to appearances, Russia and China have never been truly aligned. Russia has been a threat to China throughout history, and several wars have been fought between them. Not even the commonality of communism could unite them. Under Mao, China was outright hostile to Russia, which it accused of betraying communism during the Khrushchev era.
Geopolitically, Mao worried that a U.S.-Russia detente would preface a joint policy against China. So when Henry Kissinger visited China to open relations in the 1970s, heavy fighting broke out along the Russia-China border – a significant row that lasted several months. Russia meant for the attack to pose as a warning to China about what could happen if its relationship with the U.S. threatened Russian interests. China understood it as such.
China opened diplomatic relations with the United States shortly thereafter in a move that would prove critical to China’s eventual emergence as a global power. The Chinese economy was in shambles at the time of Mao’s death. His successor, Deng Xiaoping, passed a series of reforms that resurrected the Chinese economy, thanks in no small part to the U.S., which first allowed Chinese products into its massive market and later invested heavily in Chinese industry.
The problem was that this was not a sustainable process. China’s meteoric rise was accompanied by a commensurate surge in military power. And under President Xi Jinping, China’s rhetoric toward the U.S. has tended to be more hostile the worse the economy is. This rhetorical hostility, coupled with the post-COVID-19 economic downturn, has led to declining levels of U.S. investment in China, as well as to capital flight, which has triggered crises in banking and the economically vital real estate industry.
Meanwhile, China’s relationship with Russia stayed mostly the same. It didn’t see Moscow as a threat, but neither did it see it as an economic savior. China’s stance on the Ukraine war could be described as rigorously neutral; rather than siding with Russia after the invasion, it abstained from the United Nations vote to denounce it. China sold weapons to Russia but never deployed troops.
It’s possible that this status quo could change. For China, even the prospect of reconciliation between the U.S. and Russia is a nightmare. A two-pronged threat from Russia and the U.S. would put China in an untenable position, and because the extent of the possible reconciliation is unknown, China has to act fast. Thus followed the Chinese initiative to form an Asian security and economic bloc.
Japan and South Korea are military allies of the U.S., and both sides want to maintain the arrangement. China cannot join a bloc with Japan and South Korea without abandoning its military posture – including dropping its bluff to invade Taiwan. But with a possible U.S.-Russia entente, China’s future becomes uncertain, and being in a security relationship with two of the United States’ closest allies may make China much safer than without. And this is to say nothing of the economic opportunities that would be available to China from its new partners.
I have consistently written that, despite its gigantic military, China is not much of a military threat to the U.S. (So far, I’ve been right.) And a formal Asian grouping might soften the U.S. position on China. So unless South Korea and Japan want to fully break with the U.S. and become completely dependent on China for their defense, the U.S. has nothing to lose. In a best-case scenario, Japan and South Korea could have a moderating effect on China, since challenging the U.S. would put both countries at risk.
Tellingly, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who had not met with U.S. business leaders for two years, met with a delegation led by U.S. Senator Steve Daines that included the heads of Boeing, Qualcomm, Pfizer and Cargill. He did not meet with corporate heads of any other countries. A close Trump ally, Daines is on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and has done extensive business in China. The meeting might have been driven by China’s fears over U.S. tariffs, or it might be a sign that Japan and South Korea are less motivated by forging a local arrangement and more by moving into a different relationship with the United States.
To be sure, nothing could come from the meeting in Tokyo. There is tension between the U.S. and its Asian allies: Japan has resisted U.S. demands to increase military spending, and South Korea resents being designated a “sensitive nation” – that is, a nation engaged in nuclear weapons development. And diplomatic actions are just gestures. Still, even gestures can have significant meanings. In this case, they suggest China has been forced to reconsider its geopolitical imperatives and move closer to the U.S. Either way, it’s further evidence that in an unanchored world, countries are searching for an anchor.
George Friedman
https://geopoliticalfutures.com/author/gfriedman/
George Friedman is an internationally recognized geopolitical forecaster and strategist on international affairs and the founder and chairman of Geopolitical Futures.
Dr. Friedman is also a New York Times bestselling author. His most recent book, THE STORM BEFORE THE CALM: America’s Discord, the Coming Crisis of the 2020s, and the Triumph Beyond, published February 25, 2020 describes how “the United States periodically reaches a point of crisis in which it appears to be at war with itself, yet after an extended period it reinvents itself, in a form both faithful to its founding and radically different from what it had been.” The decade 2020-2030 is such a period which will bring dramatic upheaval and reshaping of American government, foreign policy, economics, and culture.
