Informal Institute for National Security Thinkers and Practitioners

Quotes of the Day:

“The primary challenge in unconventional conflicts (or Irregular Warfare) is political-psychological, multi-dimensional, and rarely susceptible to single-component strategies or orthodox political-military operations. While all wars are political and psychological, in unconventional conflicts (or Irregular Warfare) military operations quickly and pervasively take on political and psychological dimensions, often placing military operations in second place.”

– Sam Sarkesian, Unconventional Conflicts, 1993 (page 22)

"I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts."

– John Locke

"Think like a man of action, and act like a man of thought."

– Henri Bergson

1. A North Korean Diplomat Managed a Rare Defection: A Flight Out of Cuba

2. U.S. Accuses Former C.I.A. Analyst of Working for South Korea

3. South Korea Edges Closer to Status as Full-Fledged Nuclear Power

4. Former White House official accused of acting as South Korea agent

5. US accuses North Korea expert Sue Mi Terry of working for South Korean spies

6. The world cannot ignore the evil network of Russia, Iran, Hamas, and North Korea - opinion

7. North Korean envoy 'drowned' in Moscow pond: Reports

8. North Korea mining DMZ despite spate of fatal accidents

9. North Korean fashion, drums, and jubilation: Here’s how South Koreans celebrated the first-ever Defectors’ Day

10. North Korea’s use of forced labor ‘deeply institutionalized,’ UN says

11. Russia, China, Iran and North Korea are ‘deadly quartet’ – defence review chief

12. NIS says in talks with U.S. intelligence authorities over indictment of Korean American expert on N. Korea

13. FM Cho voices caution over calls for S. Korea to consider nuclear options

14. Unification ministry cautious about legislation banning anti-North Korea leaflet launches

15. N. Korean defectors' baseball team to visit U.S. this week

16. Unification minister to visit U.S. next week

17. Exclusive: "North Koreans reject Kim Jong-un, claim life is harder than under Japanese rule"

18. Cyber Allies: North Korea and Russia's cyber partnership in the post-treaty era

19. Blame Donald Trump for North Korea’s sabre-rattling

1. A North Korean Diplomat Managed a Rare Defection: A Flight Out of Cuba

Excerpts:

Defections by North Korean elites have been on the rise while ordinary North Koreans find it harder to escape, according to South Korea’s Ministry of Unification. Some 196 North Koreans fled the country last year, compared with 1,047 in 2019 before the Kim regime closed its borders in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Around 10 of the defectors last year were members of North Korea’s elite, including diplomats and overseas students, the highest number of such defections in years, according to the Ministry of Unification. A ministry official said many defectors didn’t want to return to North Korea after experiencing the free world.

A North Korean Diplomat Managed a Rare Defection: A Flight Out of Cuba

A diplomat and his family in Havana executed the first such government-official escape in roughly five years

https://www.wsj.com/world/asia/a-north-korean-diplomat-managed-a-rare-defection-a-flight-out-of-cuba-2117a715?page=1

By Dasl Yoon

July 16, 2024 9:15 am ET

Ri said he had become disillusioned by North Korea’s political system. PHOTO: AHN YOUNG-JOON/ASSOCIATED PRESS

SEOUL—A North Korean diplomat posted in Cuba defected to South Korea with his family late last year, officials said this week, a rare escape from the repressive regime as its leader Kim Jong Un intensifies a crackdown on people fleeing the country.

Ri Il Kyu, a North Korean counselor of political affairs stationed in Havana, fled to South Korea in November, Seoul’s spy agency confirmed following local reports, the first such defection in five years. While it has become increasingly difficult for ordinary North Koreans to flee the pariah state, the few that have are mainly diplomats and workers stationed abroad who take flight to avoid returning to Pyongyang, where border controls make escape extremely difficult.

In an interview with South Korean daily Chosun Ilbo, Ri said he had become disillusioned by North Korea’s political system while serving as the third secretary at the embassy. The 52-year-old, who joined the isolated state’s Foreign Ministry in 1999, told Chosun Ilbo that he boarded a plane with his wife and children without telling his family they were heading to South Korea.

North Korea hasn’t publicly commented on Ri.

