Informal Institute for National Security Thinkers and Practitioners

Quotes of the Day:

"In unconventional warfare, the terrain is not just geographical; it's psychological, cultural, and societal. Success hinges on mastering these dimensions."

- Unknown

"Unconventional warfare is a mindset as much as it is a set of tactics. It's about leveraging asymmetrical advantages to achieve strategic objectives."

- Unknown

"Unconventional warfare is not about brute force; it's about finesse. It's the art of achieving strategic goals through unconventional means."

- Unknown

1. N. Korea denounces U.S. condemnation of human rights violations

2. Blinken calls on China to press N. Korea to end its 'dangerous' behavior

3. S. Korea, U.S. lay out respective visions for new defense cost-sharing deal: U.S. negotiator

4. Defense cost-sharing deal reflects shared commitment to 'robust' S. Korea-U.S. defense posture: Pentagon

5. N. Korea reaffirms plan to bolster space reconnaissance capabilities

6. Changchun police to update personal information of N. Korean defectors living with Chinese men

7. High-resolution satellite imagery confirms demolition of Arch of Reunification

8. Many high school graduates in N. Korea face barriers to getting higher education

9. Forced repatriations of N. Korean defectors in China continue into this year

10. Annual hunger crunch: North Koreans scour fields for leftovers

11. Kim Jong Un tested a new rocket that could hit Seoul — and may aid Russia against Ukraine

12. S. Korea, India hold consultations on disarmament, nonproliferation

13. This moment, this platform: North Korean human rights at Harvard University and beyond

1. N. Korea denounces U.S. condemnation of human rights violations

The international community's focus on north Korean human rights is a threat to the Kim family regime.

Human rights must be part of any pressure campaign.

N. Korea denounces U.S. condemnation of human rights violations | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Na-young · April 27, 2024

SEOUL, April 27 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Saturday lashed out at the recent release of the United States' annual report on human rights situations in the reclusive country, calling it an act of interfering in the country's "internal affairs."

Earlier this week, the U.S. State Department released the 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, pointing out that North Koreans remained exposed to various types of human rights abuses last year, including forced repatriations, extrajudicial killings, forced abortion and the "worst forms" of child labor.

The report also said Pyongyang did not take "credible steps" to identify and punish officials who may have committed such acts.

"The report has no relation at all with sincerely safeguarding human rights and is merely a basic material needed to rationalize its interference in our state affairs and scheme to overthrow our system," a spokesperson for the North's foreign affairs ministry said in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "We firmly denounce and disapprove of the report."

The ministry denounced Washington for assessing human rights situations in other countries based on its own unilateral standards, saying the U.S. is "encouraging" civilian massacres by supporting military operations with tens of billions of dollars.

The reclusive regime also criticized remarks by U.S. government officials suggesting North Koreans should have better access to information as a plot to make North Korea collapse from the inside.

"If the U.S. continues to pose military threats and use the human rights issue as a way to invade us, we have to consider making a firm and decisive move to protect our sovereignty and safety," the spokesperson said.

An image of the U.S. State Department provided by Yonhap News TV (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

nyway@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Na-young · April 27, 2024

2. Blinken calls on China to press N. Korea to end its 'dangerous' behavior

To which Xi probably responded: Why don't you just remove US troops and then all be well?

(LEAD) Blinken calls on China to press N. Korea to end its 'dangerous' behavior | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · April 27, 2024

(ATTN: UPDATES with minor edits, details in 11th para)

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, April 26 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that he renewed calls for China to exert its influence to press North Korea to cease its "dangerous" activities and return to dialogue during his talks with top Chinese officials in Beijing.

Blinken made the remarks during a press conference after he had separate meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong and other officials in the Chinese capital on the day.

The secretary's trip to Shanghai and Beijing from Wednesday to Friday came as Washington has been pushing for its drive to "responsibly" manage the Sino-U.S. relationship despite a hardening rivalry over technological leadership, maritime security, trade and other domains.

"I encouraged China to use its influence to discourage Iran and its proxies from expanding the conflict in the Middle East, and to press Pyongyang to end its dangerous behavior and engage in dialogue," Blinken said. "Going forward, we will have high-level discussions on these and other issues."

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a press conference at the U.S. embassy in Beijing on April 26, 2024 in this photo released by AFP. (Yonhap)

Pyongyang has been ratcheting up tensions with recent menacing weapons tests, including a "super-large" warhead power test for a strategic cruise missile and the launch of an intermediate-range missile tipped with a hypersonic warhead.

Blinken restated America's "enduring" commitment to the "complete" denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula while in Beijing, according to Matthew Miller, the spokesperson for the State Department.

During talks with Beijing officials, the secretary also highlighted Washington's "serious" concerns about China's commercial support for Russia's defense industrial base, which the secretary said is "powering Russia's brutal war of aggression against Ukraine."