His most popular book, The Next 100 Years, is kept alive by the prescience of its predictions. Other best-selling books include Flashpoints: The Emerging Crisis in Europe, The Next Decade, America’s Secret War, The Future of War and The Intelligence Edge. His books have been translated into more than 20 languages.
Dr. Friedman has briefed numerous military and government organizations in the United States and overseas and appears regularly as an expert on international affairs, foreign policy and intelligence in major media. For almost 20 years before resigning in May 2015, Dr. Friedman was CEO and then chairman of Stratfor, a company he founded in 1996. Friedman received his bachelor’s degree from the City College of the City University of New York and holds a doctorate in government from Cornell University.
2. North Korea accuses Trump administration of ‘gambling’ on war after military drills
Political warfare and blackmail diplomacy.
Recognize it. Understand it. Expose it, Attack it.
North Korea accuses Trump administration of ‘gambling’ on war after military drills
Stars and Stripes · by David Choi · March 25, 2025
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un invites President Donald Trump to step across the border during a meeting at the Joint Security Area of the Demilitarized Zone, June 30, 2019. (White House)
President Donald Trump’s administration is “gambling” on a potential war with Pyongyang by transforming his predecessor’s policy on North Korea into something more “vicious,” North Korea’s state-run news agency said Tuesday.
Freedom Shield — a country-wide, 11-day military exercise by the U.S. and South Korea that ended Thursday — “cannot be seen as a simple follow-up or repetition” of previous drills, according to the Korean Central News Agency.
More than 12,500 South Korean troops participated and over 1,000 sorties were flown during the exercise, according to South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense and U.S. Forces Korea.
Despite Pyongyang’s protests over what it called “warlike” training, U.S. and South Korean officials describe Freedom Shield as a defensive exercise covering land, air, sea and cyberspace to prepare for potential North Korean aggression. A second large-scale annual exercise, Ulchi Freedom Shield, is typically held in August.
Earlier this month, Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, accused the Trump administration of continuing former President Joe Biden’s “hostile policy” against Pyongyang.
Washington’s approach is “sufficient justification for [North Korea] to indefinitely bolster its nuclear war deterrent,” she said in a March 2 KCNA report.
Two months into his second term, Trump has not publicly commented on any potential policy shifts toward North Korea.
During a March 13 meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Trump told reporters he had “a great relationship” with Kim and claimed he had prevented “a nuclear war” through negotiations with the North Korean leader during his first term.
Trump and Kim held their first summit in Singapore in 2018, followed by a second in Vietnam the following year. They also met at the Demilitarized Zone dividing North and South Korea in 2019.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, after a Feb. 15 meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, “reaffirmed America’s commitment to the complete denuclearization of [North Korea] while expressing the Trump administration’s openness to dialogue,” according to a State Department news release.
The Biden administration also sought North Korea’s denuclearization while offering Kim a chance to negotiate.
North Korea has conducted three days of ballistic missile tests so far this year. It last fired an unspecified number of ballistic missiles toward the Yellow Sea on March 10, the start of Freedom Shield, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.
David Choi
David Choi
David Choi is based in South Korea and reports on the U.S. military and foreign policy. He served in the U.S. Army and California Army National Guard. He graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Stars and Stripes · by David Choi · March 25, 2025
3. U.S. reaffirms commitment to working with S. Korea under acting President Han
U.S. reaffirms commitment to working with S. Korea under acting President Han | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · March 25, 2025
SEOUL, March 25 (Yonhap) -- The United States reaffirmed its commitment to working with South Korea under acting President Han Duck-soo, Han's office said Tuesday, in the first message from Washington after Han was reinstated.
"The U.S. is committed to working with Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and the ROK Government. We are confident in the democratic resilience of the ROK and the Korean People," the message from the White House read, as released by Han's office.
ROK is South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea.
South Korea's Constitutional Court ruled Monday to dismiss Han's impeachment 87 days after the National Assembly voted for the motion over his alleged role in suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol's Dec. 3 declaration of martial law.
This photo shows acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo speaking at a ministers' meeting on March 25, 2025. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
elly@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · March 25, 2025
4. Acting president calls for respecting Constitutional Court's decision on Yoon's impeachment
Acting president calls for respecting Constitutional Court's decision on Yoon's impeachment | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Haye-ah · March 25, 2025
By Lee Haye-ah
SEOUL, March 25 (Yonhap) -- Acting President Han Duck-soo called on the nation Tuesday to respect the Constitutional Court's decision on suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment regardless of the outcome.
Han issued the call during a meeting with public safety-related ministers and officials, as the court is expected to rule soon on whether to uphold or dismiss Yoon's impeachment over his brief imposition of martial law in December.
