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Quotes of the Day:
“Knowledge is born and conscience awakened.”
– The Rebel (Albert Camus)
“One of the saddest lessons of history is this: if we've been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We are no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It's simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we've been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.”
– Carl Sagan, The Demon Haunted World
"There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will."
– Epictetus
1. Elbridge Colby Is Wrong on the U.S.-ROK Alliance
2. S. Korean military detects suspected signs of N.K. preparations for spy satellite launch
3. S. Korea slaps sanctions on 7 N. Koreans, 2 Russian ships for illegal arms, fuel trade with Russia
4. S. Korea unveils monument hoping for return of 5 nationals abducted by N. Korea in 1970s
5. Trilateral summit's statement to possibly include resolution of N. Korea's abduction: sources
6. U.S. says working toward 'mutually acceptable' defense cost sharing deal with S. Korea
7. S. Korea to stage Taegeuk military drills next week amid N.K. threats
8. Arms agency chief visits Saudi Arabia, Romania for talks on defense cooperation
9. Moon says Korean Peninsula in 'crisis phase,' calls for efforts to solidify peace values
10. South Korea to assume presidency of UN Security Council in June
11. North Korean golfers sport sanctions-blocked Nike apparel
12. Tokyo, Seoul target North Korea-Russia arms deal with sanctions
13. 6 out of 10 Koreans don’t plan to have babies
1. Elbridge Colby Is Wrong on the U.S.-ROK Alliance
Denny Roy pulls no punches.
My similar thoughts are here: Abandoning the U.S.-ROK Alliance Won’t Prevent War https://nationalinterest.org/feature/abandoning-us-rok-alliance-won%E2%80%99t-prevent-war-211033
Elbridge Colby Is Wrong on the U.S.-ROK Alliance
Debate over the U.S.-South Korea alliance has erupted again, this time sparked by analyst Elbridge Colby’s comments during an interview on May 6. His analysis needs to be understood and challenged.
The National Interest · by Denny Roy · May 23, 2024
Debate over the U.S.-South Korea alliance has erupted again, this time sparked by analyst Elbridge Colby’s comments during an interview on May 6. Colby’s views have particular importance because he is reportedly a candidate for U.S. national security advisor if Donald Trump is elected in November. Like his former and perhaps future boss has done, Colby raised fears that the U.S. might withdraw from the alliance, and South Korea might then develop and deploy its own nuclear weapons.
Although Colby’s analysis of the alliance is more sophisticated than Trump’s, some of his views are problematic.
Logical But Superficial Sense
Colby’s argument is logical on the surface. Chinese expansionism is the primary strategic threat the U.S. faces, he says. The most pressing danger is a possible Chinese attempt to forcibly annex Taiwan. Countering China will require all of America’s powers, as the U.S. military is no longer powerful enough to simultaneously win multiple wars. Any diversion of effort to address a strategic problem other than China, therefore, risks setting up the U.S. for a larger defeat.
Accordingly, Colby opposes U.S. funding for Ukraine, arguing that Western European countries should shoulder the responsibility for containing Putin’s Russia, while America desperately needs to channel its resources toward strengthening U.S. military power on the western Pacific Rim.
Yes, ideally, the European countries that are most directly threatened by Putin, and which collectively dwarf Russia’s economic capacity, should be providing the lion’s share of security assistance to Ukraine. But significant nuance is lost in Colby’s framing of the issue as a competition for U.S. resources between Ukraine and Taiwan. Helping Ukraine in fact also partly helps the U.S. counter China. Supplying Ukraine is reviving U.S. defense production. This in the longer term will improve America’s ability to compete militarily with China. Grinding down the military power of Russia, which Ukrainians are doing without risk to U.S. service personnel, weakens the overall aggressive potential of the China Bloc. Russian military success in Ukraine would likely embolden aggression from the People’s Republic of China, while Russian failure would do the opposite – even its current underperformance likely gives Beijing pause. This is why Taipei has strongly supported the democratic countries diverting resources to strengthen Ukraine’s defenses.
Finding Problems Where There Are None
More problems emerge with Colby’s specific recommendations for U.S. policy toward the Korean Peninsula. He argues that American forces in Korea are wasted because they are focused on a strategic problem of secondary importance to the U.S., the defense of South Korea against North Korea. He worries about “sending massive amounts of forces to Korea” that are “held hostage to dealing with the North Korean problem,” which is “not the primary issue for the U.S.” Such a situation “would decrement [sic] from our ability to deal with the Chinese.”
The solution, he says, is for Washington to reduce its responsibilities in the U.S.-ROK alliance and ask the South Koreans to do more for themselves. This would free up U.S. forces based in South Korea for a potential war against China.