Defections by North Korean elites have been on the rise while ordinary North Koreans find it harder to escape, according to South Korea’s Ministry of Unification. Some 196 North Koreans fled the country last year, compared with 1,047 in 2019 before the Kim regime closed its borders in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Around 10 of the defectors last year were members of North Korea’s elite, including diplomats and overseas students, the highest number of such defections in years, according to the Ministry of Unification. A ministry official said many defectors didn’t want to return to North Korea after experiencing the free world.

Before the defection from Cuba, the last known defection of North Korean officials stationed abroad was in 2019. North Korea’s acting ambassador to Italy arrived in South Korea in July of that year and his defection became public in 2020. In September 2019, the acting ambassador to Kuwait also arrived in South Korea.

Ri, who reportedly suffered from neural damage, told Chosun Ilbo that he had requested treatment in Mexico due to the lack of medical equipment in Cuba but North Korea’s Foreign Ministry denied his request.

North Koreans working abroad, like Ri, have some opportunities to attempt defection, despite the risk of getting caught, which is punishable by imprisonment in re-education camps or even execution. Escape is a much more difficult endeavor for those living inside North Korea, who are routinely subject to forced labor and tight surveillance, according to a report by the United Nations Human Rights Office.

Since the pandemic, the North Korean government has largely sealed its border with China by constructing fences and guard posts to prevent defections. Guards have been ordered to shoot any person approaching the frontier without permission, according to human rights groups. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has essentially made the country a “giant prison,” according to Lina Yoon, a researcher at Human Rights Watch.

Ri told the Korean newspaper that the deaths of his parents and in-laws in Pyongyang contributed to the decision to flee. When North Koreans defect, the regime often punishes family members, by holding them hostage or sending them to prison camps.

Tae Yong-ho, a former North Korean diplomat who fled to South Korea in 2016, welcomed Ri in a Facebook post, calling him a “Cuba expert” who was trusted by Kim. “North Korean diplomats will continue to defect,” he wrote in the post.

Write to Dasl Yoon at dasl.yoon@wsj.com

Appeared in the July 17, 2024, print edition as 'North Korean Diplomat Defected Through Cuba'.

2. U.S. Accuses Former C.I.A. Analyst of Working for South Korea

Excerpt:

In a statement, Lee Wolosky, Ms. Terry’s lawyer, said that the allegations were unfounded and distorted “the work of a scholar and news analyst known for her independence and years of service to the United States.”

“Dr. Terry has not held a security clearance for over a decade, and her views on matters relating to the Korean Peninsula have been consistent over many years,” Mr. Wolosky said. “In fact, she was a harsh critic of the South Korean government during times this indictment alleges that she was acting on its behalf.”

He added, “Once the facts are made clear, it will be evident the government made a significant mistake.”

U.S. Accuses Former C.I.A. Analyst of Working for South Korea

Sue Mi Terry, a North Korea expert with the Council on Foreign Relations, was charged with acting as an agent for Seoul after leaving the intelligence agency.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/16/nyregion/sue-mi-terry-cia-south-korea.html?searchResultPosition=1

Sue Mi Terry began operating as a foreign agent in June 2013, according to the indictment.Credit...Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for ABA

By Claire Fahy, Jesse McKinley and Benjamin Weiser

July 16, 2024

Sue Mi Terry, a prominent voice on American foreign policy, had a refined palate, a love for top-shelf sushi and a taste for designer labels. She liked coats by Christian Dior, handbags by Bottega Veneta and Louis Vuitton, and Michelin-starred restaurants.

And, according to federal prosecutors in Manhattan, she accepted such luxury goods and other gifts in exchange for serving the South Korean government in Seoul.

Ms. Terry, a former Central Intelligence Agency analyst and a senior fellow for Korea studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, is accused in a 31-page indictment released Tuesday of a yearslong effort to assist South Korean spies. The indictment says she even introduced the spies to congressional staff members, an action that she described as “bringing the wolf in.”

The charges, which were brought by the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, were part of a concerted push by the Justice Department to combat foreign influence in American affairs, which has produced dozens of prosecutions in recent years. Such cases have been set off by illegal campaign contributions from overseas, covert influence operations and even the bribing of Senator Robert Menendez, for which he was convicted Tuesday.