"Regardless of the outcome of the Constitutional Court's decision, it must be respected as a legal judgment made in line with democratic procedures," the acting president said. "Moreover, it must be a starting point for our society to unite beyond division and confrontation."
Han pleaded with the public to express their opinions in an orderly and peaceful manner within the boundaries set by the Constitution and the law, noting there are growing concerns about illegal and violent acts taking place during rallies and protests surrounding the ruling.
"The government will do its best to protect the people's lives and safety and to maintain order," he said, vowing to mobilize the full range of police and administrative power to ensure public safety under any circumstance.
In the event of a challenge to law enforcement, such as the destruction of facilities, violence or arson, Han said the government will take firm action, including by detaining suspects on the spot.
Acting President Han Duck-soo speaks during a meeting with trade-related ministers at the government complex in Seoul on March 25, 2025, in this photo provided by his office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
hague@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Haye-ah · March 25, 2025
5. Hyundai to invest $21B in US as Trump touts tariff policy win
Another way to look at this is that the Administration was pushing on an open door. South Korea was more than ready to cooperate. They understand President Trump's intent and methodology and did not need to be coerced into making a deal which is win-win for both the US and Korea. But for President Trump it must be couched as a win for his policies.
Hyundai to invest $21B in US as Trump touts tariff policy win
https://www.chosun.com/english/industry-en/2025/03/25/QM5KEYQJGZEXFLKWQ72C4VL2KI/
Expansion aims to localize steel production and strengthen US operations ahead of new trade measures
By Kim Eun-joong (Washington),
Park Su-hyeon
Published 2025.03.25. 15:29
Updated 2025.03.25. 16:24
Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Eui-sun said on March 24 that the South Korean automaker will invest $21 billion in the United States over the next four years, including the construction of an electric arc furnace steel plant as part of its North American expansion.
Speaking at the White House alongside U.S. President Donald Trump, Chung said Hyundai’s investment is its largest-ever in the country and aims to strengthen its supply chain for steel and auto parts.
Trump welcomed the move, saying it was proof that his tariff policies were working.
“The tariffs are bringing them in at levels that have not been witnessed. Hyundai will be producing steel in America and making its cars in America,” he said. “As a result, they will not have to pay any tariffs. You know, there are no tariffs if you make your product in America. ... That’s why so many people are coming.”
The announcement comes just ahead of Trump’s planned implementation of “reciprocal tariffs” on April 2.
Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Eui-sun speaks as U.S. President Donald Trump, second from right, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, left, and Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry look on in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, on March 24, 2025./AP-Yonhap
Hyundai’s investment includes $8.6 billion for vehicle production, $6.1 billion for parts and logistics—including steel—and $6.3 billion for future energy industries. The company will expand production capacity at its electric vehicle plant in Savannah, Georgia, from 300,000 to 500,000 units annually, bringing its total U.S. output to 1.2 million vehicles per year.
As part of its efforts to localize auto parts production, Hyundai Steel will build a 2.7-million-ton electric arc furnace plant in Louisiana. The facility will focus on producing low-carbon steel for Hyundai’s U.S. factories, ensuring supply amid Trump’s 25% tariff on foreign-made steel, imposed on March 12. Louisiana is also the home state of House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican leader who attended the announcement alongside Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry.
U.S. President Donald Trump, flanked by U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, left, and Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, right, speaks in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, March 24, 2025. /AFP-Yonhap
Chung emphasized Hyundai’s commitment to bolstering American manufacturing.
“Today, I am pleased to announce an additional $21 billion in new investment over the next four years—our largest U.S. investment ever. A key part of this commitment is our $6 billion investment to strengthen the U.S. supply chain for steel and parts for automobiles,” he said.
“We are especially excited about Hyundai Steel’s multibillion (dollar) investment in a new facility in Louisiana, which will create 1,300 American jobs and serve as a foundation for a more self-reliant and secure automotive supply chain in the U.S.,” he added.
Chung also pledged to purchase $3 billion worth of U.S.-produced liquefied natural gas to support the country’s energy industry and enhance energy security.
“I’d like to personally invite you to visit one of our state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities and see firsthand our commitment to the United States and American workers,” Chung told Trump.
Trump responded, “Okay.”
Later, during a Q&A session with reporters in the room, Trump said that Hyundai would not face permitting issues under his administration.
“If you have any trouble getting permits—which you won’t—come see me. I will get it for you. All right? But you are not gonna have any trouble,” Trump said.