"China is the top supplier of machine tools, microelectronics, nitrocellulose -- which is critical to making munitions and rocket propellants, and other dual-use items that Moscow is using to ramp up its defense industrial base, a defense industrial base that is churning out rockets, drones, tanks, and other weapons that President Putin is using to invade a sovereign country, to demolish its power grid and other civilian infrastructure, to kill innocent children, women and men," he said.

"Russia would struggle to sustain its assault on Ukraine without China's support," he added.

Moreover, the top U.S. diplomat touched on the issue of China's overcapacity.

"I also expressed our concern about the PRC's unfair trade practices and the potential consequences of industrial overcapacity to global and U.S. markets, especially in a number of key industries that will drive the 21st century economy, like solar panels, electric vehicles, and the batteries that power them," he said. PRC stands for China's official name, the People's Republic of China.

"China alone is producing more than 100 percent of global demand for these products, flooding markets, undermining competition, putting at risk livelihoods and businesses around the world."

Blinken also underlined a U.S. focus on taking "necessary" actions to prevent "advanced U.S. technologies from being used to undermine our national security and economy without unduly limiting trade or investment," according to Miller.

But both sides reaffirmed the importance of maintaining open lines of communication "at all times" and agreed to continued high-level diplomacy and interactions going forward, according to Miller.

During his talks with the top U.S. diplomat, the Chinese president said that the U.S. and China should be "partners rather than rivals."

"The two countries should help each other succeed rather than hurt each other, seek common ground and reserve differences rather than engage in vicious competition, and honor words with actions rather than say one thing but do the opposite," Xi said according to a transcript released by the State Department.

China's President Xi Jinping speaks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken during their meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 26, 2024 in this photo released by AFP. (Yonhap)

Xi underlined his three "overarching principles": mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and willing cooperation.

"At present, transformation not seen in a century is unfolding in a profound way, and the international situation is fluid and turbulent," he said. "It is the shared desire of both the two peoples and the international community to see China and the U.S. strengthen dialogue, manage differences, and advance cooperation."

Xi also said that China is happy to see the United States being "confident, open, prosperous, and thriving".

"We hope the U.S. can also look at China's development in a positive light," he said. "This is a fundamental issue that must be addressed, just like the first button of a shirt that must be put right in order for the China-U.S. relationship to truly stabilize, improve, and move forward."

Blinken reaffirmed the U.S.' commitment to stably manage relations with China.

"We are committed to maintaining and strengthening the lines of communication between us to advance that agenda and, again, to deal responsibly with our differences so that we avoid any miscommunications, any misperceptions, any miscalculations," he said.

Blinken was referring to the agenda for bilateral cooperation that President Joe Biden and Xi set during their high-profile summit in California in November. At the summit, they agreed to restore military-to-military communication and cooperate on counternarcotics among other outcomes.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) meets with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on April 26, 2024, in this photo released by the Associated Press. (Yonhap)

sshluck@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · April 27, 2024

3. S. Korea, U.S. lay out respective visions for new defense cost-sharing deal: U.S. negotiator

Excerpts:

The talks are aimed at determining how much Seoul should pay for the stationing of U.S. Forces Korea. The current six-year SMA is set to end at the end of next year.

"The United States and Republic of Korea outlined their respective visions for the 12th SMA," she said in a statement. She did not elaborate on the visions.

"Our commitment to reinforcing the readiness of our combined defense posture underlines the enduring vitality of the U.S.-ROK alliance. We will continue to consult whenever necessary to further strengthen and sustain the Alliance under the 12th SMA," she added.

Shortly before the talks, Specht said that the U.S. seeks a "fair" and "equitable" outcome in the SMA talks.

S. Korea, U.S. lay out respective visions for new defense cost-sharing deal: U.S. negotiator | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · April 27, 2024

By Song Sang-ho and Kang Byeong-cheol

WASHINGTON, April 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States outlined their respective visions for a new bilateral defense cost-sharing deal during their first round of negotiations in Honolulu this week, the top U.S. negotiator said Friday.

Linda Specht, senior advisor and U.S. lead negotiator for security agreements at the State Department, made the remarks after the initial round of talks over the deal, named the Special Measures Agreement (SMA) took place from Tuesday through Thursday.

The talks are aimed at determining how much Seoul should pay for the stationing of U.S. Forces Korea. The current six-year SMA is set to end at the end of next year.

"The United States and Republic of Korea outlined their respective visions for the 12th SMA," she said in a statement. She did not elaborate on the visions.

"Our commitment to reinforcing the readiness of our combined defense posture underlines the enduring vitality of the U.S.-ROK alliance. We will continue to consult whenever necessary to further strengthen and sustain the Alliance under the 12th SMA," she added.

Shortly before the talks, Specht said that the U.S. seeks a "fair" and "equitable" outcome in the SMA talks.

Since 1991, Seoul has partially shouldered costs under the SMA for Korean USFK workers; the construction of military installations, such as barracks, and training, educational, operational and communications facilities; and other logistical support.

