Putin’s China Visit Highlights Military Ties That Worry the West

Quotes of the Day:

"True ignorance is not the absence of knowledge, but the refusal to acquire it."

– Karl Popper

"Do not wait; the time will never be 'just right.' Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along."

– George Herbert

"The cleverest of all, in my opinion, is the man who calls himself a fool at least once a month."

–Fyodor Dostoevsky

1.Slaves to the Bomb: The Role and Fate of North Korea's Nuclear Scientists (A Human Rights report from HRNK by Robert Collins)

2. American IT Scammer Helped North Korea Fund Nuclear Weapons Program, U.S. Says

3. Kim's sister denies North Korea has supplied weapons to Russia

4. Arizona woman charged in North Korean IT worker scheme that raised millions

5. Charges and Seizures Brought in Fraud Scheme, Aimed at Denying Revenue for Workers Associated with North Korea

6. N. Korea fires short-range ballistic missiles toward East Sea: JCS

7. Ex-president Moon recalls in memoir N.K. leader voiced will not to use nukes

8. N. Korea installing mines, reinforcing barbed wire inside DMZ: source

9. Ukraine war ramifications in Asia

10. N. Korea slams planned S. Korea-U.S. military drills, warns of 'catastrophic aftermath'

11. Kim Jong-un’s daughter draws attention for unusual attire at public appearance

12. New Japanese ambassador to S. Korea vows to do his best for development of bilateral ties

13. US Republican leaders propose NATO-style nuclear agreement on Korean Peninsula

14. N. Korean wholesalers demand market sellers pay in dollars, not yuan

15. N. Korea, China appear to respond to criticism about human rights abuses in seafood factories

16. N. Korea's denial of arms transfers to Russia suggests fears of tougher sanctions: experts

17. House committee passes N. Korean human rights reauthorization act

18. Trump may like to 'solve' N. Korean nuclear problem if reelected: ex-official

19. F-22s Practice Dogfights over the Korean Peninsula with ROK F-35s

1.Slaves to the Bomb: The Role and Fate of North Korea's Nuclear Scientists (A Human Rights report from HRNK by Robert Collins)

The 189 page report can be downloaded here: https://www.hrnk.org/uploads/pdfs/STTB_web.pdf

Here are some excerpts describing the report from the forward I wrote:

Collins has mapped the “human terrain” of the nuclear program. Key nuclear scientists are identified. Their education and experience is outlined. The regime’s methods of security and social control are described in detail. The information leads to an understanding of the vulnerabilities and weaknesses of the nuclear program. Although beyond the scope of the report itself, the information will inform negotiators on how to discuss the nuclear program with North Korean interlocutors. The North will not be able to deny what is happening within its borders, and this can be exploited during negotiations.

The report can also inform those who are responsible for conducting information and influence activities in North Korea. It will be useful in shaping themes and messages for transmission to all members of the nuclear program to influence them to first ensure the safety of nuclear material weapons and then how to work with competent authorities who arrive to dismantle the program.

The simple knowledge that the outside world knows of their suffering and forced labor on the nuclear program and the understanding that their cooperation will lead to their freedom will contribute to the safe dismantling of the program and the prevention of so-called “loose nukes.

For those with responsibility for locating, securing, and preventing the loss of nuclear material and weapons, this report serves as a roadmap to identify key personnel. By understanding the plight of all personnel involved in the program, they will increase their chances of successful operations across the spectrum of potential conflict.

Lastly, understanding the human elements of the regime’s nuclear program will be important for the eventual transitional justice process that will take place. Although this is just one part of Korean society that has suffered human rights abuses, understanding what the Kim family regime has done to the Korean people in pursuit of nuclear weapons to remain in power will contribute important information and evidence for the investigations that must occur in support of transitional justice.

Slaves to the Bomb: The Role and Fate of North Korea's Nuclear Scientists

Robert Collins

May 17, 2024

https://www.hrnk.org/publications/hrnk-publications.php

2. American IT Scammer Helped North Korea Fund Nuclear Weapons Program, U.S. Says

We overlook north Korea's malign activities at our peril.

Excerpts:

International experts have long said that North Korea has been developing a digital bank-robbing army to evade harsh sanctions and support its ambitions to project geopolitical power through nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. More recently, it has found success earning money by snagging IT jobs, which investigators and U.S. intelligence officials have said sometimes serve a dual purpose: to get direct revenue from the job and, in some cases, obtain access to computer networks that could be leveraged to further Pyongyang’s lucrative cybercrime operations.

“North Korea has weaponized its tech talent and created the ultimate insider threat,” said Michael Barnhart, an analyst at Google’s Mandiant intelligence division. The IT scams “are providing a foothold into major organizations” for North Korea’s hackers, he said.

Chapman operated a laptop farm out of her home in Arizona, where she hosted more than 90 computers, each operated by remote access as if it was being used by a U.S.-based employee on a regular basis, prosecutors allege. The workers would use her address and bank accounts to receive wages, which prosecutors say she then transferred abroad. 

The companies targeted include a major television network, a Silicon Valley tech company, an aerospace and defense company, an American car manufacturer, a luxury retail store and a media and entertainment company, the Justice Department said.

At least three attempts to infiltrate two different U.S. government agencies were unsuccessful, the department said, although court documents show at least one individual was hired for a government contract in late 2023 by a tech-staffing firm using a compromised identity. 

American IT Scammer Helped North Korea Fund Nuclear Weapons Program, U.S. Says

Justice Department alleges Arizona woman and others helped foreign workers with North Korean connections get freelance gigs at U.S. companies

https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/american-it-scammer-helped-north-korea-fund-nuclear-weapons-program-u-s-says-65430aa7?mod=Searchresults_pos3&page=1

By Mariah Timms

Follow and Dustin Volz

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May 16, 2024 2:13 pm ET

The Justice Department said $6.8 million of revenue was sent overseas in the alleged fraud scheme. PHOTO: FARRAH SKEIKY FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

More than 300 U.S. companies unknowingly hired foreign nationals with ties to North Korea for remote IT work, sending $6.8 million of revenue overseas in a sprawling fraud scheme that helped the isolated country fund its nuclear weapons program, the Justice Department alleged Thursday.

The ring sheds light on what U.S. officials have framed as a shadow workforce of thousands of North Korean IT workers in low-level positions across the world that have helped Pyongyang evade harsh international sanctions and raise billions through various computer fraud and hacking efforts, often with the help of westerners who pose as would-be job applicants. 

An indictment unsealed Thursday revealed a new domestic connection to the scheme, with prosecutors alleging an American citizen willingly participated in it. Two people—an Arizona woman and a Ukrainian man—have been arrested, while investigators continue to search for at least four other foreign co-conspirators.

Inside a Top-Secret U.S. Military Bunker as North Korea Tensions Rise

Inside a Top-Secret U.S. Military Bunker as North Korea Tensions Rise

Play video: Inside a Top-Secret U.S. Military Bunker as North Korea Tensions Rise

WSJ’s Timothy Martin goes inside an underground bunker complex where operations of U.S. and South Korean forces would be centralized during a war with the Kim Jong Un regime. Photo: Diana Chan

Since at least 2018, the defendants and others helped foreigners obtain freelance IT work at U.S. companies with stolen or borrowed identities, according to court documents. Federal investigators found at least 60 compromised U.S. identities, some used multiple times at different companies simultaneously. 

Christina Marie Chapman, 49, of Litchfield Park, Ariz., was arrested in the state Wednesday; earlier this month, Oleksandr Didenko, 27, of Kyiv, Ukraine, was arrested in Poland, where he remains, pending extradition, the department said.  

The two face charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and identity theft, money laundering and the unlawful employment of aliens.

Lawyers for Chapman and Didenko couldn’t immediately be identified. 

The federal government is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information related to four alleged co-conspirators.

International experts have long said that North Korea has been developing a digital bank-robbing army to evade harsh sanctions and support its ambitions to project geopolitical power through nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. More recently, it has found success earning money by snagging IT jobs, which investigators and U.S. intelligence officials have said sometimes serve a dual purpose: to get direct revenue from the job and, in some cases, obtain access to computer networks that could be leveraged to further Pyongyang’s lucrative cybercrime operations.