The Hyundai emblem is seen on a vehicle at a sales lot in Miami, Florida, on March 24, 2025./AFP-Yonhap
Earlier this year, Hyundai Motor Group announced a record 24.3 trillion won ($18 billion) investment in mobility innovation, focusing on South Korea as a global hub for future technologies. The investment, a 19% increase from 2024, includes 11.5 trillion won for research and development, 12 trillion won for capital expenditures, and 800 billion won for strategic investments.
A Hyundai spokesperson said in a separate statement that the company aims to create future opportunities through bold investments, developing in-house technologies, and forming strategic partnerships with top-tier global firms.
6. North Korea's suspected bitcoin holdings surpass Tesla's
Elon Musk can't let Kim Jong Un win. Let's see some real strategic competition here. Time to claw back Kim's bitcoin.
North Korea's suspected bitcoin holdings surpass Tesla's
https://www.chosun.com/english/north-korea-en/2025/03/24/N6MSIS7M6RE2FOBJIEVQ3GDWYQ/
By Bang Jae-hyuk,
Kim Mi-geon
Published 2025.03.24. 14:02
Bitcoin prices are displayed on a signboard at the Bithumb Lounge in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on Mar. 4. /News1
North Korea’s suspected bitcoin reserves—reportedly amassed through cyberattacks by state-linked hacker groups—have surpassed those held by Tesla, according to recent cryptocurrency data.
On Mar. 23 (local time), CoinDesk reported, citing blockchain intelligence firm Arkham Intelligence, that the Lazarus Group, a hacking organization believed to be tied to North Korea, currently controls 13,441 bitcoins. The holdings are valued at approximately $1.14 billion (about 1.67 trillion won).
By comparison, Tesla, led by CEO Elon Musk, holds 11,509 bitcoins, making North Korea’s stash roughly 16% larger. Tesla is currently the fourth-largest bitcoin-holding publicly traded company in the world.
The growth in North Korea’s bitcoin reserves appears to be linked to the recent hack of Bybit, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges. The platform was breached on Feb. 21, resulting in the theft of approximately $1.46 billion (about 2.1 trillion won) in digital assets. The Lazarus Group is suspected to be behind the attack.
While most of the stolen assets were in Ethereum, North Korea is believed to have converted a significant portion into bitcoin shortly after the breach.
The report comes as U.S. President Donald Trump reaffirmed his pledge last week to make the United States both a global superpower and the world’s cryptocurrency capital. CoinDesk noted rising interest in how North Korea’s cyber operations may respond to the shifting geopolitical and digital currency landscape.
The U.S. government currently holds 198,109 bitcoins—worth more than $16 billion (about 23 trillion won)—seized through various money laundering investigations. Trump is reportedly exploring a cryptocurrency reserve strategy centered around these assets.
bitcoin
7. UNHRC adopts final report on review of N. Korean human rights
We need a human rights upfront approach.
Excerpts:
At the session, South Korean Ambassador to Geneva Yun Seong-deok voiced regret that the North rejected nearly half of the 294 recommendations made by the member states, urging Pyongyang to accept and implement them.
Yun voiced deep concern over the negative impact of the North's militarization on human rights, calling for the immediate release of three detained South Korean missionaries and resolving issues related to abductees, detainees and prisoners of war "without delay."
Yun also expressed concern over the inhumane treatment of North Korean defectors who were forcibly repatriated and called for all member states to abide by the international principle of not forcing refugees back to countries where they face the risk of persecution, known as the principle of non-refoulement.
UNHRC adopts final report on review of N. Korean human rights | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · March 25, 2025
SEOUL, March 25 (Yonhap) -- The U.N. Human Rights Council (UNHRC) adopted Tuesday the final report of its regular review of North Korea's human rights situation, urging the reclusive regime to implement its recommendations to improve human rights conditions for its people.
The report on the universal periodic review (UPR) was adopted at the 58th session of the UNHRC in Geneva, about four months after Pyongyang underwent its fourth UPR in November last year for the current 2022-27 cycle, Seoul's foreign ministry said.
The UPR is a mechanism established by the UNHRC in 2008 to conduct a periodic human rights review of all U.N. member states by their peers every 4.5 years.
At the session, South Korean Ambassador to Geneva Yun Seong-deok voiced regret that the North rejected nearly half of the 294 recommendations made by the member states, urging Pyongyang to accept and implement them.
Yun voiced deep concern over the negative impact of the North's militarization on human rights, calling for the immediate release of three detained South Korean missionaries and resolving issues related to abductees, detainees and prisoners of war "without delay."
Yun also expressed concern over the inhumane treatment of North Korean defectors who were forcibly repatriated and called for all member states to abide by the international principle of not forcing refugees back to countries where they face the risk of persecution, known as the principle of non-refoulement.