This photo, captured from the State Department's website, shows Linda Specht, a senior adviser and lead negotiator for security agreements at the department. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

sshluck@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · April 27, 2024

4. Defense cost-sharing deal reflects shared commitment to 'robust' S. Korea-U.S. defense posture: Pentagon

(LEAD) Defense cost-sharing deal reflects shared commitment to 'robust' S. Korea-U.S. defense posture: Pentagon | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · April 26, 2024

(ATTN: ADDS comments from Seoul official, other details in paras 7-9; CHANGES dateline)

By Song Sang-ho, Kim Dong-hyun and Kim Seung-yeon

WASHINGTON/SEOUL, April 26 (Yonhap) -- A defense cost-sharing agreement between South Korea and the United States represents the allies' shared commitment to a "robust" security posture, a Pentagon spokesperson said Thursday following the first round of talks on the deal.

The two countries concluded the initial round of the negotiations in Honolulu on Thursday to determine how much Seoul should pay for the stationing of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) under the deal, called the Special Measures Agreement (SMA), as the current six-year SMA is set to end at the end of next year.

"The Special Measures Agreements reflect our shared commitment to a stable stationing environment for U.S. forces in the Republic of Korea (ROK) and a robust combined defense posture," Lieut. Col. Marty Meiners said in a statement, referring to South Korea by its official name.

"We appreciate all the Republic of Korea contributes to the U.S.-ROK Alliance, including but not limited to the SMA cost-sharing contributions," he added.

He also reiterated the importance of the bilateral alliance as the "linchpin of peace, security, and prosperity for Northeast Asia, the broader Indo-Pacific, and beyond."

"As we work to further strengthen the U.S.-ROK Alliance, our two countries will stand better prepared to engage with our other allies and partners across the world, not to meet yesterday's challenges, but those of today and tomorrow," he said.

The two sides exchanged their positions in principle, a Seoul official said in response to a media query on the outcome of the talks.

"South Korea and the U.S. plan to have consultations frequently in relation to the 12th SMA," the official said, adding that the schedule for the next round of talks has yet to be decided.

Ahead of the start of the negotiations, Washington said the U.S. seeks to pursue a "fair" and "equitable" outcome in the defense burden sharing talks with Seoul.

Lee Tae-woo, a senior diplomat and former consul general in Sydney, led the South Korean delegation in the SMA negotiations, while the U.S. delegation was headed by Linda Specht, a senior adviser and lead negotiator for security agreements at the State Department.

This file photo, taken March 20, 2024, shows a South Korea-U.S. river-crossing exercise underway in Yeoncheon, 61 kilometers north of Seoul. (Yonhap)

sshluck@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · April 26, 2024

5. N. Korea reaffirms plan to bolster space reconnaissance capabilities

N. Korea reaffirms plan to bolster space reconnaissance capabilities | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Na-young · April 27, 2024

SEOUL, April 27 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Saturday reiterated its commitment to launching more reconnaissance satellites this year after putting its first spy satellite into orbit in November.

Pyongyang "will carry out an important mission to enhance its space reconnaissance capabilities as planned to monitor and control the U.S. and other hostile forces' military movements and aggressive attempts," an unnamed spokesperson of the North's National Aerospace Technology Administration (NATA) said in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

North Korea put its first spy satellite, Malligyong-1, into orbit in November after two failed attempts in May and August and has vowed to launch three more this year. It has yet to disclose any timeline for the launches but has repeatedly reaffirmed the plan through the KCNA.

This Nov. 22, 2023, file photo carried by the Korean Central News Agency shows the North Korean military spy satellite Malligyong-1. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

The North blamed the "U.S. ambitions to militarize space" for its push for space development.

"The U.S. has been building a big space army over the Korean Peninsula and its surrounding area with an ultimate goal to launch a preemptive nuclear attack," the spokesperson said, accusing Washington of escalating the possibility of an actual war breaking out in the region.

The North also denounced recent remarks by Stephen Whiting, the commander of the U.S. Space Command, that North Korea's satellite launch violates U.N. Security Council resolutions, saying the U.S. is acting based on "double standards."

North Korea has the right to develop space and use it as a military means for self-defense, the spokesperson said, reiterating the country's position on space development.

nyway@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Na-young · April 27, 2024

6. Changchun police to update personal information of N. Korean defectors living with Chinese men

China and north Korea have one thing in common: control.

Changchun police to update personal information of N. Korean defectors living with Chinese men - Daily NK English

The city's police have already individually notified Chinese men who are believed to be living with female defectors that precinct stations will be sending officers to visit their homes

By Jeong Tae Joo - April 26, 2024

dailynk.com · by Jeong Tae Joo · April 26, 2024

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held a luncheon with Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, and the third-ranking official in China's official hierarchy, the Rodong Sinmun reported on Apr. 13, 2024. (Rodong Sinmun-News1)

The police in Changchun, the capital of China’s Jilin Province, have announced plans to update the personal information of female North Korean defectors who are living with Chinese men. The announcement has made some defectors anxious becomes it follows the visit to North Korea by China’s No. 3 official Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee.