Korea is not, however, packed with “massive amounts” of U.S. forces that would be needed in a conflict against China. The few tens of F-16s at Osan and Kunsan air bases would be helpful, but most of the other U.S. units in South Korea are Army infantry and artillery forces that would not be relevant in Taiwan Strait or South China Sea scenarios. The latter would primarily involve U.S. aircraft, naval platforms, and anti-ship missile batteries.
In any case, the U.S. military can already redeploy units based in South Korea to other regions as needed, and it has done so in the past. In 2004, for example, a U.S. brigade moved from South Korea to Iraq.
Furthermore, defending Taiwan is not clearly more important to U.S. interests than defending South Korea. A de facto independent Taiwan has economic, strategic, and political value to the U.S. But the loss of South Korea as a partner and supporter of the liberal world order – Seoul being a middle power, a top-15 global economy, a treaty ally, a fellow democracy, and a close neighbor of China – would also be a major blow to America’s global interests.
The China Threat Is Complex
Furthermore, Colby’s assessment that defending South Korea involves only opposing the lesser demon DPRK is an oversimplification. North Korea is an immediate threat, but the danger of Chinese domination looms in the longer term. Korea’s movement from the U.S.-led camp into the China camp would have similar negative consequences for the U.S. strategic position in the Asia-Pacific region as would a PRC annexation of Taiwan.
Colby suggests reforms to the alliance that would certainly weaken it, if not decisively put it on a path to dissolution. He suggests South Korea should have “overwhelming responsibility for its own self-defense,” and that “the Americans would come in” only “if the Chinese get directly involved.” He also says basing U.S. troops in South Korea makes them vulnerable to a Chinese pre-emptive strike.
It sounds like Colby is comfortable with U.S. troops withdrawing from the Peninsula. But it would seem unwise to dismantle the U.S.-ROK alliance at the very time cooperation is growing among the authoritarian quasi-alliance that seeks to revise international norms in ways Seoul and Washington unitedly oppose.
Nuclear Proliferation in Korea
Colby suggests the ROK should consider getting its own nuclear weapons, a step that might by itself end the alliance, because the U.S. currently does “not provide South Korea with a viable defense umbrella.”
He doesn’t acknowledge the well-known downsides of Seoul going this route. Koreans would object to their government using any place in the country to conduct the test nuclear explosions that would be a necessary part of bomb development. Leaving the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons would end South Korea’s access to the foreign-supplied nuclear fuel that runs the nuclear power plants that generate one-third of the ROK’s electricity.
Seoul would be sacrificing the protection of the much larger U.S. nuclear arsenal for a small arsenal that South Koreans would be required to pay for. Tensions with the DPRK would increase, with the perverse effect of making nuclear war on the Peninsula more rather than less likely. And the ROK going nuclear would almost certainly cause Japan to do the same, which the Koreans very much don’t want.
Finally, there is no good reason to believe the U.S. nuclear umbrella is no longer “viable.” After the terrible destruction U.S. conventional bombing inflicted on the DPRK during the Korean War, it is not difficult for North Koreans to believe the United States would nuke them. Pyongyang realizes that a nuclear attack against a U.S., South Korean, or Japanese city would result in massive U.S. retaliation that would destroy the North Korean state and its leadership. The DPRK’s nuclear buildup is an attempt to deny the U.S. a first-strike capability and to compensate for North Korea’s vulnerability to conventional military conquest by superior South Korean forces. Pyongyang consistently conditions its nuclear threats on an enemy attacking the DPRK first.
Where Colby is most correct is in drawing attention to the inadequacy of the U.S. defense industrial base to support America’s global superpower commitments under the pressure of a growing challenge from the China-Russia-North Korea bloc. It is from this basic problem that the question of sacrificing one friend for another arises in the first place.
About the Author: Denny Roy
Denny Roy is a Senior Fellow at the East-West Center in Honolulu, specializing in Asia-Pacific strategic and security issues. He holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Chicago. He is the author of Return of the Dragon: Rising China and Regional Security (Columbia University Press, 2013), The Pacific War and its Political Legacies (Westport, CT: Praeger, 2009), Taiwan: A Political History (Cornell University Press, 2003), and China’s Foreign Relations(Macmillan and Rowman & Littlefield, 1998), co-author of The Politics of Human Rights in Asia(Pluto Press, 2000), and editor of The New Security Agenda in the Asia-Pacific Region(Macmillan, 1997). He has also written many articles for scholarly journals such as International Security, Survival, Asian Survey, Security Dialogue, Contemporary Southeast Asia, Armed Forces & Society, and Issues & Studies.
Image Credit: The main image is from Shutterstock. All others are Creative Commons.
The National Interest · by Denny Roy · May 23, 2024
2. S. Korean military detects suspected signs of N.K. preparations for spy satellite launch
Is the north reacevning technical assistance from Russia?