In Ms. Terry’s case, prosecutors say she began operating as a foreign agent in 2013, five years after leaving the C.I.A. She was first contacted by an intelligence officer posing as a diplomat for the Korean mission to the United Nations in New York City, the indictment said, and in return for her work over the next decade, Ms. Terry received handbags, clothing and at least $37,000 in covert payments to the think tank where she was employed at the time.

“Despite engaging in extensive activities for and at the direction of” the South Korean government, Ms. Terry did not register as a foreign agent with American officials, as required by law, prosecutors said. She faces two counts, one for failing to register under the federal Foreign Agents Registration Act, and the other for conspiring to violate it.

In a statement, Lee Wolosky, Ms. Terry’s lawyer, said that the allegations were unfounded and distorted “the work of a scholar and news analyst known for her independence and years of service to the United States.”

“Dr. Terry has not held a security clearance for over a decade, and her views on matters relating to the Korean Peninsula have been consistent over many years,” Mr. Wolosky said. “In fact, she was a harsh critic of the South Korean government during times this indictment alleges that she was acting on its behalf.”

He added, “Once the facts are made clear, it will be evident the government made a significant mistake.”

Nicholas Biase, a spokesman for the Southern District, declined to comment. The South Korean embassy did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Considered an expert on North Korea and broader security issues in the region, Ms. Terry has worked not only at the C.I.A., but at the National Intelligence Council and the National Security Council, places where she produced “hundreds of intelligence assessments,” according to her biography on the Council on Foreign Relations website.

According to the indictment, federal agents had suspicions regarding Ms. Terry’s contact with Seoul as early as November 2014, when the F.B.I. called her in for a voluntary interview.

As she was questioned, Ms. Terry became “visibly nervous, changed her speech pattern and began to stutter and shift in her seat,” the indictment said. Over the ensuing years, agents would track Ms. Terry to numerous restaurants and luxury stores in Washington, D.C., providing photos of her dining with her handlers and standing next to them at cash registers as they bought her expensive goods. Several were included in court papers Tuesday.

In an interview with the F.B.I. in June 2023, Ms. Terry, who was born in Seoul but raised in the United States, admitted that she had resigned from the C.I.A. in 2008 rather than be fired because the agency had “problems” with her contacts with members of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, the indictment said.

But her national-security work was only prelude to more wrongdoing after she left the government, according to prosecutors, including disclosing “nonpublic U.S. government information” to intelligence officers working for South Korea. The indictment says that Ms. Terry handed over handwritten notes of a private group meeting in 2022 regarding the U.S. government’s policy toward North Korea that she attended with Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

During this period, the indictment said, Ms. Terry worked for several well-known think tanks in Washington.

Ms. Terry’s activity on behalf of South Korea started small and became more ambitious as she worked with three different handlers, the indictment said. At first, she mainly published opinion articles favorable to South Korea’s stance on North Korea, but soon she was facilitating meetings between incoming Trump administration officials and South Korean intelligence agents in 2016. By 2018, Ms. Terry was hosting meetings at a think tank at the request of her South Korean handlers, giving them access to U.S. national security officials, the indictment said.

Ms. Terry made media appearances and wrote articles in American and South Korean publications reflecting Seoul’s policy priorities, the indictment said, including an opinion piece for The New York Times in 2014. She also testified before Congress about North Korea, which required her to sign a form before each hearing declaring that she was not a registered foreign agent.

In April 2023, Ms. Terry hosted an event at a think tank where she invited congressional staff members and worked to study South Korea’s alliance with the United States at the request of the South Korean National Intelligence Service. Ms. Terry then invited the staff members to a happy hour where South Korean intelligence officers were present, allowing the officers to “spot and assess” potential recruits, according to the indictment.

As her work became more risky, her rewards were greater, prosecutors said. Her payment started with a $2,950 Bottega Veneta bag and ballooned to lump sums of $11,000 and then $25,000, paid to Ms. Terry’s gift account at the think tank where she worked, over which she had sole discretion, they said.