“The police in Changchun said on Apr. 21 that they would be carrying out a hukou [household registration] survey through the end of May to update the personal information of all North Korean women who are currently cohabiting with Chinese men after entering China illegally. That is one of the new police policies for April that were announced by the provincial authorities,” a source in China told Daily NK on Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

According to the source, the provincial police authorities said that female defectors need to update their current addresses, phone numbers and other important information and that when they get a new phone number for use in China, they need to register it at their local precinct station. The provincial authorities also said that the police should survey Chinese citizens who let defectors get SIM cards under their ID numbers.

Some defectors worried about forced repatriations to North Korea in the future

Relatedly, the Changchun police have already individually notified the Chinese men who are believed to be living with female defectors that precinct stations will be sending officers to visit their homes and that if time and circumstances permit, the men can also visit a precinct station themselves to update their girlfriends’ personal information.

Notably, the Changchun police explained that the purpose of updating the defectors’ personal information was to guarantee the safety of North Korean women in Changchun and to set up a system for responding quickly to any emergency situations. The police are apparently emphasizing the physical safety of female defectors in China.

But since this announcement by the police follows Zhao Leji’s visit to North Korea, female defectors are concerned that China may be taking preliminary steps to determine the number of North Korean defectors in the country with the ultimate goal of helping North Korea repatriate those defectors.

“North Korean women living in Changchun and some of their Chinese boyfriends who have been contacted by the police are afraid that the police may closely monitor [the defectors’] every move and then suddenly repatriate them at the request of the North Korean authorities,” the source said.

“Whenever I hear that a high-ranking Chinese official has visited North Korea, my heart begins to race,” the source quoted one female defector as saying.

“Some defectors are worried that the Chinese will one day decide to repatriate all the North Korean women whose personal information is on file. They’re already stocking up on poison because they’d rather die than be separated from their children in China,” the defector went on to say.

In apparent awareness of these fears, the Changchun police are promising defectors’ Chinese boyfriends that they will continue receiving support if they help the police update their records. The police also asked the Chinese men to reassure their girlfriends that the police just want a record of their latest phone numbers and photographs to make sure they match how the defectors currently look and that the women have nothing to worry about as long as they continue to stay out of trouble.

Translated by David Carruth. Edited by Robert Lauler.

Daily NK works with a network of sources living in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous for security reasons. For more information about Daily NK’s network of reporting partners and information-gathering activities, please visit our FAQ page here.

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

Read in Korean

dailynk.com · by Jeong Tae Joo · April 26, 2024

7. High-resolution satellite imagery confirms demolition of Arch of Reunification

Photos at the link: https://www.dailynk.com/english/high-resolution-satellite-imagery-confirms-demolition-arch-unification/

By rejecting peaceful unification the regime is taking away the hope of the Korean people for a better life.

High-resolution satellite imagery confirms demolition of Arch of Reunification - Daily NK English

dailynk.com · by Bruce Songhak Chung · April 26, 2024

Recent imagery from the Maxar WorldView-3 satellite confirmed that the Monument to the Three-Point Charter for National Reunification — a symbol of Kim Il Sung’s dying wish for the reunification of Korea — was demolished and the site wiped clean. Based on the images and satellite images run in overseas media reports, the monument appears to have been torn down methodically rather than blown up.

Demolition of the Monument to the Three-Point Charter for National Reunification

Recent satellite images confirm that the Monument to the Three-Point Charter for National Reunification, which used to stand at the entrance of Reunification Street in the Kwanmun 3 neighborhood of Rangnang District, the gateway to Pyongyang, was demolished in January. (Worldview-3 – ©2024 Maxar, U.S.G. Plus)

Recent high-resolution images from the WorldView-3 confirmed that the Monument to the Three-Point Charter for National Reunification — also known as the Arch of Reunification — is no more. The monument stood above the Pyongyang-Kaesong highway at the entrance of Reunification Street in the Kwanmun 3 neighborhood of Rangnang District, the gateway to Pyongyang. Completed on Aug. 14, 2001, the arch represented two women — one from the North and the other from the South — holding aloft a map of the Korean Peninsula. It was 30 meters high and 61.5 meters wide, the latter number representing the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration of 2000. The body of the tower was composed of 2,560 granite blocks weighing over 60 kilograms each, while about 740 “memorial stones” sent by groups in the North, South and overseas Koreans adorned the interior of the monument. It also reportedly used precious stones sent by South Korean groups such as Hanchongnyon and the South Korean branch of the Pan-national Alliance for Korea’s Reunification. With North Korea’s demolition of the tower, the noble intentions of Korean groups in both halves of the peninsula and overseas vanished into thin air.