(LEAD) S. Korean military detects suspected signs of N.K. preparations for spy satellite launch | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · May 24, 2024
(ATTN: UPDATES with more details from 4th para)
SEOUL, May 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's military has detected suspected signs of North Korea making preparations to launch a military spy satellite, an official said Friday.
In December, Pyongyang vowed to launch three more spy satellites this year, a month after successfully placing its first one into orbit. South Korea's Defense Minister Shin Won-sik told reporters earlier this year that the North's Malligyong-1 spy satellite appears to be orbiting Earth without activity.
"As apparent signs of preparations for the launch of North Korea's purported military spy satellite have recently been detected in the Tongchang-ri area, South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities are closely monitoring and tracking related activities," the Joint Chiefs of Staff official said.
The North staged all three of its launches last year from its satellite launch station in Tongchang-ri in the northwestern province of North Pyongan.
While the military has continuously detected activities of personnel, vehicles and equipment at the launch site, they have apparently grown larger in scale recently.
Equipment used to measure and assess the launch trajectory of a space rocket is said to have been detected at the site.
The military has currently strengthened surveillance and monitoring of the area, with preparations being made to intercept the North's launch vehicle if it enters South Korean airspace, the official said.
If the North presses ahead with a launch, it is expected to notify Japan of its schedule as it did prior to all three of its satellite launches last year.
The suspected preparations come as the leaders of South Korea, China and Japan will hold a trilateral summit in Seoul on Monday for the first time in 4 1/2 years, spawning speculation the North could time the launch to coincide with the meeting to maximize its political impact.
South Korea, the United States and others have condemned the North's space rocket launches, calling them violations of U.N. Security Council resolutions banning it from ballistic missile launches, as they use the same technologies.
This file photo, taken Nov. 22, 2023, shows a news report on North Korea's launch of a military spy satellite being aired on a television at Seoul Station in central Seoul. (Yonhap)
yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · May 24, 2024
3. S. Korea slaps sanctions on 7 N. Koreans, 2 Russian ships for illegal arms, fuel trade with Russia
S. Korea slaps sanctions on 7 N. Koreans, 2 Russian ships for illegal arms, fuel trade with Russia | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · May 24, 2024
By Kim Seung-yeon
SEOUL, May 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korea imposed Friday independent sanctions on seven North Koreans and two Russian vessels for engaging in illicit weapons and fuel trade with Russia and other activities in violation of U.N. sanctions.
The latest move came as South Korea seeks to step up efforts to curb the North's activities banned under multiple U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolutions after a U.N. panel monitoring the enforcement of North Korean sanctions ended at the end of last month after Russia vetoed the resolution on extending the panel's mandate.
Rim Yong-hyok, head of the Syrian unit of the Korea Mining and Development Trading Corp., a major North Korean arms dealer, is among the seven North Koreans.
Rim is suspected of involvement in the illegal trade of weapons and arms equipment with Russia. He was cited in the U.N. panel's March report on North Korean sanctions implementation as a man who handled weapons deals with Russia's Wagner mercenary group.
Han Hyok-chol, head of Taeryong Trading Co., is accused of bringing Russian diesel into North Korea. Under the Resolution 2397 adopted by the UNSC in 2017, U.N. member states are prohibited from exporting more than 4 million barrels of crude oil and 500,000 barrels of refined oil to the North annually.
The five others are: Kim Jong-gil, Jang Ho-yong, Ri Kyong-sik, Ri yong-min and Park Kwang-hyok. They are believed to have worked illegally at IT companies in Vladivostok in Russia's Far East to earn hard currency to fund the state's nuclear and missile programs -- also banned under the Resolution 2375.
The two Russian vessels comprise MAIA-1 and MARIA that are suspected of transporting containers loaded with military supplies to and from North Korea and Russia.
The sanctioned vessels need special approval from South Korean port authorities if they wish to enter a South Korean port.
elly@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · May 24, 2024
4. S. Korea unveils monument hoping for return of 5 nationals abducted by N. Korea in 1970s
Human rights upfront. Good timing with the upcoming trilateral meeting with Japan and CHina.
Excerpts:
Among the abductees, Kim Young-nam, born in 1961, was the only teen kidnapped by the North in August 1977 from Seonyu Island.
He was married in North Korea to Megumi Yokota, a Japanese kidnapped by North Korean agents in 1977 when she was 13. Yokota is a symbol of the Japanese people abducted by North Korea.
The monument features an image of the five teens returning home while swimming in the sea, aided by star-shaped buoys, a symbol of hope and dreams, the ministry said.
The image of the buoys was created with the motif of three forget-me-nots, a symbol of South Korean abductees, detainees and unrepatriated prisoners of the 1950-53 Korean War.
...
Currently, six South Koreans are being detained in North Korea, including three missionaries -- Kim Jung-wook, Choi Chun-gil and Kim Kook-kie -- whose whereabouts and fates are unknown.