During lavish dinners at primarily Michelin-starred sushi restaurants, followed by drinks at rooftop bars, Ms. Terry’s handler would feed her lines she would then parrot in media appearances in the form of policy recommendations regarding U.S.-South Korea relations, the indictment said.

Iva Zorić, a spokeswoman for the Council on Foreign Relations, said the organization had learned of the indictment on Tuesday and placed Ms. Terry on unpaid administrative leave. She added that the council would cooperate with any investigation.

Claire Fahy reports on New York City and the surrounding area for The Times. She can be reached at claire.fahy@nytimes.com. More about Claire Fahy

Jesse McKinley is a Times reporter covering upstate New York, courts and politics. More about Jesse McKinley

Benjamin Weiser is a Times reporter covering the federal courts and U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan, and the justice system more broadly. More about Benjamin Weiser

3. South Korea Edges Closer to Status as Full-Fledged Nuclear Power

"Yank?" I have not seen that term used in quite some time.

South Korea Edges Closer to Status as Full-Fledged Nuclear Power

A strengthened pact, amid outrage at Moscow and Beijing, is signed by Yank and South Korean officials.

DONALD KIRK

Tuesday, July 16, 202407:02:25 am

nysun.com

South Korea is edging ever closer to the status of a full-fledged nuclear power in the wake of last week’s NATO summit at Washington and the signing by Yank and South Korea officials of a much strengthened “nuclear deterrence” pact.

Amid outraged responses from both Moscow and Beijing, President Yoon of South Korea says the American-Korean alliance is “nuclear-based.” That phrase means Seoul has Washington’s assurances of a nuclear response as needed whenever North Korea’s Kim Jong-un makes good on his mounting threats to attack the South.

Mr. Yoon isn’t saying South Korea is developing its own nukes — something Washington has long opposed — but is confident that “the U.S. will assign a special mission to its nuclear assets for the Korean Peninsula both in wartime and peacetime.” South Korea’s Yonhap News quotes him as claiming to be able to “respond swiftly and effectively to any kind of North Korean nuclear threat.”

Those bold words come after North Korea’s foreign ministry, responding to the statement issued by Presidents Biden and Yoon during the NATO summit, warned that “NATO’s strategy for ‘globalization,’ pursued by the U.S., may certainly bring the danger of a worldwide war.”

Hinting at the potential of its own nuclear warheads, Pyongyang’s Korean Central News Agency quotes the foreign ministry as saying that “a new force and mode of counteraction” was needed “to foil the U.S. attempt for expanded military bloc.”

That was a reference to the bond formed at the summit between the 32 member nations of the North Atlantic Treaty and the four Indo-Pacific countries — Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand — whose leaders attended as observers.

The leaders whose countries are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization caused still more consternation in Beijing after issuing a final statement calling the People’s Republic of China a “decisive enabler” of the war in Ukraine, heaping scorn on the People’s Republic’s claims that it isn’t aiding the Russians militarily. The Chinese, they said, are shipping “dual-use materials, such as weapons components, equipment, and raw materials that serve as inputs for Russia’s defense sector.”

Since then the Communist Chinese and Russian propaganda machines have been keeping up a steady drumbeat of anti-American and anti-NATO denunciations.

“What the Anglo-American hegemon and its European vassal states want is to fortify their position in Ukraine,” said a commentary in China’s English-language Global Times, accusing NATO of using the Ukrainian people “as a saber to weaken Russia.” Moscow’s view was much the same. A spokesman for President Putin said NATO had shown “its determination to remain an enemy for us.”

It was partly in response to a “comprehensive strategic partnership” signed in Pyongyang last month by Mr. Putin and Mr. Kim that Washington and Seoul upgraded their understanding on defense of the South under the longstanding American nuclear umbrella.South Korea, said Mr. Yoon, would “continue to strengthen the South Korea-U.S. alliance and also Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation and the partnership with NATO to thwart and neutralize illicit Russia-North Korea military and economic cooperation.”

nysun.com

4. Former White House official accused of acting as South Korea agent

Former White House official accused of acting as South Korea agent

By Jonathan Stempel

July 17, 20244:47 AM EDTUpdated 4 hours ago

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/ex-white-house-official-indicted-acting-south-korea-agent-2024-07-16/?utm

Sue Mi Terry, then director at Bower Group Asia, speaks on a "Crisis on the Peninsula: Implications for the U.S. - Korea Alliance" panel at the Asia Society in New York, U.S., June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

NEW YORK, July 16 (Reuters) - A foreign policy specialist who once worked for the CIA and on the White House National Security Council (NSC) has been indicted on U.S. charges she worked as an unregistered agent of South Korea's government in exchange for luxury goods and other gifts.