Before the demolition of the Monument to the Three-Point Charter for National Reunification

The Monument to the Three-Point Charter for National Reunification late last year before it was demolished. The tower was completed in August 2001 using precious stones and commemorative stonework donated by local and international Korean groups. (Worldview 3 – ©2023 Maxar, U.S.G. Plus)

The above image was captured by Maxar’s WorldView-3 satellite on Dec. 24, before the monument was demolished. If we reference a CNN report from Jan. 24 that carried a satellite photo taken after the demolition, we see debris scattered everywhere. No heavy equipment, such as cranes, can be detected. Given the neatly piled-up pieces of the tower in the plaza, the monument appears to have been torn down stage-by-stage. According to North Korea news site NK News, the tower was demolished between Jan. 19 and 23.

The Monument to the Three-Point Charter for National Reunification symbolized Kim Il Sung’s dying desire for Korean reunification. The Three-Point Charter for National Reunification refers to three items: the July 4 South–North Joint Statement of 1972 that laid out the Three Principles of National Reunification of independence, peaceful unification and great national unity, the “Democratic Confederal Republic of Korea” plan presented during the Sixth Party Congress in October 1980, and the Ten Point Program for Reunification of the Country presented during the Fifth Meeting of the Ninth Supreme People’s Assembly in April 1993.

North Korea’s recent string of violations of inter-Korean agreements

South Korean military surveillance assets detected North Korea burying landmines on stretches of the Seoul-Sinuiju road and East Sea road in the DMZ late last year and demolishing dozens of street lamps along these roads. In February, KBS confirmed that remnants of the four-story Inter-Korean Liaison Office in the Kaesong industrial complex were removed. North Korea’s recent string of violations of inter-Korean agreements was confirmed once again in high-res satellite images of the Monument to the Three-Point Charter for National Reunification before and after its demolition. It is hard to gauge the intention and inside story behind these recent actions that suggest a young leader trying to erase the dying wishes and traces of his predecessors, and one worries where this recklessness will eventually go.

Translated by David Black. Edited by Robert Lauler.

Views expressed in this guest column do not necessarily reflect those of Daily NK. Please send any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.

Read in Korean

dailynk.com · by Bruce Songhak Chung · April 26, 2024

8. Many high school graduates in N. Korea face barriers to getting higher education

Is there no free education in the Socialist Workers Paradise?

Many high school graduates in N. Korea face barriers to getting higher education - Daily NK English

Bribes for admission into college have now reached around USD 413, a source told Daily NK

By Lee Chae Un - April 26, 2024

dailynk.com · by Lee Chae Un · April 26, 2024

On Apr. 16, 2024, Rodong Sinmun claimed on the occasion of Kim Il Sung's birthday on Apr. 15, the country is "overflowing with blessings due to the grace of our Marshal." (Rodong Sinmun-News1)

Some recent graduates of North Korean high schools in Sinuiju are frustrated because they have no money to get into institutes of higher education, Daily NK has learned.

“This month, graduates of high schools in Sinuiju launched their adult lives in various places, including education-focused institutions like universities and vocational schools, but also workplaces and the military. But most of them are upset they didn’t get to go where they’d hoped,” a source in North Pyongan Province told Daily NK on Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

According to the source, this year’s high school graduates were born in the years 2005 and 2006. Unlike their parents’ generation, they are voicing disappointment about not getting to freely choose their course in life.

Young people are very dissatisfied about the fact that higher education is out of reach unless they can afford to pay the increasingly expensive bribes required for admission to university or vocational school. Bribes for admission used to be around RMB 2,000 (around USD 276), which was already pretty steep, but now the least you can get away with is RMB 3,000 (around USD 413), the source explained.

In short, North Korean society’s economic inequality is leading many graduates to face limitations in their choice of career after completing their high school education.

“My family wasn’t well off, but I managed to keep up my grades,” said an 18-year-old male graduate of a high school in Sinuiju identified by the surname Han.

“I studied late into the night with the hope of getting into teaching college, but I never even got to take the admission exam. I’d foolishly assumed it was possible to get into college on talent alone, even without any money. I want this to be a country where you can get into college through talent, or at least for a fixed price, as in other countries,” he said.

Kim, aged 17, graduated from another high school in the city. “If you’re hard up for money, you end up digging in the mines, and farmer’s children have to keep working on the farm. I hate the fact that things are like that here. I wish this were a country where people could realize their hopes and dreams,” he said.

While military service is normally mandatory for North Korean men, there are plenty of ways to get out of it, provided that you have the financial resources, the source observed. The result is that only graduates from families without money or connections go to the military.

“I’m told that military service is only two years in South Korea and other countries. It’s the 21st century, but I can’t help feeling that we’re living in the Stone Age,” Kim said.

“When my friends get together, we talk a lot about military service and how soldiers are treated in other countries. People often say they wish [our military service] was shorter and that soldiers would get special treatment after finishing their service,” he said.