Separately, 516 South Koreans have yet to return home among an estimated 3,835 people who were kidnapped by North Korea after the Korean War, according to government data.
At least 60,000 prisoners of war (POWs) are also estimated to have not come back home or gone missing after being detained in North Korea. A total of 80 POWs have returned home since 1994, but only nine had been alive as of March.
S. Korea unveils monument hoping for return of 5 nationals abducted by N. Korea in 1970s | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · May 24, 2024
By Kim Soo-yeon
GUNSAN, South Korea, May 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Friday unveiled a monument on a southwestern island in hopes of the safe return of five South Koreans abducted by North Korea in the 1970s, in the latest move to raise public awareness of the abductee issue.
North Korean agents kidnapped the five South Korean high school students from the Seonyu and Hong islands off the southwestern coast between 1977 and 1978, and they have yet to return home.
The unification ministry held a ceremony unveiling the monument dedicated to those abductees, named the Monument for Safe Return of Five Teenage Abductees, on Seonyu Island on Friday. A similar event will be held Monday on Hong Island.
The event brought together Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho; Julie Turner, the U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights; Lee Shin-wha, Seoul's envoy for North Korean human rights; and families of the South Korean victims.
Among the abductees, Kim Young-nam, born in 1961, was the only teen kidnapped by the North in August 1977 from Seonyu Island.
He was married in North Korea to Megumi Yokota, a Japanese kidnapped by North Korean agents in 1977 when she was 13. Yokota is a symbol of the Japanese people abducted by North Korea.
The monument features an image of the five teens returning home while swimming in the sea, aided by star-shaped buoys, a symbol of hope and dreams, the ministry said.
The image of the buoys was created with the motif of three forget-me-nots, a symbol of South Korean abductees, detainees and unrepatriated prisoners of the 1950-53 Korean War.
With the establishment of the monuments, the government hopes to express its strong commitment to resolving the abductee issue and encourage people to join efforts to bring them back home, according to the ministry.
Currently, six South Koreans are being detained in North Korea, including three missionaries -- Kim Jung-wook, Choi Chun-gil and Kim Kook-kie -- whose whereabouts and fates are unknown.
Separately, 516 South Koreans have yet to return home among an estimated 3,835 people who were kidnapped by North Korea after the Korean War, according to government data.
At least 60,000 prisoners of war (POWs) are also estimated to have not come back home or gone missing after being detained in North Korea. A total of 80 POWs have returned home since 1994, but only nine had been alive as of March.
This file photo, taken May 16, 2006, shows the mother (R) of Kim Young-nam, who was abducted by North Korea in 1977, meeting in Seoul with the father (L) of Megumi Yokota, a Japanese who was kidnapped by North Korean agents in the 1970s, when she was 13. Kim and Yokota were married in North Korea. (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · May 24, 2024
5. Trilateral summit's statement to possibly include resolution of N. Korea's abduction: sources
Will the Chinese agree to such a statement? Is this part of an influence effort to ensure they do agree? Or will China consider this a very minor concession that it can use to extort something more from Japan and the ROK?
Trilateral summit's statement to possibly include resolution of N. Korea's abduction: sources | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · May 24, 2024
SEOUL, May 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is in talks with China and Japan to try to include a clause calling for the resolution of North Korea's abduction and detention of South Korean nationals in a joint statement from their trilateral summit next week, multiple Seoul government sources said Friday.
President Yoon Suk Yeol will meet with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Seoul on Monday, making the resumption of a long-stalled trilateral summit after 4 1/2 years. The trilateral summit, the ninth of its kind, will either adopt a joint statement or a joint declaration.
The sources said there is discussion about including a clause that calls for solving the issues of South Korean abductees, detainees and prisoners of war (POWs) held in North Korea.
"In the joint statements from the seventh and eighth trilateral summits in 2018 and 2019, respectively, the resolution of the issue of Japanese abductees was included," a government source said on the condition of anonymity, adding that there is a high possibility of including the issue of Japanese abductees as well as South Korean nationals.
The three countries included a hope for Japan and North Korea to communicate on the abduction issue in their joint declaration in December 2019 when the trilateral summit was last held in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu.
In the 2018 trilateral summit in Tokyo, the joint declaration emphasized that the leaders of South Korea and China hoped for the prompt resolution of the abduction issue between North Korea and Japan through dialogue.
Currently, six South Koreans are being detained in North Korea, including three missionaries -- Kim Jung-wook, Choi Chun-gil and Kim Kook-kie -- whose whereabouts and fates are unknown.
Separately, 516 South Koreans have yet to return home among an estimated 3,835 people who were kidnapped by North Korea after the 1950-53 Korean War, according to government data. At least 60,000 POWs are also estimated to have not come back home after being detained in North Korea.