“North Korea has weaponized its tech talent and created the ultimate insider threat,” said Michael Barnhart, an analyst at Google’s Mandiant intelligence division. The IT scams “are providing a foothold into major organizations” for North Korea’s hackers, he said.

Chapman operated a laptop farm out of her home in Arizona, where she hosted more than 90 computers, each operated by remote access as if it was being used by a U.S.-based employee on a regular basis, prosecutors allege. The workers would use her address and bank accounts to receive wages, which prosecutors say she then transferred abroad. 

The companies targeted include a major television network, a Silicon Valley tech company, an aerospace and defense company, an American car manufacturer, a luxury retail store and a media and entertainment company, the Justice Department said.

At least three attempts to infiltrate two different U.S. government agencies were unsuccessful, the department said, although court documents show at least one individual was hired for a government contract in late 2023 by a tech-staffing firm using a compromised identity. 

Through a website that remained active until Wednesday, Didenko allegedly connected foreign nationals seeking U.S. remote work with fake identities and laptop farms that could make it appear the workers were domestic job applicants. He also allegedly funneled wages out of the country for a fee.

Didenko, who maintained a database of more than 850 faked identities, knew that some of his customers were North Korean, prosecutors alleged.

Write to Mariah Timms at mariah.timms@wsj.com and Dustin Volz at dustin.volz@wsj.com

3. Kim's sister denies North Korea has supplied weapons to Russia

Admit nothing, deny everything, and make counter accusations.

Kim's sister denies North Korea has supplied weapons to Russia

AP · by HYUNG-JIN KIM · May 17, 2024

By

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SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un again denied Friday that her country has exported any weapons to Russia, as she labeled outside speculation on North Korea-Russian arms dealings as “the most absurd paradox.”

The U.S., South Korea and others have steadfastly accused North Korea of supplying artillery, missiles and other conventional weapons to Russia for its war in Ukraine in return for advanced military technologies and economic aid. Both North Korea and Russia have repeatedly dismissed that.

Foreign experts believe North Korea’s recent series of artillery and short-range missile tests were meant to examine or advertise the weapons it was planning to sell to Russia.

Kim Yo Jong called outside assessments on the North Korean-Russian dealings “the most absurd paradox which is not worth making any evaluation or interpretation.”

“We have no intention to export our military technical capabilities to any country or open them to the public,” she said in a statement carried by state media.

She said North Korea’s recent weapons tests were purely performed as parts of the country’s five-year arms buildup plan launched in 2021. She added that the recently tested weapons are designed to attack Seoul, the South Korean capital.

“We don’t conceal the fact that such weapons will be used to prevent Seoul from inventing any idle thinking,” Kim Yo Jong said.

South Korea’s Unification Ministry responded later Friday that it is fully ready to repel military threats by North Korea in step with its military alliance with the U.S. Deputy ministry spokesperson Kim Inae also said that “illegal” arms dealings between North Korea and Russia must be stopped immediately.

Any weapons trade with North Korea would be a violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions that Russia, a permanent U.N. Security Council member, previously endorsed.

In March, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Wonsik said North Korea had shipped about 7,000 containers filled with munitions and other military equipment to Russia since last year. In return, Shin said that North Korea had received more than 9,000 Russian containers likely filled with aid.

In January, U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said North Korea-supplied missiles had been fired on Ukraine. At the time, Ukraine officials also said an investigation of the debris of a missile found in its northeastern Kharkiv region showed the weapon likely was from North Korea.

In May, the White House also said Russia was shipping refined petroleum to North Korea at levels that exceed U.N. Security Council limits.

The deepening North Korean-Russia ties come as both countries are locked in separate confrontations with the United States — North Korea over its advancing nuclear program and Russia over its protracted war in Ukraine.

Since 2022, North Korea has conducted a provocative run of missiles tests, prompting the U.S. to expand its military drills with South Korea and Japan. Foreign experts say North Korea likely thinks an enlarged weapons arsenal would boost its leverage in future diplomacy with the United States.

___

Follow AP’s Asia-Pacific coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific

AP · by HYUNG-JIN KIM · May 17, 2024

4. Arizona woman charged in North Korean IT worker scheme that raised millions

Arizona woman charged in North Korean IT worker scheme that raised millions | CNN Politics

CNN · by Sean Lyngaas, Holmes Lybrand, Evan Perez · May 16, 2024

The North Korean flag flies above the North Korean embassy in Beijing on September 9, 2016.

Greg Baker/AFP/Getty Images

CNN —

US federal prosecutors on Thursday charged an Arizona woman with participating in an elaborate fraud scheme to help foreign IT workers pose as Americans, get hired by major US companies and earn $6.8 million in revenue that could benefit the nuclear-armed North Korean regime.

The scheme compromised the identities of 60 Americans and affected 300 US companies, including a major national TV network, a “premier” Silicon Valley tech company, and an “iconic” American car maker, says an indictment unsealed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia. The indictment did not name of the companies.

The Arizona woman, Christina Chapman, is accused of running a “laptop farm” from her home, in which she logged into US company-issued laptops on behalf of the foreign IT workers to trick companies into believing the workers were living in the US. At least some of the workers are described as North Korean nationals in the indictment.

The court documents shed light on a broader phenomenon that US national officials have been trying to thwart for years: How thousands of North Korean overseas IT workers are trying to subvert sanctions and send untold amounts of money back to Pyongyang.

Chapman is charged with nine counts including conspiracy to defraud the US. She has been arrested and is expected to make her initial court appearance in Arizona on Thursday, a law enforcement official familiar with the matter told CNN. Court records did not identify a lawyer for Chapman.

“The conspiracy perpetrated a staggering fraud on a multitude of industries, at the expense of generally unknowing U.S. companies and persons,” the indictment says.

The overseas IT workers also “attempted to gain employment and access to information at two different U.S. government agencies on three different occasions,” the indictment says, not naming the agencies. Those attempts were “discovered and thwarted,” prosecutors said.

In a separate criminal complaint unsealed Thursday, a Ukrainian man named Oleksandr Didenko was accused of operating at least three “laptop farms” comprised of 79 computers in San Diego; Jefferson City, Tennessee; and Virginia Beach, Virginia. Didenko ran a business that allowed clients, including overseas IT workers, to use false identities to get hired for remote work, prosecutors alleged. A person who gave their name as Christina Chapman was among the people that Didenko shipped a laptop to, according to the complaint.

When the FBI used a warrant to search Chapman’s residence in October, agents found more than 90 computers, the complaint says. Three jobs filled by North Korean IT workers at US companies were tied through business records to the computers found in Chapmans’ residence, according to the complaint.

Didenko is accused of aggravated identity theft and wire fraud among other charges. He is not yet in custody in the US, the law enforcement official told CNN.

North Korean IT workers generally pose as other nationalities, offer to work remotely and apply for jobs in gaming, IT support, and artificial intelligence, among other sectors, according to a 2022 public warning from the State Department and other agencies.

FBI agents and State and Treasury officials have been quietly trying to raise awareness of the North Korean insider threat by conducting briefings for business executives and chasing down leads about potential North Korean IT workers at US companies.

Some of these IT workers work closely with North Korean hackers, who are also a rich source of revenue for the regime, according to experts. About half of North Korea’s missile program has been funded by cyberattacks and cryptocurrency theft, a White House official said last year.

“By directing its IT workers to gain employment at Western companies, North Korea has weaponized its tech talent and created the ultimate insider threat,” Michael Barnhart, a North Korea specialist at Google-owned cybersecurity firm Mandiant, told CNN.

“These operatives bypass sanctions by diverting their paychecks to help fund North Korea’s nuclear program. Simultaneously, they’re providing a foothold into major organizations for North Korea’s more advanced threat groups,” Barnhart said.

A previous CNN investigation found that the founder of a California-based cryptocurrency startup had unwittingly paid tens of thousands of dollars to a North Korean engineer. The entrepreneur was unaware of the situation until the FBI notified him, he said.

And North Korean illustrators and graphic designers appear to have helped produce work for US animation studios unbeknownst to those companies, independent researchers told CNN last month. The researchers discovered a trove of cartoon sketches on an open computer server on the North Korean portion of the internet.

The State Department on Thursday offered $5 million in rewards for “information that leads to the disruption” of North Korean money laundering or other financial fraud.