“People with money can find various excuses for not doing their military service or for getting out after a couple of years if they do enlist. In the end, only the children of penniless and helpless workers and farmers have to give the army nearly ten years of their youth.

“And then, after returning to civilian life, you don’t have any useful skills and you struggle in your career, too. I really wish this were a society where everyone was given equal opportunities based on their abilities.”

Translated by David Carruth. Edited by Robert Lauler.

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

Read in Korean

dailynk.com · by Lee Chae Un · April 26, 2024

9. Forced repatriations of N. Korean defectors in China continue into this year

China is complicit in north Korean human rights abuses.

Forced repatriations of N. Korean defectors in China continue into this year - Daily NK English

“Pressure needs to be put on China using international law by imputing responsibility on Beijing for its forced repatriations," one expert told Daily NK

By Seulkee Jang - April 26, 2024

dailynk.com · by Seulkee Jang · April 26, 2024

FILE PHOTO: The national flag of the People's Republic of China. (Daily NK)

Small-scale forced repatriations of North Korean defectors have taken place even after about 200 detectors who were locked up in Chinese prisons were sent back against their will last October. Such forced repatriations are likely to grow more frequent, with cooperation between North Korean and Chinese police and security agencies expected to intensify.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a high-ranking Daily NK source in North Korea said Wednesday that defectors forcibly repatriated from China were recently handed over to local branches of the Ministry of State Security and detained in ministry lockups. North Korea frequently takes forcibly repatriated nationals as soon as China hands them over.

In the case of the forced repatriation of about 200 defectors immediately after the close of the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, in October, the returnees were sent all at once through the Chinese cities of Dandong and Tumen. Hundreds were sent back together because forced repatriations had been impossible due to North Korea’s closure of the border due to COVID-19. However, defectors are now regularly being repatriated against their will per the system in place before the pandemic, the source said.

However, with the Chinese government intensifying punishments of human trafficking, drugs, burglaries, religious proselytizing and other crimes since the country’s amended counterespionage law went into effect on July 1 of last year, it takes longer than before to repatriate individuals who receive criminal punishments in China.

North Korea and China have recently been searching for ways to cooperate to swiftly send defectors caught illegally residing or engaging in criminal activity in China back to North Korea.

China and North Korea appear to be working closely to streamline forced repatriations

According to another high-ranking source in North Korea, the Ministry of State Security and the Ministry of Social Security are preparing to send dozens of officials to China. In North Korea, people say this is quite extraordinary.

Both ministries claim they are sending the officials to study administrative and organizational systems in cooperation with China’s counterintelligence agency, the Ministry of State Security, and its chief police agency, the Ministry of Public Security. However, the source said that they will build a working-level cooperative system for handing over criminals and illegal residents.

“They also aim to [create a system] for prompt forced repatriations, with North Korea immediately cooperating when China’s Ministry of Public Security asks the North to confirm the identities of defectors it has taken possession of after they’ve been arrested,” he said.

Zhao Leji, the chairman of China’s Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and the third-ranking member of the Communist Party of China, met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a recent visit to Pyongyang. During the meeting, Zhao mentioned “substantive and reciprocal cooperation” and “protecting joint interests.” This has sparked speculation that the two countries will also strengthen cooperation on transferring criminals and illegal residents. Accordingly, measures to forcibly repatriate defectors will likely grow faster and simpler.

At a seminar hosted by the Korea Society on April 9, Julie Turner, the U.S. Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights Issues, said China is demonstrating no significant changes regarding its forced repatriations, with Beijing arguing that defectors are economic migrants and that no evidence proves that they are tortured upon their return to the North. She said the United States would continue to demand that China and other U.N. member states comply with the ban on forced repatriations.

International law must be used to put pressure on China, experts say

Critics say that with China showing no signs of improvement despite international efforts to stop the forced repatriation of North Korean defectors, the issue must be approached using international law and China’s domestic law.

Professor Won Jae-chun, an international law professor at Handong Global University, said in a telephone conversation with Daily NK that the Chinese government’s forced repatriations of North Korean defectors violated international agreements on the state of refugees and the prevention of torture and China’s own laws against human trafficking.

“Pressure needs to be put on China using international law by imputing responsibility on Beijing for its forced repatriations, suing China in the International Criminal Court and filing injunctions to suspend the forced repatriations,” he said. “Only if international law is binding by organizing the facts about the forced repatriations as a public record and creating an international legal basis for protecting defectors, among other things, can we make a ban on forced repatriations of defectors substantively effective.”

Translated by David Black. Edited by Robert Lauler.

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

Read in Korean

dailynk.com · by Seulkee Jang · April 26, 2024

10. Annual hunger crunch: North Koreans scour fields for leftovers

Will the situation become worse than the Arduous March of the famine of 1994-1996. I fear yes.