South Korean Ambassador to Geneva Yun Seong-deok (C) speaks during the U.N. Human Rights Council's universal periodic review of North Korea in Geneva, on Nov. 8, 2024, in this file photo provided by the South Korean Permanent Mission to Geneva. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
elly@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · March 25, 2025
8. Russia agrees to N.K. doctors' internships in Moscow hospitals, pharmaceuticals modernization
Russia agrees to N.K. doctors' internships in Moscow hospitals, pharmaceuticals modernization | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Park Boram · March 25, 2025
SEOUL, March 25 (Yonhap) -- Russia has agreed to continue North Korean doctors' internships in Moscow hospitals and assist the North in modernizing its pharmaceutical products, including antibiotics, the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang said Tuesday.
The Russian Embassy disclosed the agreement on its Facebook account, citing Ambassador to North Korea Alexandr Matsegora's meeting with Vice Public Health Minister Jon Sol-ryong the previous day.
Jon returned to North Korea on Monday after his visit to Russia, accompanied by a working-level delegation from his ministry, to discuss bilateral cooperation on public health.
The embassy said that during Jon's visit, Russia agreed to allow doctors from Pyongyang to continue their internships at top medical centers in Moscow in various fields, including cardiology and oncology.
Moscow also agreed to assist in the modernization of North Korean pharmaceuticals, particularly the production of modern antibiotics, according to the embassy.
Both sides also discussed creating new medical institutions in North Korea, while Pyongyang expressed its willingness to share information regarding its medicine, the embassy noted, adding that Jon agreed to maintain contacts to implement the agreements.
This image of Vice Public Health Minister Jon Sol-ryong (L) shaking hands with Russian Ambassador to North Korea Alexandr Matsegora is captured from the Russian Embassy's Facebook account on March 25, 2025. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yohhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Park Boram · March 25, 2025
9. Ministry says S. Korea, U.S. consulting on high-level communication amid hopes for Han-Trump call
Maybe the chances for a call have increased after the Hyundai deal announcement.
Ministry says S. Korea, U.S. consulting on high-level communication amid hopes for Han-Trump call | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Park Boram · March 25, 2025
SEOUL, March 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's foreign ministry said Tuesday that Seoul and Washington are holding working-level discussions on "high-level communications" amid expectations the reinstatement of acting President Han Duck-soo may lead to his first phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump.
The ministry's spokesperson, Lee Jae-woong, disclosed the move during a press briefing a day after the Constitutional Court rejected Han's impeachment, nearly three months after he was impeached in connection with President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived martial law imposition on Dec. 3.
Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok, who had been serving as acting president until Monday, had not held any phone calls with Trump since his return to the presidency in January, apparently due to the leadership vacuum.
When asked about the possibility of a phone call between Han and Trump, Lee said, "Both South Korea and the U.S. share the importance of high-level communications."
"For this, consultations are under way between (the two countries') working-level personnel," he said.
The foreign ministry's spokesperson, Lee Jae-woong, speaks during a press briefing in Seoul on March 18, 2025. (Yonhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Park Boram · March 25, 2025
10. S. Korea expresses 'deep regret' over Japan's approval of textbooks distorting history
One step forward. Two steps back.
(LEAD) S. Korea expresses 'deep regret' over Japan's approval of textbooks distorting history | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · March 25, 2025
(ATTN: ADDS details from 6th para)
SEOUL, March 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Tuesday voiced "deep regret" after Japan approved high school textbooks distorting historical facts on its easternmost islets of Dokdo, urging Tokyo to correct the issue.
Kim Sang-hoon, director general for Asia-Pacific affairs at Seoul's foreign ministry, lodged the complaint as he called in Taisuke Mibae, minister at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, in protest of the announcement.
"The government expresses deep regret over the Japanese government's approval of high school textbooks that distort historical facts based on its own historical perspective, and we strongly urge Japan to rectify this issue," ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong said in a commentary.
The ministry strongly protested that the Japanese government's repeated approval of textbooks containing unjust claims over Dokdo -- South Korea's inherent territory historically, geographically and by international law.
"We firmly state that we do not accept any claims by Japan regarding Dokdo," Lee said.
Taisuke Mibae, minister at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, enters the foreign ministry building in Seoul, after Japan approved its high school textbooks containing distorted claims to South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo, in this photo taken March 25, 2025. (Yonhap)
Dokdo has long been a recurring source of tension between the two neighbors, as Tokyo continues to make the sovereignty claims in its policy papers, public statements and school textbooks.
South Korea maintains a small police detachment on the islets, effectively controlling them.
The ministry also denounced Tokyo for allowing textbooks to contain descriptions diluting the coercive nature of wartime forced labor and sexual slavery by the Japanese imperial army during World War II.