The State Department rarely reveals details of the fruits of its “Rewards for Justice” program, which the department says has paid about $250 million to some 125 people worldwide over the last 40 years for tips that helped apprehend terrorists and counter national security threats. But the department did say on Thursday that it had paid $5 million each to two unnamed people whose information “helped disrupt an illicit financial scheme that benefited” North Korea.

CNN · by Sean Lyngaas, Holmes Lybrand, Evan Perez · May 16, 2024

5. Charges and Seizures Brought in Fraud Scheme, Aimed at Denying Revenue for Workers Associated with North Korea

Charges and Seizures Brought in Fraud Scheme, Aimed at Denying Revenue for Workers Associated with North Korea

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/charges-and-seizures-brought-fraud-scheme-aimed-denying-revenue-workers-associated-north

Thursday, May 16, 2024

For Immediate Release

Office of Public Affairs

IT Workers Infiltrated More than 300 U.S. Companies, Earning Millions

The Justice Department unsealed charges, seizures, and other court-authorized actions to disrupt the illicit revenue generation efforts of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK or North Korea).

The charges include prosecutions of an Arizona woman, Ukrainian man, and three unidentified foreign nationals who allegedly participated in schemes to place overseas information technology (IT) workers—posing as U.S. citizens and residents—in remote positions at U.S. companies. 

As alleged in the court documents, DPRK has dispatched thousands of skilled IT workers around the world, who used stolen or borrowed U.S. persons’ identities to pose as domestic workers, infiltrate domestic companies’ networks, and raise revenue for North Korea. The schemes described in court documents involved defrauding over 300 U.S. companies using U.S. payment platforms and online job site accounts, proxy computers located in the United States, and witting and unwitting U.S. persons and entities. This announcement includes the largest case ever charged by the Justice Department involving this type of IT workers’ scheme.

Two criminal prosecutions brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, one in partnership with the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, were unsealed today. As part of the prosecutions, two defendants have been arrested and related seizures and search warrants have been executed in Washington, D.C., and other jurisdictions. The investigations were led by the FBI Phoenix and New York Field Offices and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and coordinated with five other FBI field offices and four other U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, producing arrests in the United States and Poland, the execution of five premises search warrants, and the seizure of illicitly obtained wages and a website domain.

“As alleged in the indictment, Chapman and her co-conspirators committed fraud and stole the identities of American citizens to enable individuals based overseas to pose as domestic, remote IT workers,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The charges in this case should be a wakeup call for American companies and government agencies that employ remote IT workers. These crimes benefitted the North Korean government, giving it a revenue stream and, in some instances, proprietary information stolen by the co-conspirators. The Criminal Division remains firm in its commitment to prosecute complex criminal schemes like this one.”

“Today’s announcement of charges and law enforcement action show our broad approach to attacking funding sources for North Korea across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “We will continue to vigorously pursue cases against individuals, in the United States and abroad, that use U.S. financial systems to raise revenue for North Korea.” 

“On the surface, today’s allegations of wire fraud, identity theft, and money laundering may read like a typical white collar or economic crime scheme,” said Assistant Director Kevin Vorndran of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “But what these allegations truly represent is a new high-tech campaign to evade U.S. sanctions, victimize U.S. businesses, and steal U.S. identities. The charges clearly demonstrate how the FBI and its partners will employ every resource at our disposal to bring to justice anyone who helps North Korea evade sanctions.”

An indictment was unsealed today in the District of Columbia against U.S. citizen Christina Marie Chapman, 49, of Litchfield Park, Arizona, related to her participation in a scheme to assist overseas IT workers—posing as U.S. citizens and residents—in working at more than 300 U.S. companies in remote IT positions. Chapman was arrested yesterday in Litchfield Park, Arizona.

As alleged in the indictment, Chapman and her co-conspirators’ scheme defrauded U.S. companies across myriad industries, including multiple well-known Fortune 500 companies, U.S. banks, and other financial service providers. The identities of more than 60 U.S. persons were compromised and used by IT workers related to Chapman’s cell.

In addition to Chapman, the indictment charged three foreign nationals with money laundering for their participation in the scheme. As alleged in the indictment, the department seized wages earned by more than 19 overseas IT workers and will seek forfeiture of the same.

Additionally, a criminal complaint was unsealed today in the District of Columbia charging Ukrainian national Oleksandr Didenko, 27, of Kyiv, with a separate years-long scheme to create fake accounts at U.S. IT job search platforms and with U.S.-based money service transmitters.

As alleged in the complaint, Didenko sold the accounts to overseas IT workers, some of whom he believed were North Korean, and the overseas IT workers used the false identities to apply for jobs with unsuspecting companies. Several U.S. persons had their identities used by IT workers related to Didenko’s cell, and evidence in the complaint showed that the overseas IT workers using Didenko’s services were also working with Chapman. Polish authorities arrested Didenko on May 7 at the request of the United States, which is seeking Didenko’s extradition from Poland.

Didenko’s company’s online domain, upworksell.com, was also seized today by the Justice Department pursuant to a court order, and all traffic diverted to the FBI.

Related to the above schemes, the FBI executed search warrants for U.S. based “laptop farms,” residences that hosted multiple laptops for overseas IT workers, wherein U.S.-based facilitators logged onto U.S. company computer networks and then allowed the overseas IT workers to remotely access those laptops through various software applications. The overseas IT workers used the laptop farms’ U.S. Internet Protocol addresses to make it appear as though they were operating inside the United States. Chapman’s residence was searched in October 2023 pursuant to a search warrant issued in the District of Arizona, resulting in evidence that is reflected in the indictment. Search warrants for four U.S. residences associated with laptop farms controlled by Didenko were issued in the Southern District of California, Eastern District of Tennessee, and Eastern District of Virginia, and executed between May 8 and May 10.

Concurrent with today’s announcement, the U.S. Department of State announced a reward of up to $5 million for information related to Chapman’s coconspirators: John Doe 1, alias Jiho Han; John Doe 2, alias Haoran Xu; John Doe 3, alias Chunji Jin; and an unindicted coconspirator utilizing aliases “Zhonghua” and “Venechor S.”

Chapman Indictment, Money Seizures, and Premises Warrant

According to the indictment, the overseas IT workers associated with Chapman, many of whom were tied to North Korea, posed as U.S. citizens using the stolen, false, or borrowed identities of U.S. nationals, and applied for positions at U.S companies, causing the transmission of false documentation to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The overseas IT workers gained employment at U.S. companies, including at a top-five major television network, a Silicon Valley technology company, an aerospace manufacturer, an American car manufacturer, a luxury retail store, and a U.S.-hallmark media and entertainment company, all of which were Fortune 500 companies. Some of these companies were purposely targeted by a group of DPRK IT workers, who maintained postings for companies at which they wanted to insert IT workers.

Chapman ran a “laptop farm,” hosting the overseas IT workers’ computers inside her home so it appeared that the computers were located in the United States, and also received and forged payroll checks and received direct deposits of the overseas IT workers’ wages from the U.S. companies into her U.S. financial accounts. The overseas IT workers also attempted to gain employment and access to information at two different U.S. government agencies on three different occasions, although these efforts were generally unsuccessful. The overseas IT workers associated with Chapman’s cell were paid millions for their work, much of which has been falsely reported to the IRS and the Social Security Administration in the name of the actual U.S. persons whose identities were stolen or borrowed. Chapman also allegedly conspired with the John Doe defendants to commit money laundering by conducting financial transactions under aliases to receive money generated by the scheme and transfer those funds outside of the United States, in an attempt to hide that these were proceeds of the IT workers’ fraud.

Chapman and her co-conspirators allegedly compromised more than 60 identities of U.S. persons, impacted more than 300 U.S. companies, caused false information to be conveyed to DHS on more than 100 occasions, created false tax liabilities for more than 35 U.S. persons, and resulted in at least $6.8 million of revenue to be generated for the overseas IT workers. The department seized funds related to scheme from Chapman as well as wages and monies accrued by more than 19 overseas IT workers.

“Using the stolen identities of U.S. citizens is a crime by itself, but when you use those identities to procure employment for foreign nationals with ties to North Korea at hundreds of U.S. companies, you have compromised the national security of an entire nation,” said Chief Guy Ficco of IRS-CI. “For more than 100 years, IRS Criminal Investigation special agents have been following the money, and their financial expertise has once again stopped criminals in their tracks.”