Annual hunger crunch: North Koreans scour fields for leftovers

https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/food-04262024133215.html

While last year’s harvest was better, people still lack enough food.

By Moon Sung Hui, Son Hyemin and Noh Jung Min for RFA Korean

2024.04.26

A North Korean boy works in a field of a collective farm in the area damaged by summer floods and typhoons in South Hwanghae province September 30, 2011.

Damir Sagolj/Reuters

It’s April, hunger crunch time in North Korea.

The potato fields are filled with adults and children desperately hacking at the earth with hoes and wearing makeshift backpacks.

But these are not farm workers – the potato harvest ended in March. They are scavengers looking for potatoes missed by the harvesters or discarded due to spoilage.

The scene at the fields in the northern province of Ryanggang is indicative of the starvation the country experiences this time of the year, as food from the year-end government rations run out, and the next scheduled rations have not yet come in, said a resident connected to the agricultural sector in the province’s Unhung county, who like all the sources in this report insisted on anonymity for safety reasons.

“After last year’s fall harvest, Ryanggang province gave 200 kilograms (440 pounds) of potatoes per farmer and 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of potatoes per dependent,” he said. “Rice and corn were promised as part of the second distribution, but they have not yet been supplied.”

North Korean children suffering from malnutrition rest in a hospital in Haeju, capital of the area damaged by summer floods and typhoons in South Hwanghae province October 1, 2011. (REUTERS/Damir Sagolj)

In North Korea, citizens are periodically given rations by the government, but it's not enough to live on and they must also purchase additional food from markets, or find it elsewhere.

Last year, the country had a better harvest than in previous years, but people are still short of food.

The country’s farms produced about 4.82 million tons according to the Rural Development Administration of South Korea. That’s higher than most years, it is still well short of the 5.76 million tons of North Korea’s annual food needs estimated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

So the annual starvation period occurred right on schedule, and just like in previous years, potato scavengers flocked to the fields to try to find discarded or unharvested edibles, another Ryanggang resident said.

“Frozen potatoes can be dried and powdered to make noodles or potato cakes,” he said. “These days, farmers in the rural areas of Ryanggang Province are unable to go to work because they have nothing to eat.”

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un is seen during the inspection of a potato flour factory in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang December 6, 2017. (KCNA/via Reuters)

The situation is dire. The government tries to cover up starvation deaths by saying that people are dying of disease, he said.

“Clinics and neighborhood-watch units say that they died from disease, but in fact, everyone who died from disease these days actually starved to death because they had nothing to eat.”

Starvation deaths in North Korea are typically higher around March, Jiro Ishimaru, the CEO of Japan-based outlet Asia Press, which focuses on news from North Korea, told RFA.

“The fear is rapidly spreading among North Korean residents, especially among the vulnerable class, that if things continue like this, people will die like last year,” he said.

Ishimaru said that although production increased last year on farms in the northern provinces, there was no significant difference in distribution to farmers. Grains were allocated first for military rice and supplies, so the amount of grain remaining for the residents was small.

In other areas of the country, the government is providing advance food supplies to the people because they cannot plant rice if they are too weak from starvation. The balance will be taken out of their rations usually given at the end of the year, a resident of South Pyongan province, north of the capital Pyongyang, told RFA.

“The corn distributed to each starving household was the amount for two months,” he said. “There is no interest, so farmers welcome this policy.”

To generate enough food supplies for the farm workers, the authorities instructed neighborhood watch units, district offices and factories to collect rice and corn so they can take care of “those in need.”

Translated by Claire S. Lee. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.

11. Kim Jong Un tested a new rocket that could hit Seoul — and may aid Russia against Ukraine

The tyranny of proximity would suggest it is not a stretch for many weapons systems to strike Seoul.

Kim Jong Un tested a new rocket that could hit Seoul — and may aid Russia against Ukraine

Business Insider · by Mikhaila Friel

2024-04-26T11:17:45Z

The Korean People's Army conducts an artillery firing drill in North Korea. KCNA via Reuters

Kim Jong Un oversaw tests for a rocket capable of hitting Seoul in South Korea, Bloomberg reported.
The rocket could be used to assist Russia in the war against Ukraine.
Russia and North Korea have previously denied reports of an arms deal between the two nations.

North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, oversaw the second set of tests for a new rocket that could be used to attack Seoul in South Korea and assist Russia in its war against Ukraine.

The 240-millimeter multiple rocket launcher has an estimated range of between 40 kilometers and 60 kilometers, or around 25 miles to 37 miles, and is capable of bringing "a strategic change in bolstering up the artillery force of the Korean People's Army," according to a report by the Korean Central News Agency, cited by Bloomberg.

This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.

The weapon is known to have been tested once before, in February of this year, according to the defense and security outlet Army Recognition.

"North Korea can put the whole Seoul area within its shooting range if these rockets are fired from the front line," Yang Uk, a research fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul, told Bloomberg.