Sue Mi Terry advocated South Korean policy positions, disclosed non-public U.S. government information to South Korean intelligence officers, and facilitated access for South Korean government officials to their U.S. counterparts, according to an indictment made public on Tuesday in Manhattan federal court.

In return, the South Korean intelligence officers allegedly provided Terry with Bottega Veneta and Louis Vuitton handbags, a Dolce & Gabbana coat, dinners at Michelin-starred restaurants, and more than $37,000 in "covert" funding for a public policy program on Korean affairs that she ran.

The indictment contains surveillance camera images of Terry awaiting or carrying a gift bag while the officers pay at Bottega Veneta and Louis Vuitton stores in Washington in 2019 and 2021, respectively.

Terry's alleged work as an agent began in 2013, two years after she left U.S. government employment, and lasted a decade even after FBI agents warned her in 2014 that South Korean intelligence might try to offer (to) covertly pay for events.

She is now a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, according to the think tank's website, and an expert on East Asia and the Korean Peninsula, including North Korea.

Terry did not immediately respond to a request for comment but her lawyer, Lee Wolosky, said in a statement: "These allegations are unfounded and distort the work of a scholar and news analyst known for her independence and years of service to the United States."

"In fact, she was a harsh critic of the South Korean government during times this indictment alleges that she was acting on its behalf. Once the facts are made clear it will be evident the government made a significant mistake," he added.

The Council on Foreign Relations put Terry on unpaid administrative leave, and will cooperate with any investigation, a spokeswoman said.

South Korea is not a defendant. Its Washington embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Seoul's National Intelligence Service said it was closely communicating with US intelligence authorities. The office of U.S. Attorney Damian Williams in Manhattan did not immediately respond to similar requests.

The indictment also alleges that Terry has published multiple opinion pieces at the request from Seoul officials, including in April 2023 when she received $500 for writing an article praising the results of a summit between Presidents Joe Biden and Yoon Suk Yeol for a South Korean newspaper.

According to Terry's online biography, she is a frequent guest on TV, radio and podcasts, and has testified multiple times before Congressional panels.

Born in Seoul and raised in Virginia, Terry was a senior CIA analyst from 2001 to 2008, and director of Korean, Japan and Oceanic Affairs at the NSC from 2008 to 2009 under Republican President George W. Bush and Democratic President Barack Obama.

She now lives in New York, her biography says.

The indictment charges Terry with failing to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, and conspiring to violate that law.

It says she acknowledged in a voluntary June 2023 FBI interview that she was a "source" for South Korea's intelligence service, "meaning that she provided valuable information."

Get weekly news and analysis on the U.S. elections and how it matters to the world with the newsletter On the Campaign Trail. Sign up here.

Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom in Washington and Hyonhee Shin and Hyunsu Yim in Seoul; Editing by Leslie Adler, Sandra Maler and Michael Perry

5.US accuses North Korea expert Sue Mi Terry of working for South Korean spies

Photos at the link Seems like a lot of surveillance was conducted for a long time.

US accuses North Korea expert Sue Mi Terry of working for South Korean spies

Ex-CIA analyst and White House official charged with providing intel and access in exchange for luxury goods and perks

https://www.nknews.org/2024/07/us-accuses-north-korea-expert-sue-mi-terry-of-spying-for-south-korea/

Ifang Bremer July 17, 2024

Sue Mi Terry at a screening of the documentary 'Beyond Utopia,' which she worked on as a producer | Image: ROK Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Nov. 2023)

U.S. federal prosecutors have charged prominent North Korea expert Sue Mi Terry, a former CIA analyst and White House official, with allegedly working for South Korean spies in exchange for luxury goods and expensive dinners.