Chapman is charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to commit identity fraud, conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, operating as an unlicensed money transmitting business, and unlawful employment of aliens. The John Does are charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, Chapman faces a maximum penalty of 97.5 years in prison, including a mandatory minimum of two years in prison on the aggravated identity theft count, and the John Does face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

The FBI Phoenix Field Office and IRS-CI Phoenix Field Office are investigating this case, with assistance from the FBI Chicago Field Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen P. Seifert for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Ashley R. Pungello of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are prosecuting this case, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Brian Rickers and Jorge Casillas. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona and Trial Attorney Gregory Nicosia of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section also provided valuable assistance.

Didenko Complaint, Domain Seizure, and Premises Warrants

According to the criminal complaint, Didenko allegedly engaged in a multi-year scheme to create accounts at U.S.-based freelance IT job search platforms and with U.S. money service transmitters in the names of false identities, including identities of U.S. persons, and sold these accounts to overseas IT workers. Didenko ran a website, upworksell.com, which advertised creating, buying, and renting accounts at U.S. websites using false identities, and also advertised “Credit Card Rental” in the European Union and the United States and SIM card rental for cellular phones. Didenko allegedly offered a full array of services to allow an individual to pose under a false identity and market themselves for remote IT work with unsuspecting companies. As stated, Didenko’s domain was seized as part of the case.

According to the affidavit in support of the complaint, Didenko is alleged to have managed as many as approximately 871 “proxy” identities, provided proxy accounts for three freelance U.S. IT hiring platforms, and provided proxy accounts for three different U.S.-based money service transmitters. In coordination with his co-conspirators, Didenko facilitated the operation of at least three U.S.-based laptop farms, at one point hosting approximately 79 computers. Didenko sent or received $920,000 in U.S. dollar payments since July 2018.

Didenko acknowledged in messages that he believed he was assisting North Korean IT workers. One of Didenko’s overseas IT worker customers also requested that a laptop be sent from one of Didenko’s U.S. laptop farms to Chapman’s laptop farm, showing the interconnectivity of these cells within the DPRK overseas IT worker network. Search warrants of Didenko’s laptop farms were executed in early May.

If convicted, Didenko faces a maximum penalty of 67.5 years in prison, including a mandatory minimum of two years in prison on the aggravated identity theft count.

The FBI New York Field Office is investigating this case. The FBI Norfolk and San Diego Field Offices and the Jefferson City, Tennessee, Resident Agency provided assistance in executing search warrants.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen P. Seifert and Steven Wasserman for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Brian Rickers and Jorge Casillas and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of California, Eastern District of Tennessee, and Eastern District of Virginia, Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, and Trial Attorney Jacques-Singer Emory of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section provided valuable assistance as well.

***

The FBI, along with the Departments of State and Treasury, issued a May 2022 advisory to alert the international community, private sector, and public about the North Korea IT worker threat. Updated guidance was issued in October 2023 by the United States and the Republic of Korea (South Korea), which includes indicators to watch for that are consistent with North Korea IT worker fraud.

An indictment and a criminal complaint are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Updated May 16, 2024

6. N. Korea fires short-range ballistic missiles toward East Sea: JCS

(2nd LD) N. Korea fires short-range ballistic missiles toward East Sea: JCS | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Eun-jung · May 17, 2024

(ATTN: UPDATES with latest details in paras 3-4)

By Kim Eun-jung

SEOUL, May 17 (Yonhap) -- North Korea fired several short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Friday, the South Korean military said, a day after South Korea and the United States staged combined aerial drills involving advanced stealth jets.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected what are presumed to be short-range missiles fired off the eastern coastal city of Wonsan at 3:10 p.m. toward the East Sea.

"The North Korean missiles flew about 300 kilometers and landed in the East Sea," the JCS said.

The South Korean military denounced the latest missile launch as "a provocative act" that threatens security and stability on the Korean Peninsula and vowed to sternly respond to the North's provocations.

"Our military has ramped up monitoring and vigilance against additional launches, while closely sharing information related to North Korean ballistic missiles with the U.S. and Japanese authorities," the JCS said in a text message to reporters.

The launch comes after the North fired 600-mm super-large shells, considered to be short-range ballistic missiles, toward the East Sea on April 22. North Korean state media said leader Kim Jong-un has guided tactical drills simulating a nuclear counterattack involving "super-large" multiple rocket launchers for the first time.

A tactical drill simulating a nuclear counterattack by North Korean super-large multiple rocket units is under way under the inspection of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on April 22, 2024, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

Pyongyang's latest missile launch comes a day after two South Korean F-35As and two U.S. F-22 Raptors carried out joint combat drills over the central region of South Korea in an apparent show of air power against evolving North Korean military threats.

On the same day, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping issued a joint statement opposing "acts of military intimidation" against North Korea by the U.S. and its allies during their summit in Beijing.

Earlier in the day, Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, dismissed allegations of military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow, emphasizing the country's weapons are solely intended to target South Korea.

ejkim@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Eun-jung · May 17, 2024

7. Ex-president Moon recalls in memoir N.K. leader voiced will not to use nukes

Should we believe the word of Kim Jong Un?

Ex-president Moon recalls in memoir N.K. leader voiced will not to use nukes | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · May 17, 2024

SEOUL, May 17 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had voiced frustration over global skepticism on his will for denuclearization, stressing he had no intention to use nuclear weapons, a memoir written by former President Moon Jae-in showed Friday.

The details of exchanges between Moon and Kim during their first summit held in April 2018 were shared in the book, of which the title translates into "From the Periphery to the Center." It recounts significant diplomatic events, such as Moon's summit meetings with Kim and former U.S. President Donald Trump, during his five-year presidency that ended in May 2022.

During the 2018 inter-Korean summit, Kim was quoted as saying by Moon that he "has no intention at all to use nuclear weapons" and that he "does not want his daughter's generation to shoulder" such a burden.

This June 30, 2019, file photo shows then South Korean President Moon Jae-in (R) and his U.S. and North Korean counterparts, Donald Trump (C) and Kim Jong-un, at the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom. (Yonhap)

In the memoir, Moon recollected some symbolic moments during the historic inter-Korean summit.

During a private conversation on a footbridge, Moon said he encouraged Kim to handle the North Korea-U.S. talks well, while Kim asked the former president how he could persuade Washington and make the United States accept Pyongyang's sincerity.

Moon also gave assessments of his North Korean and U.S. counterparts.

On Kim, the former president said the North Korean leader was "completely different" from how he was depicted in the media, saying he was a polite and respectful person whom Moon felt he could talk to.

Moon said Trump was "far from being ideological" and had a "practical" attitude for dialogue, which were favorable traits for the former president who was pursuing a peace process on the Korean Peninsula, according to the memoir.

The former president still said it is "very regretful" that Kim defined inter-Korean ties as relations between "two states hostile to each other," saying this is "not an attitude of a national leader who seeks peace."

The North Korean leader made the statement at a year-end party meeting and vowed not to regard the South as a counterpart for reconciliation and unification.

mlee@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · May 17, 2024

8. N. Korea installing mines, reinforcing barbed wire inside DMZ: source

Missiles fired, mines laid.

N. Korea installing mines, reinforcing barbed wire inside DMZ: source | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · May 17, 2024

SEOUL, May 17 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has been installing mines and reinforcing barbed-wire fences in multiple locations inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas more actively than usual, a South Korean military source said Friday.

The military recently detected the North deploying hundreds of personnel to lay the mines and conduct other reinforcement activity inside the inter-Korean buffer zone in the eastern and central front lines, according to the source.

"The North Korean military is conducting various activities in four to five locations within the DMZ, such as installing mines and reinforcing barbed wires," the source said. "About 100 to 200 personnel have been mobilized by region, centering on the eastern and central front lines."

Such North Korean military activities are not unusual, but the South's military is closely monitoring the situation as the North has mobilized more troops this year than before.

The source said the North has also brought in heavy equipment inside the DMZ, a move that could be a violation of the armistice that ended the fighting in the 1950-53 Korean War.

A Joint Chiefs of Staff official said the military is closely monitoring the North Korean military and that it is closely working with the U.N. Command that oversees activities in the DMZ.