"It could be meaningful in the exports market, say for Russia, and it could be a useful weapon for the war in Ukraine," he said.

Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool via Reuters

Speaking to NK News in February, Yang said the threat from these rockets is minor compared to the other weapons already obtained by the North Korean military, including KN-23 short-range ballistic missiles and 600mm artillery systems, according to part of the article cited by Army Recognition.

S. Korea, India hold consultations on disarmament, nonproliferation

The Korea Times · April 26, 2024

Youn Jong-kwon, right, director-general for nonproliferation and nuclear affairs at the South Korean foreign ministry, shakes hands with Muanpuii Saiawi, joint secretary for disarmament and international security affairs at the Indian external ministry, in Seoul, April 26, in this photo provided by the ministry. Yonhap

South Korea and India held consultations on disarmament to discuss ways to address North Korea's growing military threats and other emerging security challenges, the foreign ministry said Friday.

The fourth "ROK-India Dialogue on Disarmament and Non-proliferation," led by Youn Jong-kwon, director-general for nonproliferation and nuclear affairs at the ministry, and Muanpuii Saiawi, joint secretary for disarmament and international security affairs at India's external ministry, was held in Seoul earlier in the day.

The two sides discussed regional and global challenges to disarmament and nonproliferation, including North Korea's nuclear and missile programs and the implementation of U.N. Security Council sanctions.

They also exchanged views on the challenges and opportunities posed by the rise of emerging security issues, such as artificial intelligence and space security, according to the ministry. (Yonhap)

The Korea Times · April 26, 2024

13. This moment, this platform: North Korean human rights at Harvard University and beyond

I sure wish we could mobilize the campuses across the country and around the world to protest north Korean human rights abuses. I wish our students would channel their energy into fighting for freedom in north Korea rather than supporting a terrorist organization in the Middle East.

This moment, this platform: North Korean human rights at Harvard University and beyond

The Korea Times · April 27, 2024

Kim Myung-hee speaking at the 19th “I am from North Korea” speech contest, presented by Freedom Speakers International. Courtesy of Freedom Speakers International

By Kim Myeong-hee

Before I defected from North Korea, I never dreamed of giving a speech at Harvard University, the top university in the world. When I was in North Korea, I thought Kim Il-sung University was the best in the world. I didn't know much about the rest of the world, and I couldn't even imagine giving a speech in English at a world-class university.

This moment and platform were an honor beyond words. Something miraculous happened on August 13th. I was one of the seven North Korean refugees who gave speeches in front of Harvard University students, officials, and people interested in North Korean human rights. I was able to inform them of the human rights violations of North Korean women.

Kim Myung-hee, center, was the Grand Prize winner of the 19th “I am from North Korea” English Speech Contest, presented by Freedom Speakers International. On her right are FSI’s co-founders Casey Lartigue Jr. and Lee Eun-koo. On her left are judges: Prof emeritus Katharine Moon of Wellesley University, Matthew Doctoroff, business manager of the Harvard Crimson newspaper, and Jill Felicio, Director of Advancement at Harvard University’s Division of Continuing Education. Courtesy of Freedom Speakers International

I am an ordinary North Korean defector who has been given opportunities to do things she could have never imagined, to choose anything she wants, and the ability to move freely. I never could have imagined this when I was forcibly repatriated to North Korea twice before I finally made it to freedom after my third escape.

The international community is needed to improve human rights in North Korea. The courage shown by the North Korean defectors who spoke with me at Harvard University inspired an incredible number of people, and this became a small seed planted in the hearts and minds of each Harvard University student who attended. Together, we can put pressure on North Korea to recognize the individual human rights of North Koreans.

More seeds are needed to improve human rights in North Korea. Each North Korean defector is a witness and survivor of human rights violations in North Korea. This opportunity would not be possible without the efforts of organizations like Freedom Speakers International, which supports North Korean refugees in preparing English speeches through mentoring, and above all, makes every effort to create a global stage.

I am thankful to Casey Lartigue, a Harvard graduate, and his FSI co-founder Lee Eun-koo giving us this opportunity. Together, FSI, Harvard officials and students, volunteers and supporters and others who helped us stand on the global stage can make a difference with others who can join us from now. I sincerely hope these efforts will bear fruit and the people of North Korea will live with their basic rights protected and guaranteed.

Kim Myeong-hee was the Grand Prize winner of the 19th “I am from North Korea” English speech contest, presented by Freedom Speakers International, at Harvard University on April 13, 2024. Her mentor for the contest was FSI Academic Advisor Gregory Gresko.

The Korea Times · April 27, 2024

De Oppresso Liber,

David Maxwell

Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy

Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation

Editor, Small Wars Journal

Twitter: @davidmaxwell161

Phone: 202-573-8647

email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com

De Oppresso Liber,

David Maxwell

Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy

Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation

Editor, Small Wars Journal

Twitter: @davidmaxwell161

email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com

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

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

Access NSS HERE

Company Name | Website