This file photo shows a mother (L) of a South Korean high school student abducted by North Korea with the father (R) of a Japanese national in 2005. (Yonhap)
khj@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · May 24, 2024
6. U.S. says working toward 'mutually acceptable' defense cost sharing deal with S. Korea
This is an area where you can (and should) negotiate to a "win-win." The negotiating strategy of "I win – you lose" is not something that should be employed with friends, partners, and allies.
U.S. says working toward 'mutually acceptable' defense cost sharing deal with S. Korea | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · May 24, 2024
By Kim Seung-yeon
SEOUL, May 24 (Yonhap) -- The United States is working with South Korea to reach a "mutually acceptable" agreement in their negotiations on sharing the cost of stationing its troops in South Korea, its delegation for the talks said Friday.
The U.S. made the statement after holding the second round of the negotiations in Seoul that took place from Tuesday through Thursday this week. The talks are aimed at determining how much South Korea should shoulder for the upkeep of the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), starting in 2026.
"The delegations from the United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK) continued productive and substantive discussions, as we continue to work toward our common objective of a mutually acceptable agreement that supports our shared security," the statement released by the U.S. Embassy in Seoul read.
"These conversations reflect the enduring strength of, and our commitment to, the U.S.-ROK Alliance, as part of a robust combined defense posture that safeguards peace and prosperity for the Korean and American people," it said.
South Korean and U.S. officials leading the negotiations on defense cost sharing hold their second round of talks at the Korea Institute for Defense Analysis in Seoul on May 21, 2024, in this photo provided by the foreign ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The negotiations for the 12th Special Measures Agreement (SMA) have drawn attention amid the view that Seoul is seeking an early deal in case former President Donald Trump returns to the White House after the November election.
South Korea had a hard time in the last SMA negotiations as Washington, under Trump's presidency, had demanded more than a fivefold increase in Seoul's payment to US$5 billion.
Wrapping up this week's talks Thursday, a Seoul official said the latest round has been about "enhancing the understanding" on each other's positions and "exchanged opinions for a mutual review" on the areas concerning each side.
Under the current six-year SMA, due to end in 2025, South Korea agreed to raise the payment by 13.9 percent from 2019 to $1.03 billion for 2021 and increase the payment every year for the subsequent four years in line with the rise in Seoul's defense spending.
"We look forward to continuing our consultations soon," the U.S delegation said in the readout.
The next round of the negotiations is expected to take place in Washington.
elly@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · May 24, 2024
7. S. Korea to stage Taegeuk military drills next week amid N.K. threats
For the uninformed who think South Korea Is totally dependent on the US, the ROK military conducts its own training year around. It works to provide trained and ready forces to the ROK/US Combined Forces Command.
S. Korea to stage Taegeuk military drills next week amid N.K. threats | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · May 24, 2024
SEOUL, May 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's military will stage its annual computer-simulated Taegeuk exercise next week in an effort to strengthen its readiness against North Korean military threats, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Friday.
The three-day command post exercise will begin Monday and focus on bolstering the military's capabilities in responding to surprise provocations, according to the JCS.
Last week, North Korea fired what it claimed to be a tactical ballistic missile with new guidance technology. The JCS said the suspected short-range missiles flew about 300 kilometers before landing in the East Sea.
This image, provided by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, shows its insignia. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
mlee@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · May 24, 2024
8. Arms agency chief visits Saudi Arabia, Romania for talks on defense cooperation
There should be no doubt the ROK is well positioned within the defense industry.
Arms agency chief visits Saudi Arabia, Romania for talks on defense cooperation | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · May 24, 2024
SEOUL, May 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's arms procurement agency chief has visited Saudi Arabia and Romania for talks on expanding defense industry cooperation, his office said Friday, amid Seoul's push to clinch more arms export deals.
Seok Jong-gun, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) minister, first left for Saudi Arabia on Sunday after South Korean defense company LIG Nex1 won a US$3.2 billion contract to supply the Mid-range Surface-to-Air Missile Block-II system to Riyadh last November.
Seok Jong-gun (5th from L), the Defense Acquisition Program Administration minister, holds talks with Saudi officials during his visit to the Middle East country from May 19 to 21, 2024, in this undated photo provided by his office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
During the three-day visit, Seok held talks with officials from the Saudi Ministry of National Guard and discussed ways for Seoul's participation in its large-scale project to strengthen ground forces, according to DAPA.
In February, the Saudi ministry signed a memorandum of understanding with South Korean defense company Hanwha Aerospace for cooperation in the project.
He also attended a workshop on Riyadh's efforts to acquire key weapons systems, and the participants agreed to hold working-level talks on ways for the Saudi military to utilize South Korean ground, maritime and aerospace weapons systems, DAPA said.