The official declined to comment further, citing possible risks to troop safety.

The move comes as North Korean troops have been spotted installing land mines on roads connecting the two Koreas since late last year, after Pyongyang announced last November it would restore all measures halted under a 2018 inter-Korean military accord designed to reduce tensions.

This file photo taken June 2013 shows a mine warning sign inside the Demilitarized Zone in Yeoncheon County, 60 kilometers north of Seoul. (Yonhap)

yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · May 17, 2024

9. Ukraine war ramifications in Asia

Quite a critique:

However, the West’s serious lack of prudence is evident as demonstrated by the evolving circumstances, both within and without Ukraine, such as Russia’s operational superiority in land warfare, the strong negative boomerang effect of the West’s economic sanctions against Russia, the West’s fatigue in continuing arms transfer and economic aid to Ukraine, the Russia-China strategic alignment and the West’s growing isolation from major Global South countries, all of which might accelerate the relative decline of the West in world politics.

Hence, the recent developments in North Korean affairs are merely epiphenomenal to the US’ relative decline as a result of its confrontation with Russia centered on the war in Ukraine.

With the UN sanctions regime hollowing out, Pyongyang is moving out of international isolation, and might find greater diplomatic and international economic opportunities with Russia and from many Global South countries. It could rise as a political-military middle power, particularly if it completes limited, but significant nuclear weapons development.

As a result, Japan as a frontline liberal-democratic state would face three nuclear-armed neighbors: Russia, China and North Korea.

The limited war in Ukraine has brought repercussions in Northeast Asia and might generate severe adverse regional ramifications for great power relations.

Japan and major European powers must enhance their solidarity and cooperation in international security while diplomatically striving to put an end to the war in Ukraine.

Fri, May 17, 2024 page8

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2024/05/17/2003817971

Ukraine war ramifications in Asia

• By Masahiro Matsumura
• 
  
•  
•  
• On March 28, the UN Security Council disbanded the Panel of Experts, an auxiliary panel to the Sanctions Committee on North Korea that monitored the enforcement of UN sanctions imposed on North Korea, due to Russia’s veto against the annual renewal of its mandate.
• The council’s Resolution 1718 created the committee in 2006 soon after North Korea’s first nuclear test and, since 2009 the committee has relied on the panel for impartial and authoritative fact-finding information to ensure the implementation of the sanctions.
• Although the committee would continue, and is the core of the sanctions regime, the effectiveness of the sanctions regime would be hollowed out because the panel’s impartiality and authority cannot easily be replaced by other sources of information, and the compliance of individual UN member states.
• The veto marked a shift in Russia’s North Korea policy. Amid the protracted war in Ukraine, Moscow-Pyongyang relations have seen a swift formation of strategic alignment against the US-led West. In return for substantial arms transfer to Moscow, such as cannon shells and ballistic missiles, Pyongyang is receiving benefits from Russia in the form of food and oil assistance, and military technology transfers.
• Needless to say, this contravenes legally binding UN sanctions against Pyongyang, which Moscow agreed to, or at least it did not veto. In principle, the council could seek to impose economic and military sanctions on Russia, but in practice, Moscow could just sanction any proposal brought to the Council.
• It appears that Moscow is purposely disrupting the UN-centered international legal order.
• Moscow is now seen as a revisionist power intent on overthrowing the order, especially from the perspective of liberal democracies where the domestic rule of law is firmly established.
• Yet no international order is politically neutral, as orders are built on the “status quo” characterized by the values and interests of the great powers who shape and form that order.
• This is inevitable given the anarchical nature of international relations, where interests and power sometimes play a more decisive role than values, especially when a particular basic value or interest is not shared or only loosely shared among great powers.
• The UN was constructed upon a military alliance formed during World War II. As a result, the UN Charter gives a veto in the Security Council to the Permanent Five (P5) victorious allied powers, reflecting their realpolitik interests and power relations at the time of its establishment.
• This means that the council can only function well when the P5, particularly the US, Russia and China, see no serious challenge to their values, interests and power. Thus, it is imperative that a good balance be struck between the three great powers in international relations by continually making compromises among the P5. Pushing hard on one particular factor against the other two would only impair the council’s function.
• Unfortunately, the West committed a fatal mistake in prioritizing liberal-democratic enlargement through NATO’s eastward expansion, especially to Ukraine. The priority might be politically correct, but it substantially challenged Russia’s interests and power and weakened the basis of the UN-centered international legal order for peace and security.
• Thus, the ongoing protracted war in Ukraine as a de facto “surrogate war” between the US-led West and Russia is a natural consequence, at least in causation, but not in jus ad bellum, on the former’s breach of the realpolitik modus operandi, followed tit-for-tat by the latter’s reaction in the form of determined armed invasion of Ukraine.
• Power struggles are commonplace in international relations, and there is nothing wrong with the US-led West’s politico-strategic offensives against Russia.
• However, the West’s serious lack of prudence is evident as demonstrated by the evolving circumstances, both within and without Ukraine, such as Russia’s operational superiority in land warfare, the strong negative boomerang effect of the West’s economic sanctions against Russia, the West’s fatigue in continuing arms transfer and economic aid to Ukraine, the Russia-China strategic alignment and the West’s growing isolation from major Global South countries, all of which might accelerate the relative decline of the West in world politics.
• Hence, the recent developments in North Korean affairs are merely epiphenomenal to the US’ relative decline as a result of its confrontation with Russia centered on the war in Ukraine.
• With the UN sanctions regime hollowing out, Pyongyang is moving out of international isolation, and might find greater diplomatic and international economic opportunities with Russia and from many Global South countries. It could rise as a political-military middle power, particularly if it completes limited, but significant nuclear weapons development.
• As a result, Japan as a frontline liberal-democratic state would face three nuclear-armed neighbors: Russia, China and North Korea.
• The limited war in Ukraine has brought repercussions in Northeast Asia and might generate severe adverse regional ramifications for great power relations.
• Japan and major European powers must enhance their solidarity and cooperation in international security while diplomatically striving to put an end to the war in Ukraine.
• Masahiro Matsumura is a professor of international politics and national security at St. Andrew’s University in Osaka, Japan, and a 2024 ROC-MOFA Taiwan Fellow-in-Residence at NCCU-IIR Taiwan Center for Security Studies.

10. N. Korea slams planned S. Korea-U.S. military drills, warns of 'catastrophic aftermath'

The regime is starting early this year. This may be another indication that the regime has to raise tensions and develop the perception of a threat from the ROK/US alliance in response to internal stressors. 

Kim must use the perceived threat to justify the suffering and sacrifice of the Korean people in the north.

(LEAD) N. Korea slams planned S. Korea-U.S. military drills, warns of 'catastrophic aftermath' | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · May 17, 2024

(ATTN: ADDS more details in last 2 paras)

SEOUL, May 17 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Friday denounced a plan by South Korea and the United States to stage their joint annual military drills in August, warning that they could face a "catastrophic aftermath" if they carry out the exercise.

The Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) by Seoul and Washington is a "nuclear attack exercise" against Pyongyang that will involve state-of-the-art military equipment, including nuclear strategic assets, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

In December 2023, South Korea and the U.S. agreed to hold a discussion-based exercise simulating North Korea's use of a nuclear weapon in conjunction with the UFS. It would mark the first time such training takes place.

"The joint military exercise slated for August aims to complete the U.S.' nuclear war plan ... and fully implement it. This clearly shows that Washington's claim that it has no hostile intent is nothing but a deceptive hypocrisy," the KCNA said.

An F-22 Raptor aircraft lands at Kunsan Air Base in Gunsan, 178 kilometers south of Seoul, on May 13, 2024, in this photo provided by the U.S. military. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

In a separate KCNA dispatch, the North also denounced the latest joint air combat drills between advanced South Korean and U.S. stealth fighters.

The exercise, involving two South Korean F-35As and two U.S. F-22 Raptors, took place over a central region in South Korea on Thursday, after the U.S. aircraft arrived in the country earlier this week.

"The 'revisit' of F-22 stealth fighters to the Korean peninsula only after seven months and their first 'simulated air battle' are another clear proof of the hostile nature of the U.S. which has persistently encroached upon regional countries' rights to security while seeking the showdown of force with the DPRK," the report said.

DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

South Korea's unification ministry said the joint military exercise is defensive in nature and aimed at preventing war, stressing that North Korea should not use it as a pretext for further provocations.

"The unification ministry will closely monitor North Korea's movements and thoroughly check all possibilities in close cooperation with relevant departments to prepare for any potential provocations," said Kim In-ae, the deputy spokesperson for the ministry, during a press briefing.

khj@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · May 17, 2024

11. Kim Jong-un’s daughter draws attention for unusual attire at public appearance

A see through blouse?

Kim Jong-un’s daughter draws attention for unusual attire at public appearance

https://www.chosun.com/english/north-korea-en/2024/05/17/RC7YFZN4DRF3ZBCG5XXHUHK23I/

By Kim Myeong-il

Published 2024.05.17. 14:26

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his daughter, Kim Ju-ae, attended the completion ceremony of the Jeonwi Street on May 14, 2024, as reported by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on May 15./KCNA

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s daughter, Kim Ju-ae, garnered attention for her attire during a public appearance. On May 14, Ju-ae attended the completion ceremony of a new street in Pyongyang’s northern region, named ‘Jeonwi Street,’ wearing a see-through blouse. It is uncommon for young girls to wear revealing clothing in conservative North Korea. While Ju-ae’s exact age is unknown, experts estimate she is between 10 and 12 years old.

Cheong Seong-chang, chief of the Center for Korean Peninsula Strategy at The Sejong Institute, analyzed the situation in an interview with Radio Free Asia, a U.S.-based North Korea-focused media outlet. He stated, “It’s less about the North Korean authorities orchestrating her appearance and more about her freely choosing her attire as a member of the Mout Paektu bloodline(Kim family).”

Cheong added, “Both Ri Sol-ju, Kim Jong-un’s wife, and Kim Ju-ae can break away from traditional constraints. This is causing a stir among North Korean residents, especially women, and is leading to changes in fashion within the country.”

Previously, Tae Yong-ho, a member of South Korea’s People Power Party, noted that Ju-ae growing her hair long is also considered bold in North Korea. During an interview, when her luxury coat made headlines, he remarked, “North Korean residents likely don’t recognize luxury brands. Instead, North Korean children and peers of Kim Ju-ae are probably more focused on her long hair.”

He explained, “In North Korea, there are strict guidelines for boys and girls on how they should wear their hair in elementary, middle, and high school. Seeing Kim Ju-ae with such long hair made me wonder how teachers would explain this to their students. Students might ask, ‘If the Supreme Leader’s daughter can have long hair, can we grow ours too?’ This could cause significant internal confusion, with students questioning, ‘Why can Kim Jong-un’s daughter do it but not us?’”

12. New Japanese ambassador to S. Korea vows to do his best for development of bilateral ties

IMportant mission. Tough job

(2nd LD) New Japanese ambassador to S. Korea vows to do his best for development of bilateral ties | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · May 17, 2024

(ATTN: UPDATES with more info; ADDS photo)

SEOUL, May 17 (Yonhap) -- New Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Koichi Mizushima said Friday he will do his best to improve bilateral relations between the two nations, calling Seoul an important partner for Tokyo.

Mizushima made the remarks upon his arrival at Gimpo International Airport, west of Seoul, to begin his tenure as the top envoy. He is replacing the outgoing envoy, Koichi Aiboshi.

"Relations have steadily progressed under the leadership of the two leaders since last year," he said, adding that he will work diligently to enhance this momentum.

New Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Koichi Mizushim arrives at Seoul's foreign ministry building in Seoul on May 17, 2024. (Yonhap)

Relations between the two neighboring countries have significantly improved since President Yoon Suk Yeol took office in May 2022. The administration has emphasized the importance of cooperation for the benefit of future generations.

His appointment comes ahead of a trilateral summit involving the leaders of South Korea, Japan and China, which is widely expected to take place in Seoul on May 26-27.

The envoy also highlighted that Seoul is an "important" partner for Tokyo in dealing with various tasks in the international community.

Noting that next year marks the 60th anniversary of South Korea and Japan normalizing diplomatic relations, Mizushima said he will strive to achieve further development of the relationship.

But when asked by reporters about controversies surrounding the popular Line messenger app, Mizushima remained silent.

Local tech giant Naver Corp. has faced apparent pressure from the Japanese government to sell its stake in the operator of Line, the biggest messenger app in Japan that Naver developed, following a massive leak of user information last year.

Later in the day, Mizushima submitted a copy of his credentials to Seoul's foreign ministry and made a courtesy call on First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun.

When asked about whether he has any message from Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, the diplomat briefly said, "Not today."

Kim congratulated Mizushima on his appointment, expressing hope that relations between the two sides could be strengthened in light of the 60th anniversary of normalizing diplomatic ties, the ministry said.

Kim also asked the Japanese diplomat to play an active role in the two countries' maintaining of stable bilateral relations.

The 62-year-old diplomat served as a minister at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul from July 2017-2019, before becoming the top envoy to Israel in January 2021.

This image, provided by the foreign ministry, shows new Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Koichi Mizushima (L) shaking hands with Seoul's First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun at the ministry building in Seoul on May 17, 2024. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

khj@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · May 17, 2024

13. US Republican leaders propose NATO-style nuclear agreement on Korean Peninsula

South Korea going unclear or redeployment of US nuclear weapons.

Excerpts:

“U.S. leaders hoped (in the early 1990s), for example, that removing our nuclear arms from South Korea would incentivize North Korea to stop production of its own. Instead, the security situation both on the peninsula and the Pacific has become significantly worse,” Sen. Roger Wicker, the ranking Republican member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, argued in an op-ed for Fox News on Wednesday. “It is time to pay attention to the blinking red light and to rethink our forward nuclear posture,” he added, stressing the need to establish nuclear burden-sharing agreements in the region, as NATO does in its territory.

Sen. James Risch, the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, echoed Wicker's sentiments. He emphasized that the option of reintroducing nuclear weapons to East Asia should not be considered taboo. This rare call for the redeployment of tactical nuclear weapons to the Korean Peninsula comes from the Republican leadership of two key Senate committees influential in shaping U.S. policy on the region as the country heads towards a presidential election.

US Republican leaders propose NATO-style nuclear agreement on Korean Peninsula

donga.com

Posted May. 17, 2024 08:03,

Updated May. 17, 2024 08:03

US Republican leaders propose NATO-style nuclear agreement on Korean Peninsula. May. 17, 2024 08:03. by 워싱턴=문병기 특파원 weappon@donga.com.

With North Korea rapidly advancing its nuclear and missile capabilities and China and Russia boosting their cooperation, the security landscape on the Korean Peninsula is undergoing significant changes. In response, a prominent U.S. senator has proposed the establishment of a nuclear sharing agreement in the Indo-Pacific region, similar to NATO's arrangements.

“U.S. leaders hoped (in the early 1990s), for example, that removing our nuclear arms from South Korea would incentivize North Korea to stop production of its own. Instead, the security situation both on the peninsula and the Pacific has become significantly worse,” Sen. Roger Wicker, the ranking Republican member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, argued in an op-ed for Fox News on Wednesday. “It is time to pay attention to the blinking red light and to rethink our forward nuclear posture,” he added, stressing the need to establish nuclear burden-sharing agreements in the region, as NATO does in its territory.

Sen. James Risch, the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, echoed Wicker's sentiments. He emphasized that the option of reintroducing nuclear weapons to East Asia should not be considered taboo. This rare call for the redeployment of tactical nuclear weapons to the Korean Peninsula comes from the Republican leadership of two key Senate committees influential in shaping U.S. policy on the region as the country heads towards a presidential election.

The Biden administration has focused on strengthening extended deterrence through the South Korea-U.S. Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG). Bonnie Jenkins, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, reiterated the administration’s commitment, saying, "We want South Korea to understand that our (nuclear umbrella) commitments are firm."

한국어

donga.com

14. N. Korean wholesalers demand market sellers pay in dollars, not yuan

Confidence in the dollar? Especially in times of conflict?

Are we seeing indications that the moneyed class is concerned with a war in the near future?

Excerpt:

“People who were indifferent to war before are now reacting sensitively to talk of war, especially people with money, perhaps because they know wars are ongoing in several countries,” the source said. “This is only amplifying the economic difficulties of market merchants.”