Over the course of more than a decade, Terry promoted Seoul’s policy positions in publications and media appearances, shared sensitive information with South Korean intelligence officers and facilitated access to U.S. government officials by ROK intelligence, according to the indictment from the New York Southern District attorney’s office.

In exchange, she allegedly received designer handbags, dinners at Michelin-starred restaurants and more than $37,000 in covert funding for a Korean affairs public policy program she controlled.

According to prosecutors, Terry never registered as a foreign agent under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) as required by law while engaging in these activities from 2013 to 2023.

The indictment charges her with conspiracy to violate FARA and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign principal. If convicted, Terry could face up to five years in prison.

Terry’s lawyer Lee Wolosky rejected the charges in a response to NK News questions.

“These allegations are unfounded and distort the work of a scholar and news analyst known for her independence and years of service to the United States,” Wolosky said.

Terry was not available for comment on Wednesday.

In the indictment, the prosecutors highlight a private meeting in June 2022 between Terry and the U.S. secretary of state, during which she allegedly took detailed handwritten notes. She reportedly met her South Korean intelligence handler immediately after the meeting and passed on the notes.

Stills from surveillance camera footage that allegedly shows NIS handlers purchasing a designer bag for Terry in 2021 | Image: United States District Court Southern District of New York

Terry allegedly wrote opinion pieces under instructions from the South Korean government. One of the articles cited in the indictment is an op-ed in The Washington Post, in which she praised the Yoon Suk-yeol administration for its efforts to improve ties with Japan.

A spokesperson for the newspaper told NK News that “The Washington Post is committed to publishing independent journalism and is reviewing the indictment.”

Terry’s lawyer maintained that she only promoted her own views on Korea issues.

“Dr. Terry has not held a security clearance for over a decade, and her views on matters relating to the Korean Peninsula have been consistent over many years,” Wolosky said. “She disagreed with South Korean government policy when it was at odds with her own views and supported South Korean policy when it aligned with her own views.”

Terry is also accused of organizing events that allowed South Korean intelligence officers to access U.S. Congressional staff. In July 2022, she hosted a happy hour in Washington for congressional staff members, which was allegedly paid for by South Korean intelligence officers posing as diplomats.

At the happy hour, Terry’s National Intelligence Agency (NIS) handler mingled with “congressional staff without disclosing that he was a ROK intelligence officer,” according to the court documents.

The indictment states that Terry received luxury goods for her alleged work for the ROK government on several occasions, including a “$2,845 Dolce & Gabbana coat, a $2,950 Bottega Veneta handbag and a $3,450 Louis Vuitton handbag.”

She allegedly returned the Dolce & Gabbana coat “and purchased a $4,100 Christian Dior coat, paying the difference.”

South Korean NIS agents also took Terry “to meals at upscale seafood restaurants, sushi restaurants and multiple restaurants with Michelin stars,” according to prosecutors.

The indictment reveals an extensive surveillance campaign, detailing how the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) warned Terry in 2014 about her NIS contacts. The prosecutors included a photo of Terry in a restaurant with alleged NIS agents, indicating U.S. authorities were following her.

Surveillance camera footage of NIS agents allegedly buying designer bags for Terry was also included in the indictment.

A photo of Terry allegedly meeting NIS agents at an upscale Greek restaurant in Manhattan in 2020 | Image: United States District Court Southern District of New York

The court documents suggest that Terry sought to promote her ties to U.S. officials, alleging she talked with an NIS source about “her close relationship with a senior State Department official with responsibilities covering Korean affairs who had previously served in senior roles at the CIA and at the National Intelligence Council.”

The indictment does not identify the official but could be referring to Jung Pak, the top U.S. official for North Korea policy who suddenly resigned last week after less than a year in the role.

The State Department did not immediately respond to NK News questions about the case.

Terry began her career with the U.S. government in 2001 as an East Asia analyst for the CIA and later advanced to the role of director for Japan, Korea, and Oceanic affairs on the White House’s National Security Council during the Obama administration.

Following this, she served as the deputy national intelligence officer for East Asia under the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

Terry left government service in 2010 and has since held positions at various think tanks, most recently working as a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and at the Council on Foreign Relations

CSIS did not immediately respond to NK News questions about the indictment of Terry. A spokesperson for the Council on Foreign Relations reportedly said that the organization has placed Terry on unpaid administrative leave.