Seok also visited Saudi Arabia's General Authority for Military Industries and General Authority for Defense Development and agreed for the agencies to push to sign a memorandum of understanding for cooperation with Seoul's Agency for Defense Development and Defense Agency for Technology and Quality.
Last October, President Yoon Suk Yeol met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a state visit to Riyadh, where they agreed to deepen the strategic partnership between their countries.
On Tuesday, Seok began a five-day trip to Romania to discuss possible exports of South Korean weapons systems, including K9 self-propelled howitzers and K2 main battle tanks, according to DAPA.
Seok visited the Black Sea Defense, Aerospace and Security International Exhibition in Bucharest to hold talks with Defense Minister Angel Tilvar, Economy Minister Stefan-Radu Oprea and other senior government officials, as well as lawmakers to discuss arms industry cooperation.
Last month, Yoon and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis agreed to boost defense cooperation during their summit in Seoul. Romania placed an order for LIG Nex1's Chiron surface-to-air missiles last November.
Seok Jong-gun (L), the Defense Acquisition Program Administration minister, shakes hands with Romanian Defense Minister Angel Tilvar during his visit to the country from May 21 to 25, 2024, in this undated photo provided by his office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · May 24, 2024
9. Moon says Korean Peninsula in 'crisis phase,' calls for efforts to solidify peace values
All Moon is saying is, "give peace a chance." Does he understand that his policies and actions may in fact have contributed to the current security environment?
Moon says Korean Peninsula in 'crisis phase,' calls for efforts to solidify peace values | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · May 24, 2024
By Song Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, May 23 (Yonhap) -- Former South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Thursday the security situation on the Korean Peninsula is in a "crisis" phase where military conflicts could flare up "at any moment," as he called for diplomatic efforts to promote peace.
Moon made the remarks in a video message for a peace forum in Washington, as tensions have persisted on the peninsula with Pyongyang continuing its weapons tests in the absence of bilateral engagements with South Korea and the United States.
"The situation on the Korean Peninsula is in a state of crisis with military conflicts possible at any moment," Moon said during the forum hosted by the Korean American Public Action Committee, a nonprofit organization based in the U.S.
"Above all, diplomatic efforts to solve the problem through intergovernmental dialogues are crucial. Our role, which involves cooperation between parliaments and expanding public support, is also more important than ever," he added.
Former South Korean President Moon Jae-in delivers a video speech for a peace forum hosted by the Korean American Public Action Committee in Washington, D.C., on May 23, 2024, in this photo captured from a YouTube livestream of the forum. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Known for the pursuit of cross-border rapprochement during his term from 2017-22, Moon voiced concerns that the situation on the peninsula has become "even more disturbing" against the backdrop of the "increasingly confrontational" international environment.
"Communication is not being restored. The Sept. 19 military agreement, which has been a stabilizing force on the Korean Peninsula, is being neutralized, and military tensions are at their highest," he said, referring to the 2018 inter-Korean tension reduction accord, which Pyongyang has walked away from.
"At such a time, it is urgent to strengthen the value of peace and make efforts to demonstrate peace on the Korean Peninsula in various ways," he added.
During his term, Moon pushed for an initiative to lay the foundation for lasting peace on the peninsula. But his drive lost steam amid a prolonged deadlock in nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang.
In a separate video message, Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, vowed efforts to "uphold the value for lasting peace."
sshluck@yna.co.kr
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en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · May 24, 2024
10. South Korea to assume presidency of UN Security Council in June
Has north Korea ever had a position on the Security Council? I think not. And this is not the first time for the ROK.
Friday
May 24, 2024
dictionary + A - A
Published: 24 May. 2024, 14:17
South Korea to assume presidency of UN Security Council in June
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-05-24/national/diplomacy/South-Korea-to-assume-presidency-of-UN-Security-Council-in-June-/2054186
South Korean Ambassador to the U.N. Hwang Joon-kook speaks during a press meeting in New York on Thursday. [YONHAP]
South Korea will assume the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council (UNSC) in June, its first time in a decade.
The country, a nonpermanent UNSC member, will hold the presidency for one month — a position that rotates among the council's 15 member states on a monthly basis — with plans to focus on cybersecurity and other global issues, South Korean Ambassador to the UN Hwang Joon-kook said in a press meeting in New York Thursday. Seoul last held the UNSC presidency in May 2014.
Hwang portrayed the presidency as an "important" role in coordinating the UNSC agenda. In this position, South Korea would be ready to convene a UNSC meeting in the event of North Korean provocations.
"The country holding the presidency gets the primary authority to make decisions on what agenda the UNSC will discuss and in which way [discussions are conducted] through consultations with member states," Hwang told reporters.
"Thus, its role is important given that it can affect the direction of discussions on key global issues and international opinion," he added.