N. Korean wholesalers demand market sellers pay in dollars, not yuan - Daily NK English

The KPW-USD exchange rate is climbing as demand for dollars increases, with merchant losses growing as a result

By Lee Chae Un - May 17, 2024

dailynk.com · by Lee Chae Un · May 17, 2024

FILE PHOTO: A picture of a streetside market in Hoeryong taken in 2019. (Daily NK)

Wholesalers in some parts of North Korea have recently been demanding that market merchants pay in dollars for items they received on credit, Daily NK has learned.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a Daily NK source said last Friday that “wholesalers in Chongjin who used to take payment in yuan for items provided to market merchants on credit have suddenly begun asking for payments on dollars recently.” He said the market merchants are “bewildered by the abrupt demand.”

According to the source, Chongjin wholesalers began demanding market merchants pay in dollars early this month.

Concern that the yuan, which has dramatically strengthened recently, could collapse at any time amid rumors of a potential war between China and the United States is directly fueling the wholesalers’ demand, the source said.

“People say if a war breaks out between China and the U.S., the value of the yuan could instantly plummet, and people holding yuan could take huge losses,” the source said. “In response, people with yuan are rushing to change their money into dollars, and in this atmosphere, wholesalers have begun demanding payments in dollars.”

In these circumstances, the KPW-USD exchange rate is climbing as demand for dollars increases, with merchant losses growing as a result.

“Merchants were already struggling to pay off the principle with the KPW-RMB exchange rate climbing, so if they ask for dollars, the losses are magnified further,” the source said. “If the KPW-USD rate climbs, deficits inevitably grow because you have to change even more yuan into dollars.”

“Like the saying, ‘Only the shrimps die when whales fight,’ the people who suffer are ultimately the people struggling the most economically,” the source said. “People with money are trying to avoid losses, but with poor people continuing to take losses, they say they even want a war to break out — regardless of whether they live or die — so that there’s a change.”

Wholesalers in Hyesan, Yanggang Province, have also recently begun demanding payment in dollars.

A source in Yangang Province said rumors are circulating that with relations between China and the U.S. growing gradually worse, “a war could break out at any moment,” in which case “the dollar would be fine, but the yuan would plummet.”

As a result, wholesalers in Hyesan have begun demanding merchants pay for items in dollars instead of yuan. Some merchants have openly expressed their unhappiness with this to the wholesalers, sparking tensions.

“People who were indifferent to war before are now reacting sensitively to talk of war, especially people with money, perhaps because they know wars are ongoing in several countries,” the source said. “This is only amplifying the economic difficulties of market merchants.”

Translated by David Black. 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 Lee Chae Un · May 17, 2024

15. N. Korea, China appear to respond to criticism about human rights abuses in seafood factories

Small victories (30 minute lunch break). But this is why we need a human rights upfront approach. It moves the needle, even if only a little. And Kim Jong Un is pressured by human rights allegations.

N. Korea, China appear to respond to criticism about human rights abuses in seafood factories - Daily NK English

"They used to only give us five or ten minutes for our lunch break, but that’s gone up to thirty minutes," one North Korean laborer at a Chinese seafood factory told Daily NK

By Lee Sang Yong - May 17, 2024

dailynk.com · by Lee Sang Yong · May 17, 2024

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

North Korea and China have taken surprising steps to respond to The New Yorker’s coverage of the severe human rights abuses suffered by North Korean workers at seafood processing plants in China. The New Yorker article was based on a report released in late February by the Outlaw Ocean Project, a nonprofit investigative journalism outlet.

While North Korea and China focused on ways to minimize the economic fallout of international efforts to block imports of Chinese products made by North Korean workers, the two countries also seemed to be responding to criticism about human rights abuses.

Of particular note were North Korea’s encouraging instructions to local officials to improve working conditions, impose strict regulations at each worksite and instruct workers on their right to file complaints.

But how did conditions change at Chinese factories after the North Korean authorities ordered officials to pay more attention to protecting workers’ rights? Daily NK recently reached out to a North Korean worker at a seafood processing plant in China to hear about the situation on the ground.

Daily NK’s interview with the North Korean worker appears below.

Daily NK (DNK): The international community is focusing on the human rights situation of North Koreans working at seafood processing plants in China. Have you heard anything about it becoming tougher to export products following the recent media coverage?

I don’t know any details, but I’ve heard the gist.

DNK: What did you think after hearing that?

My first thought was that if there are fewer buyers, we’ll end up with less money.

DNK: North Koreans are said to be in poor working conditions. Do you agree with that?

Of course. Considering how little we get for working like oxen under these conditions, all [workers] probably think that.

DNK: The reports came out in late February. Have your working conditions changed at all since then?

For some reason, we’ve recently been getting more break time and have been working less at night. There’s no telling why that is, but it’s been great.

DNK: Can you describe that in a little more detail?

They used to only give us five or ten minutes for our lunch break, but that’s gone up to thirty minutes. And we often had to work on Sunday, but nowadays we generally get the day off.

DNK: There’s testimony about managers making sexual remarks. How has that been recently?

They still do that sometimes, but they seem to have really cut back on that.

DNK: A lot of women have apparently been forced into sexual relations.

That’s not happening anymore.

DNK: Do any workers try to run away or defect?

Right now, few people would dare to think about defecting, even if they wanted to, because the surveillance of workers has gotten so strict.

DNK: Do any workers want to communicate with the outside world?

No doubt some do, but they don’t have any way to do so.

DNK: Do you think a lot of North Koreans still want to work overseas?

A lot probably do because they figure they’ll make money without realizing what people actually do when they come to China. But I don’t think people like me with work experience [in seafood processing] would want to leave the country. That said, I guess that when I go home and have to rejoin organizational life and get dragged around to various functions, I’ll probably feel like it would be better to go work in China.

DNK: What do you wish for the most in your current circumstances?

I wish I were paid wages that are appropriate for how hard I work. I wish workers like me were just left alone.

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 Lee Sang Yong · May 17, 2024

16. N. Korea's denial of arms transfers to Russia suggests fears of tougher sanctions: experts

Not just sanctions. Sanctions enforcement.

N. Korea's denial of arms transfers to Russia suggests fears of tougher sanctions: experts

The Korea Times · by 2024-05-17 15:37 | North Korea · May 17, 2024

Kim Yo-jong, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister, is seen in this file photo. Yonhap

Ministry of Unification calls Pyongyang weapons exports to Moscow illegal

By Kwak Yeon-soo

North Korea’s denials of providing Russia with weapons to be used in its war against Ukraine, despite clear evidence to the contrary, shows that the reclusive regime is concerned about damaging its image further in the West and the potential for tougher sanctions, according to experts, Friday.

In a statement carried by its state-run media earlier in the day, Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said North Korean weapons are intended to target Seoul, not for exports to Russia.

“We have no intention to export our military technical capabilities to any country or open them to the public. Our tactical weapons, including multiple rocket launchers and missiles, will be used to prevent Seoul from inventing any idle thinking,” Kim was quoted as saying by the North’s official Korean Central News Agency.

South Korea and the United States accuse North Korea of supplying artillery, missiles and other conventional weapons to Russia to support its war in Ukraine. U.N. sanctions envoys to North Korea confirmed that Russia used North Korean Hwaseong-11 series ballistic missile in the Jan. 2 attack on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. Kim rejected the allegations of North Korea-Russian arms exchange, calling it “the most absurd paradox.”

“Kim’s statement suggests that North Korea is concerned about international sanctions. I believe sanctions are still an effective tool. North Korea fears that if it admits its arms dealings with Russia, it may turn its European allies into enemies,” said Park Won-gon, professor of North Korean studies at Ewah Womans University.

N. Korea fires short-range ballistic missiles toward East Sea: JCS

Yang Moo-jin, the president of the University of North Korean Studies, said North Korea wants to stop the spread of information about the arms exchange with Russia because both countries are subject to Western sanctions.

“It is part of North Korea’s propaganda approach to develop a voice in global affairs. Kim’s statement comes amid Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping holding talks in Beijing, the West pressuring North Korea and Russia with sanctions and South Korea planning to stage Ulchi Freedom Shiled, a joint annual military drill with the U.S. in August,” Yang said.