She also served as a producer for the 2023 film “Beyond Utopia” about underground efforts to help North Koreans escape the country.

The Wilson Center, where Terry worked as director of the Korea Program in 2021 and then served as director of the Asia Program until July 2023, told NK News that the center is “not a target of the investigation and has cooperated fully with law enforcement authorities.”

Terry’s lawyer told NK News that her client has “at all times” been “a staunch supporter of the U.S.-ROK alliance.”

“The only people who will be happy about this indictment are North Korean officials who have always vilified Dr. Terry for being such a strong critic of their Stalinist regime,” Wolosky said.

Wolosky previously defended Adrian Hong, the activist accused of leading a raid on North Korea’s embassy in Madrid in 2019.

“It is a tragedy that this case has been brought against her,” the lawyer added.

The NIS told NK News that “With regards to the reports on the Foreign Agent Registration Act prosecution case, the intelligence agencies of South Korea and the United States are in close communication.”

South Korea’s foreign ministry and the ROK Presidential Office did not immediately respond to NK News questions about the case.

South Korea’s foreign ministry said it would be “inappropriate” to comment on ongoing legal proceedings. The ROK Presidential Office did not immediately respond to NK News questions about the case.

Jeongmin Kim,Chad O’Carroll and Joon Ha Park contributed reporting to this article. Edited by Bryan Betts

Updated at 3:40 p.m. KST to clarify allegations presented by U.S. prosecutors, at 5 p.m. with NIS comment and 5:12 p.m. with comment from Seoul’s foreign ministry

6. The world cannot ignore the evil network of Russia, Iran, Hamas, and North Korea - opinion

A view from Jerusalem.

Excerpt:

This web of evil is not just a theoretical threat; it has tangible and devastating consequences.

The world cannot ignore the evil network of Russia, Iran, Hamas, and North Korea - opinion

Together, we must face this threat with the full force of our collective resolve. Let us not be caught in the web of evil intentions.

By YEVGEN KORNICHUK

JULY 16, 2024 04:03

Jerusalem Post

In recent months, a disturbing and dangerous alliance is taking shape on the world stage, threatening the stability and security of many countries. This emerging axis – which includes Russia, Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, and North Korea – represents a convergence of nefarious interests that should alarm us all. As Ukraine’s ambassador to Israel, I am forced to emphasize the serious consequences of this network and urge the international community to respond with determination and unity.

The strategic partnership between Russia and Iran has progressed significantly, culminating in an almost final agreement that emphasizes their shared aspirations. This relationship is not just about economic or military cooperation; it is a partnership built on mutual support of violent nonstate actors and regimes that violate international norms.

Iran’s support for Hamas, a terrorist organization threatened by many countries, including Israel and the United States, is a critical component of this network. Russia’s involvement with Iran and groups such as Hamas is particularly troubling.

Moscow seeks to expand influence

Moscow consistently seeks to expand its influence in the Middle East, often at the expense of regional stability. By aligning with Iran and tacitly supporting its proxies, Russia is complicit in perpetuating violence and unrest. This is the same Russia that is waging a harsh and brutal war against Ukraine and shows a blatant disregard for international law and human rights.

Moreover, the inclusion of North Korea in this alliance adds another layer of danger.

The Iranian flag waves in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters, before the beginning of a board of governors meeting, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Vienna, Austria, March 1, 2021. (credit: REUTERS/LISI NIESNER/FILE PHOTO)

North Korea’s proliferation and its potential to provide military technology to Iran and Hamas pose a significant threat. Its isolation in the world has not deterred it from engaging in activities that undermine global security, and its connection to this axis of evil actors only increases the risks we face.

This web of evil is not just a theoretical threat; it has tangible and devastating consequences.

In Ukraine, we are witnessing firsthand the horrors of Russian aggression. The ongoing war resulted in tens of thousands of dead, along with millions of displaced persons, and brought enormous suffering to our people. We understand the devastating potential of an uncontrolled malignancy better than anyone.

Israel also knows the pain of living in the shadow of terrorism and the constant threat posed by terrorist organizations, Hamas, for example.