The ambassador said that during its presidency, South Korea will seek to hold high-level public discussions on cybersecurity — a subject that Seoul has focused on due to evolving North Korean threats in the security domain. Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul plans to preside over the session.
"Malicious cyberactivities, including cyberattacks on key infrastructure and thefts of civilian data and virtual assets, have a transnational nature," Hwang said. "This is a security threat facing all nations regardless of whether it's a developed country or developing country, a Western country or non-Western nation, or a democracy or an authoritarian state."
Despite its importance, cybsersecurity has not been addressed as part of the official UNSC agenda, nor has it been regularly discussed at the council, Hwang noted.
Seoul's push for cybersecurity discussions came amid mounting claims that Pyongyang has been increasingly reliant on cyber tools to evade international sanctions and generate revenue to help fund its nuclear and weapons of mass destruction programs.
During its presidency, South Korea will also seek to hold public discussions on the theme of "children and armed conflicts" at the request of the UN Secretariat.
"We are seeking the participation of former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on behalf of 'The Elders,'" Hwang said, referring to an international group of public figures, including peace activists and human rights advocates.
The ambassador voiced hope that South Korea's upcoming presidency at the council will contribute to the country's efforts to expand its diplomatic horizons and emerge as a "global pivotal state," a term highlighting the Asian country's desire for greater contributions to the world.
BY SEO JI-EUN, YONHAP [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]
11.North Korean golfers sport sanctions-blocked Nike apparel
RFA (and VOA) have effects on the regime. Information is important.
Buried lede: the nK elite has time to golf. I would like to say to the elite: "Have you no shame? While the Korean people in the north suffer and starve, you play golf?"
Excerpt:
But a day after RFA Korean published a Korean-language version of this story on May 20, the state-run Korean Central News Agency, or KCNA, cut 10 seconds of the video to remove the part showing the Nike logos.
North Korean golfers sport sanctions-blocked Nike apparel
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/nike-north-sanctions-golf-05232024154635.html
State media removes images of ‘swoosh’ logo from photos and videos after Korean-language RFA story breaks.
By Kim Jisu for RFA Korean
2024.05.23
Photos and video from North Korea’s state-run media show golfers at a golf tournament wearing Nike brand shoes and clothing – luxury products that should be blocked by U.N. sanctions on the country, May 9, 2024, in Pyongyang, North Korea.
RFA screenshot
Photos and video from North Korea’s state-run media showed golfers at a recent tournament sporting Nike brand shoes and clothing – luxury products that should be blocked by U.N. sanctions on the country.
Video footage of the May 9 event shows a golfer clad in white, putter in hand, with the iconic swoosh logo on his pants and shoes.
But a day after RFA Korean published a Korean-language version of this story on May 20, the state-run Korean Central News Agency, or KCNA, cut 10 seconds of the video to remove the part showing the Nike logos.
Video viewed on May 20th Length: 3 minutes 47 seconds.
Video viewed on May 21st Length: 3 minutes and 37 seconds. On the 21st, the day after this report came out, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) immediately cut out the scene where the Nike logo appeared in the video. Radio Free Asia (RFA) compared the same video on the 20th and 21st, reducing it from 3 minutes and 47 seconds to 3 minutes and 37 seconds, with only the part where the Nike logo appears.
The golfers are likely from North Korea’s elite, and it appears that authorities are fine with them wearing a brand so closely associated with the United States – which Pyongyang frequently criticizes as being imperialistic.
This happened in the same country that punishes ordinary people for wearing blue jeans or T-shirts with foreign words, saying they are symbols of decadent capitalist culture.
The golf tournament images are additional pieces of evidence that despite the U.N. sanctions – aimed at curbing Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions – North Korea is able to obtain luxury items for its upper class, said Bruce Bechtol, a professor at Angelo State University in Texas.
“Obviously nobody's playing golf in North Korea except for senior party members and generals,” he said. “When it comes to luxury items for the North Koreans, they still are able to ship those things, and it's something that has been a very big problem for a very long time.”
When RFA contacted Nike’s corporate headquarters for comment about whether it exports products to North Korea, the public relations agency handling the Nike Korea account, Vibe Company Korea, contacted the reporter saying that they were “unable to move forward” with a response to the inquiry, and “would be happy to explore alternative ways we could potentially collaborate in the future.”
Photos and video from North Korea’s state-run media show golfers at a golf tournament wearing Nike brand shoes and clothing – luxury products that should be blocked by U.N. sanctions on the country, May 9, 2024, in Pyongyang, North Korea. (RFA screenshot)
The Nike items were likely produced overseas by North Korean workers, Bruce Bennett, a senior Fellow at the California-based RAND Corporation, told RFA.
“North Korea creates different companies that are operating overseas,” he said. “They're operating in Southeast Asia, they're operating in Africa and in those locations, the other companies in the area either don't know that the companies … are really associated with North Korea, or they do, and they don’t care.”