"We urge Japan to sincerely uphold and implement the spirit of apology and atonement that it has expressed regarding historical issues," Lee said.
"A future-oriented relationship must be built on a correct understanding of history. We expect the Japanese government to take a responsible approach in educating future generations," he added.
elly@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · March 25, 2025
11. KAI, Korean Air make bids for Black Hawk helicopter upgrade project
KAI, Korean Air make bids for Black Hawk helicopter upgrade project | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · March 25, 2025
SEOUL, March 25 (Yonhap) -- Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI) and Korean Air Lines Co. have submitted bids for the military's project to upgrade its Black Hawk helicopters, the state arms procurement agency said Tuesday.
The 961.3 billion-won (US$654 million) project seeks to upgrade the UH/HH-60 choppers introduced to the South Korean military in the 1990s, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).
KAI, the country's sole aircraft manufacturer, has partnered with U.S. defense company Sikorsky Aircraft, the developer of the Black Hawk, and South Korean defense company Hanwha Systems. Korean Air, South Korea's national carrier, has joined hands with South Korean defense company LIG Nex1 Co. and others.
DAPA plans to announce the project's preferred bidder late next month after reviewing the proposals.
UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters move in formation in combined drills with U.S. troops at a training range in Incheon, just west of Seoul, on March 19, 2025. (Yonhap)
yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · March 25, 2025
12. Acting President Han, Alaska Gov. discuss energy cooperation
Acting President Han, Alaska Gov. discuss energy cooperation | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Eun-jung · March 25, 2025
SEOUL, March 25 (Yonhap) -- Acting President Han Duck-soo held a meeting with Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Tuesday during which they discussed ways to expand cooperation in energy and other sectors, Han's office said.
The meeting came as the United States seeks South Korea's involvement in its stalled US$44 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) pipeline project, which U.S. President Donald Trump has called on South Korea and other Asian nations to participate in.
South Korea "is Alaska's largest trading partner and I hope that economic cooperation, including in energy, will continue to expand in the future," Han said in a statement.
Han also addressed Trump's interest in areas such as shipbuilding, expressing hope that the bilateral alliance will continue to grow under the new U.S. administration.
Dunleavy said he hopes the visit would lead to productive discussions on further developing energy cooperation, including Alaska's LNG project, according to the office.
13. N. Korea doubles foreign currency quotas for overseas workers
The Korean people continue to suffer and sacrifice for the regime.
N. Korea doubles foreign currency quotas for overseas workers - Daily NK English
North Korean workers have no recourse to protest the state's exploitation of their earnings
By Jeong Tae Joo - March 25, 2025
dailynk.com · by Jeong Tae Joo · March 25, 2025
FILE PHOTO: North Korean women leaving a customs office in Dandong, Liaoning Province, China. (Daily NK)
North Korea has doubled the foreign currency quotas required from workers sent overseas. This change will likely force North Korean laborers abroad to endure even harsher working conditions.
“North Korea ordered monthly quotas for construction workers in Russia’s Sakhalin to double from 62,000 rubles per person,” a Daily NK source in Russia said recently. “Because of this order, laborers are being forced to work even longer hours to meet the quota.”
The situation is similar in the Chinese city of Dalian. A source in China reported that North Korean workers in Dalian seafood processing plants “had their foreign currency quotas doubled following a March 10 order from North Korea.”
“Workers now face an even heavier burden due to North Korea demanding they pay double the previous monthly amount of 3,400 yuan per person,” the source added.
According to sources in both Russia and China, North Korea is demanding increased “loyalty money” from overseas workers, citing this year as the “final year of the Eighth Party Congress.”
The North Korean authorities told companies managing laborers in Sakhalin and Dalian that the order represents a “patriotic movement to earn foreign currency to make the final year of the Eighth Party Congress shine as a great celebration of victory.”
To meet these increased state payments, North Korean laborers in Sakhalin and Dalian must work longer hours.
“The government already takes most of what North Korean construction workers earn, so saving money was already difficult,” the Russian source said. “Now that authorities have doubled the loyalty cash quota for the ‘final year of the Party Congress,’ workers complain they won’t see a penny even if they work themselves to death.”
The Chinese source said North Korean workers “had planned to work for two or three years and return home after saving enough to get married, but because of these ‘loyalty cash’ payments, they worry they’ll never be able to return with enough savings.”
North Korean workers have no recourse to protest the state’s exploitation of their earnings. Chinese citizens who witness their situation often express sympathy.
“Young female North Korean workers must obey their supervisors and endure without proper compensation,” the Chinese source said. “Chinese people who are aware of the North Korean workers’ miserable circumstances feel very sorry for them.”