Kim In-ae, deputy spokesperson for South Korea's unification ministry, speaks at a press briefing at the Government Complex Seoul, Friday.

Experts said it is reasonable to speculate that Pyongyang is not only developing weapons for military purposes but also considering exports to Russia.

The North Korean leader has recently conducted inspections at weapons development sites. Last Friday, he oversaw a test-firing of controllable shells for “the technically updated version” of the 240-millimeter multiple rocket launcher system. The weapon system is believed to be targeted at South Korea’s broader capital region.

“It may be true that North Korea is honing existing weapons to attack Seoul, but we cannot rule out the possibility of the country pulling weapons from its stocks and shipping them to Russia after further testing and deploying,” Yang said.

However, Park said North Korea may potentially experience shortages domestically.

“I’m skeptical about North Korea providing the updated version of the 240-millimeter multiple rocket launcher system to Russia. I don’t think the country can keep up its production goals.”

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Unification condemned North Korea’s illegal arms dealings with Russia.

“Arms exchange between Pyongyang and Moscow is a violation of multiple U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolutions. Arms exports to Russia must stop immediately,” the ministry’s deputy spokesperson Kim In-ae said during a press briefing, Friday.

The Korea Times · by 2024-05-17 15:37 | North Korea · May 17, 2024

17. House committee passes N. Korean human rights reauthorization act

Good step forward. Now let's get this done.

House committee passes N. Korean human rights reauthorization act

The Korea Times · May 17, 2024

U.S. Rep. Young Kim speaks during a meeting with South Korea's Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho in Seoul, March 25. Yonhap

A committee of the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill Thursday to reauthorize and update the 2004 North Korean Human Rights Act aimed at promoting rights and freedom in the reclusive state.

More than a year after its introduction, the House Committee on Foreign Affairs endorsed the bill, raising hopes for its congressional passage this year. It is led by Reps. Young Kim (R-CA) and Ami Bera (D-CA), the chairperson and the ranking member of the Indo-Pacific Subcommittee, respectively.

First adopted in 2004, the legislation is updated and reauthorized periodically. It was extended in 2008, 2012 and 2018 with the last extension expiring in September 2022.

"(North Korean leader) Kim Jong-un oppresses the North Korean people through torture, imprisonment, starvation, and forced labor every single day. These gross human rights abuses cannot be tolerated," Kim said in a release posted on Bera's website.

"Holding authoritarian regimes accountable and supporting freedom-loving people trapped under their rule are top priorities of mine as chairwoman of the Indo-Pacific Subcommittee," she added.

Bera voiced expectations that the legislation will strengthen the United States' commitment to promoting human rights in the North.

"North Korea's oppressive regime continues to commit heinous human rights abuses against its own people, including arbitrary detention, forced disappearance, torture, and severe restrictions on freedom of religion and belief," Bera was quoted as saying in the release.

The Senate version of the bill has been introduced by Senators Marco Rubio and Tim Kaine.

The bill calls for the promotion of human rights and humanitarian assistance for North Korean people and the increase in the flow of information not controlled by the regime in Pyongyang among other activities. (Yonhap)

The Korea Times · May 17, 2024

18. Trump may like to 'solve' N. Korean nuclear problem if reelected: ex-official

Excerpts:

Hooker underlined her support for that top-down approach.

"I think leader-level engagement is the right approach with North Korea," she said. "Kim is the top decision-maker and I still think that that is the best approach if you are going to get any major policies implemented there, any of your major breakthroughs there."

The former official also said that Trump, if reelected, may want to see North Korea knock on the door for the resumption of dialogue.

"I don't think President Trump is going to be the one knocking on the door," she said. "The right circumstances and situations would have to occur to have that reengagement."

Hooker raised the possibility that the North Korean leader could opt to return to dialogue when he determines it serves to advance his regime's strategic goals and interests.

Trump may like to 'solve' N. Korean nuclear problem if reelected: ex-official

The Korea Times · May 17, 2024

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, and then-U.S. President Donald Trump move to shake hands at the border village of Panmunjeom in the Demilitarized Zone between the two Koreas in this June 30, 2019 photo. AP-Yonhap

Former President Donald Trump may like to "solve" North Korea's nuclear quandary if reelected, a former U.S. official during Trump's presidency said Thursday, noting how to address the issue is "unpredictable."

Allison Hooker, former senior director for Asia at the National Security Council, made the remarks, underscoring that leader-level diplomacy with North Korea is the "right " approach given that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is the "top decision-maker."

"I think he (Trump) looks at North Korea and thinks ... we could give that another go," Hooker said during an online forum hosted by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.

"He'd like to see that problem solved, whether that's the nuclear problem or the threat problem, or whatever it is ... but how we get there is unpredictable," she added.

With Trump seeking to win the White House in the Nov. 5 election, questions have emerged over whether he would resume personal diplomacy with Kim in what is dubbed a "top-down" approach that led to three in-person meetings between the leaders, including their first summit in Singapore in 2018.

Hooker underlined her support for that top-down approach.

"I think leader-level engagement is the right approach with North Korea," she said. "Kim is the top decision-maker and I still think that that is the best approach if you are going to get any major policies implemented there, any of your major breakthroughs there."

The former official also said that Trump, if reelected, may want to see North Korea knock on the door for the resumption of dialogue.

"I don't think President Trump is going to be the one knocking on the door," she said. "The right circumstances and situations would have to occur to have that reengagement."

Hooker raised the possibility that the North Korean leader could opt to return to dialogue when he determines it serves to advance his regime's strategic goals and interests.

"I think Kim is opportunistic, and if he sees where it would be more beneficial to him or North Korea will advance other goals, then we can see him pull back and reengage," she said.

"But the point is to reengage from a position of great strength. I think that's what he is working on right now ... to continue to build that platform, that position of strength."

On the campaign trail, Trump has boasted his personal ties with the North Korean leader, saying he "got along very well" with Kim. His remarks have raised speculation that Trump could restart direct contact with Kim should he return to the White House.

While Trump was in office, Hooker was involved in key engagements with North Korea, including the summits in Singapore in 2018 and Hanoi and at the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas in 2019.

She also served as a senior analyst for North Korea in the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research from 2001 to 2014. (Yonhap)

The Korea Times · May 17, 2024

19. F-22s Practice Dogfights over the Korean Peninsula with ROK F-35s

Who won?

F-22s Practice Dogfights over the Korean Peninsula with ROK F-35s

https://www.airandspaceforces.com/f-22s-practice-dogfights-korean-peninsula/?mc_cid=edae415832&mc_eid=70bf478f36

May 16, 2024 | By Unshin Lee Harpley

A pair of U.S. F-22s practiced dogfighting with South Korean F-35As on May 16, making a rare appearance over the peninsula’s inland airspace.

The training saw the four stealthy fighters engaging in close-range air combat maneuver, taking turns in offensive and defensive posture in simulated confrontation scenarios, the Republic of Korea Air Force said in a release.

Four Raptors arrived earlier this week at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea. The F-22s, assigned to the 19th and 199th Expeditionary Fighter Squadrons of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii, have been operating out of Kadena Air Base in Japan since mid-April.

Kunsan’s 8th Fighter Wing said in a release that it will house, facilitate maintenance, and project the jets into South Korea’s airspace over the course of the next week. For now, it’s unclear if the Raptors will participate in more joint drills alongside the ROK Air Force during its upcoming biennial training starting May 17, featuring its F-35As, F-15Ks, F-16s, and FA-50s.

The 8th Fighter Wing’s release did note the F-22s would help “test Agile Combat Employment (ACE) capabilities within the Indo-Pacific region.” Air Force leaders have championed ACE—defined by small teams of Airmen and aircraft operating from remote or austere bases and moving quickly—as a key part of the service’s pivot toward great power competition with the likes of China.

To that end, the Air Force has been ramping up ACE training for months now, and the F-22 is no exception.

The Raptors’ presence in or near South Korea is unusual but not uncommon. Last February, B-1 Lancer and F-22 Raptors flew alongside Korean F-35s over the Yellow Sea. In December 2022, F-22s and Korean F-35 and F-15K fighter jets escorted a B-52 bomber near the waters off the peninsula. Most recently, Raptors were featured in Seoul’s defense exhibition in October. However, the air dominance fighter rarely participates in exercises over the Korean Peninsula.

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