He said that North Korea’s ability to acquire Nike apparel is an attempt to demonstrate that the leader Kim Jong Un can overcome sanctions against him and other elites.
RFA Korean reported in 2016 that North Korean workers had been making clothing for global brands at subcontracted factories in China and other locations over a four year period, beginning in May 2012.
According to the book ‘North Korea, the World’s Clothing Factory’ published in South Korea in 2020, jackets made for U.S. brand New Balance were produced in North Korea and sold in China.
Translated by Claire S. Lee. Edited by Eugene Whong.
12. Tokyo, Seoul target North Korea-Russia arms deal with sanctions
This is good heading into the summit with China.
Tokyo, Seoul target North Korea-Russia arms deal with sanctions
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/japan-sk-nk-russia-sanctions-05232024233929.html
The announcements follow similar steps by the US and Australia last week.
By Taejun Kang for RFA
2024.05.23
Taipei, Taiwan
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi attends a press conference at Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's official residence in Tokyo, Japan, Dec. 14, 2023.
Issei Kato/Reuters
Japan and South Korea have separately imposed sanctions on individuals and entities involved in the arms trade between North Korea and Russia, they announced on Friday, the latest steps aimed at ending help for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Japan said it would impose sanctions on 11 organizations and one individual for their involvement in military cooperation between the two countries.
“Amid Russia’s prolonged aggression in Ukraine, we have decided to freeze the assets of organizations and individuals involved in military cooperation between North Korea and Russia,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said during a regular press conference.
“The transfer of North Korean weapons to Russia is a violation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions that prohibit the transfer of North Korean weapons and related materials,” Hayashi said, adding that the supply “could further aggravate the situation in Ukraine.”
The sanctions were imposed in co-operation with the United States, he said.
Separately, South Korea announced sanctions on North Korean individuals and Russian vessels for arms trading.
“Seven North Korean individuals and two Russian vessels have been designated for independent sanctions for their involvement in the provision of materials and financing for North Korea’s nuclear and missile development,” South Korea’s foreign ministry said.
The sanctioned entities were also involved in the transport of munitions and the arms trade between Russia and North Korea, the import of refined oil from North Korea, and the earning of foreign currency by North Korean overseas workers, it added.
The ministry reiterated its call for an immediate end to illegal military cooperation between North Korea and Russia.
“Military cooperation, including the Russian-North Korean arms trade, is a clear violation of Security Council resolutions and seriously threatens peace and stability not only on the Korean Peninsula but also in Europe and around the world,” it said.
“The measures were taken in close coordination with friendly countries and will contribute to further tightening the international community’s sanctions network,” it added.
Prior authorization will be required for financial and foreign exchange transactions with individuals on the sanctions list. For ships, they must obtain permission from the administration to enter South Korea.
The sanctions came a day after it was announced that leaders of South Korea, China and Japan will meet on May 26-27 in Seoul for their first trilateral talks in more than four years.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will have bilateral talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Sunday, ahead of their three-way gathering on Monday, said South Korea’s deputy national security adviser, Kim Tae-hyo, adding that the leaders will also discuss “regional and international issues”.
Last week, Australia imposed targeted sanctions against entities linked to the unlawful weapons trade between North Korea and Russia , while the United States also announced sanctions on two Russian individuals and three Russian companies for facilitating arms transfers with the North.
Edited by Mike Firn.
13. 6 out of 10 Koreans don’t plan to have babies
This is a crisis. Will this change with unification?
6 out of 10 Koreans don’t plan to have babies
koreaherald.com
Published : May 24, 2024 - 16:41
Infants in the newborn nursery (Herald DB)
Six out of 10 Koreans do not have plans to have babies, data showed on Friday, as the nation has had the lowest fertility rates for years.
According to a survey conducted by research firm PMI on 1,800 Koreans between the ages of 20 and 50, 63.4 percent of the respondents said they do not have plans to have babies. The 1,800 respondents, however, include 530 parents who already have children.
The biggest reason for not planning to have babies was economic instability (25.2 percent). This was followed by the burden of child care and education (21.4 percent), exceeding childbearing age (12.5 percent), changing values (11.3 percent), preference for a child-free leisure life (8.8 percent), lack of time due to a busy lifestyle (8.8 percent) and inability to have children due to infertility (6.1 percent).
The Korean government has already invested significant sums to address the low birth rate without achieving tangible results. According to the National Assembly Budget Office, the government spent 379.8 trillion won on this issue between 2006 and 2023. However, the total fertility rate continued to drop from 0.84 in 2020 to 0.72 in 2023 and is now approaching 0.6.
koreaherald.com
De Oppresso Liber,
David Maxwell
Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy
Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation
Editor, Small Wars Journal
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
Phone: 202-573-8647
email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com
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