Read in Korean
dailynk.com · by Jeong Tae Joo · March 25, 2025
14. N. Korean security ministry launches manhunt for missing reconstruction workers
Indicator of resistance potential.
Some Koreans in the north follow the common sense practical advice of the OSS Simple Sabotage manual.
N. Korean security ministry launches manhunt for missing reconstruction workers - Daily NK English
Authorities classify disappearance as political incident as search intensifies for workers who shared pattern of claiming illness before vanishing
By Jeong Seo-yeong - March 25, 2025
dailynk.com · by Jeong Seo-yeong · March 25, 2025
Rodong Sinmun reported July 29, 2024, that State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong Un personally visited flood-damaged areas in Sinuiju and Uiju county, North Pyongan province, the previous day (July 28). Kim directly supervised rescue and evacuation efforts for residents in disaster-stricken areas and regions at risk of flooding due to heavy rains. (Rodong Sinmun-News1)
North Korea is conducting a serious investigation after reports that more than 10 workers mobilized for reconstruction efforts following deadly floods in North Pyongan province last year have gone missing.
A source in the province told Daily NK recently that the Ministry of State Security only learned about the workers’ disappearance in late February when briefed by the provincial state security bureau.
“The leaders of the ‘shock troop’ unit from which workers disappeared are in serious trouble for being too afraid to report the incident promptly,” the source said.
According to the report from the provincial state security bureau, the missing shock troop members were evenly divided between men and women.
The missing workers shared a common pattern: all had suddenly complained of being too ill to work. Some were sent home on medical leave; initially they told their managers they needed more time for treatment before eventually stopping all communication. Others simply vanished from the workplace without permission.
The report also noted that most of the missing workers had been assigned to shock troops because they had difficulty adapting to organizational life and needed additional indoctrination. Similar issues were reported for workers who had lost their parents and were sent to the shock troops immediately after graduating from orphanages.
After receiving the report, the Ministry of State Security immediately distributed the list of missing workers to state security departments nationwide and ordered agents to locate them by the end of the month. The ministry also directed that any individuals whose whereabouts remained unknown should be officially classified as missing.
“Municipal and county state security departments where the missing workers are registered are treating this as a serious loss for the state. They’re determined to track down these workers,” the source said.
The source reported hearing state security agents make comments such as: “Even considering these workers are quite young, disappearing without a trace from a state-managed shock troop unit is a serious matter.” “Their disappearance should be viewed as a political issue.” “We’ll need to conduct a thorough investigation considering all possibilities, including that the workers fled, had an accident, or encountered hostile elements.”
Civilians learned about the workers’ disappearance while state security agents were following leads about their location.
“Shock troops don’t perform ordinary labor—they risk their lives. It’s not surprising that some people would escape when they’re working so hard without enough food,” the source quoted one individual as saying.
Read in Korean
dailynk.com · by Jeong Seo-yeong · March 25, 2025
15. North Korean troops sent to Russia included relatives of defectors: report
This is a Google translation of an RFA report.
North Korean troops sent to Russia included relatives of defectors: report
Family members of North Korean defectors often face severe penalties imposed by Pyongyang.
By Taejun Kang for RFA
https://www.rfa.org/english/korea/2025/03/25/north-korea-defector-family-russia-troop/
2025.03.25
A North Korean soldier with red tape on his leg, used to identify North Korean soldiers, fires at a Ukrainian drone attack. (Ukrainian Special Operations Forces)
TAIPEI, Taiwan – Some of the thousands of soldiers North Korea sent to Russia to fight in Moscow’s war against Ukraine were family members of defectors and other people with “issues” in the North, South Korean media reported.
Candidates were selected primarily from troops belonging to North Korea’s Storm Corps, a special forces unit, in October of last year, Seoul-based Sand Times reported on Monday, citing a source inside the North.
But during this process, some personnel who had been disciplined for offenses during military service, as well as those from “complex social backgrounds” were also included, the report said.
People with “complex social backgrounds” refers to families of defectors who have fled to countries such as South Korea or China, according to the report.
Family members of North Korean defectors often face severe consequences imposed by the state, including intense surveillance, forced relocation to remote areas, imprisonment in labor camps, or even public execution, especially if the defector is seen as politically significant or has shared sensitive information.
The North punishes families under the principle of guilt by association, holding them responsible for the actions of their relatives who fled the country. In some cases, families may also face social ostracism and lose access to education and employment, according to testimonies from defectors.
Separately, the source told Sand Times that death notices for North Korean soldiers who died after being deployed began to be delivered to their families at the end of November last year.
South Korea and the U.S. estimate that Pyongyang has sent as many as 12,000 troops to serve in Russia’s Kursk region, which was partly occupied by a Ukrainian counteroffensive.
Ukraine said that about 4,000 of them had been killed or wounded. Its leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy estimated that an additional 20,000 to 25,000 North Korean soldiers could be sent to Russia. Neither Russia nor North Korea has acknowledged the presence of the North Korean troops on the battlefield.
“The bodies of the fallen soldiers started arriving in the homeland via trains from Moscow to Pyongyang,” the source said, adding that funerals were conducted secretly as soon as the bodies arrived.
North Korean authorities instructed the bereaved families not to disclose the deaths and to remain quiet without expressing grief, the source said.
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In February, Radio Free Asia reported that North Korean authorities had threatened to punish citizens who spread “rumors” about the country’s soldiers dying in Russia’s war against Ukraine and ordered people to report such incidents.
State media has not reported that North Korean troops are fighting in Russia, but news of the deployment has spread by word of mouth – including reports that some have died and their bodies have not been returned.
But the source told Sand Times that news related to the deployment to Russia is rapidly spreading among North Korean residents, fueling growing discontent despite Pyongyang’s efforts to suppress it.
A French travel blogger who was among the first group of Western tourists to visit North Korea in five years told RFA that his tour guides knew that the country’s soldiers were fighting in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Edited by Mike Firn and Stephen Wright.
16. Emergency fundraiser looks to save North Korean human rights NGOs after US cuts
Emergency fundraiser looks to save North Korean human rights NGOs after US cuts
US-based nonprofit says it aims to provide ‘bridge’ for South Korean NGOs as cuts threaten ‘entire ecosystem’
https://www.nknews.org/2025/03/emergency-fundraiser-looks-to-save-north-korean-human-rights-ngos-after-us-cuts/
Ifang Bremer March 25, 2025
A North Korean woman carrying her child on her back | Image: NK News (2010)
A U.S.-based nonprofit has started an emergency fundraiser to save South Korean nongovernmental organizations working on North Korean human rights, after Washington’s cuts to foreign aid programs triggered a major funding crisis.
In a statement, Liberty in North Korea (LiNK) said the cuts under President Donald Trump “threaten the entire ecosystem of groups working for the rights and freedom of North Korean people.”
“Life-changing programs and decades of progress inside and outside North Korea are at risk of being undone,” LiNK claimed.
The fundraiser identifies four “key NGOs in crisis” that stand to benefit from the donations: Database Center for North Korean Human Rights, Citizens’ Alliance for North Korean Human Rights, the Unification Media Group that publishes Daily NK and the defector-led organization Woorion.
The crisis comes after the U.S. Treasury Department froze funds of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) — the nonprofit that distributes grants from an annual congressional appropriation and one of the main organizations funding North Korean human rights groups.
The U.S. also recently dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and stopped funding for the State Department’s Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Bureau, which also provides funding to organizations working on North Korea issues.
Before the freeze, Elon Musk, tasked by President Donald Trump with cutting government spending under the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), called NED an “evil organization” that “needs to be dissolved.”
Since then, NED partially regained access to its funds, but the North Korean human rights movement is still facing uncertainties.
“Even though NED’s funding pipeline has been partially turned back on, it doesn’t seem like that has flowed through to the NGOs on the ground yet,” Sokeel Park of LiNK told NK News.
The activist explained that the “unprecedented circumstances” NGOs are facing prompted LiNK to step in and help. But he said the fundraiser is not meant to be a lasting solution but a “bridge” to help the NGOs survive.
“We can’t step in and replace the U.S. government, of course. Groups are going to have to either find their own sustainable ways, which is probably a combination of reducing their costs and trying to find some alternative funding and hopefully at some point actually receiving NED or State Department funds again.”
LiNK itself finds itself in a “different funding situation,” Park said, explaining that the U.S.-based group has relied on private donations since the start.
By contrast, on a recent NK News podcast, Joanna Hosaniak of the Citizen’s Alliance for North Korean Human Rights said political sensitivities in South Korea make private donors hesitant to give to groups working on North Korea issues.
Last month, the U.N. special envoy for North Korean human rights voiced concern that the funding crisis hitting nongovernmental organizations will negatively impact efforts to address abuses in the country.
Beyond cutting funding for NGOs, the Trump administration has also dismantled the operations of Voice of America and cut funding for Radio Free Asia, the main government-backed outlets seeking to spread information to citizens living under repressive regimes.
Experts told NK News that the move deals a major blow to efforts to deliver news of the outside world to information-starved North Koreans.
Edited by Bryan Betts
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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