The convergence of these forces – Russia’s strategic maneuvers, Iran’s regional ambitions, Hamas’s terrorist activities, and North Korea’s efforts to arm itself – create a direct threat to Israel’s security and world peace.

The international community must recognize the gravity of the situation and act decisively.

We must strengthen our alliances and support each other in the face of these threats. Diplomatic efforts should focus on isolating and resisting this network through sanctions, strategic partnerships, and more.

Intelligence sharing and coordinated efforts to disrupt financial and military channels to these actors are essential.

Furthermore, we must remain steadfast in our commitment to democratic values and human rights. The axis of Russia, Iran, Hamas, and North Korea thrives on the suppression of these principles. By preserving and promoting, we not only protect our societies but also offer a powerful counter – narrative to those who seek to undermine freedom and stability in the world.

I call upon the world to wake up – the evil network that includes Russia, Iran, Hamas, and North Korea is a clear and present danger that we cannot afford to ignore. Ukraine stands by Israel and together with all nations committed to peace and security.

Together, we must face this threat with the full force of our collective resolve. Let us not be caught in the web of evil intentions.

We must break free and guarantee a more stable and safer world for everyone.

The writer is Ukraine’s ambassador to Israel.

Jerusalem Post

7. North Korean envoy 'drowned' in Moscow pond: Reports

This (drowning) used to be a "purge method" in north Korea during the rule of Kim Jong Il (and while he was head of the OGD consolidating his power before he assumed command of the north in 1994).

North Korean envoy 'drowned' in Moscow pond: Reports

Newsweek · by Isabel van Brugen · July 16, 2024

ByReporter

The head of an elite North Korean military delegation that was deployed to Russia last week has been found dead in Moscow, according to local reports.

Kim Geum Chol, president of the Kim Il Sung Military University, is said to have drowned while swimming in the Russian capital, according to the SHOT Telegram channel, a Russian channel that posts updates on the Ukraine war, and the Astra Telegram channel, a project run by independent Russian journalists.

Newsweek couldn't independently verify the reports and has contacted Russia's Foreign Ministry for comment by email.

Kim and his delegation departed from Pyongyang on July 8, the news agency Yonhap said, on the first public visit by North Korean officials to Russia since Pyongyang and Moscow signed a new strategic partnership agreement in June.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, are seen in Tsiolkovsky, Russia, on September 13, 2023. The head of an elite North Korean military delegation that was dispatched to... Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, are seen in Tsiolkovsky, Russia, on September 13, 2023. The head of an elite North Korean military delegation that was dispatched to Russia last week has been found dead in a pond in Moscow, according to local reports. Contributor/Getty Images

The purpose of the delegation's visit is unclear.

According to SHOT, as a heat wave swept Russia, Kim, 64, went to the Bolshoy Gorodskoy Pond in Moscow for a swim to cool off, and "disappeared."

"A member of a North Korean delegation drowned while swimming in Moscow. Kim was in Russia on a working visit," the channel said on Tuesday.

His colleagues raised the alarm and found his belongings on the shore. They contacted the police, who searched for him for several hours, without success. His body was found in the Bolshoy Gorodskoy Pond the next day.

"He has already been identified. An investigation is underway into the incident," SHOT said.

North Korea and Russia have deepened their ties since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February 2022. The Russian leader's visit to Pyongyang in June was his first in 24 years.

Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency said in June that Article 4 of the new agreement reached between Russia and North Korea during Putin's historic visit requires either party to deploy "all means at its disposal without delay" to provide "military and other assistance" should one nation be attacked.

"The comprehensive partnership agreement signed today provides, among other things, for mutual assistance in the event of aggression against one of the parties to this agreement," Putin was cited as saying by Russian news agency Tass.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called the agreement the "strongest ever treaty" signed between Pyongyang and Moscow, while Putin invited him to visit the Russian capital in the future, according to Russian media outlets.

About the writer

Isabel van Brugen

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Isabel van Brugen is a Newsweek Reporter based in Kuala Lumpur. Her focus is reporting on the Russia-Ukraine war. Isabel joined Newsweek in 2021 and had previously worked with news outlets including the Daily Express, The Times, Harper's BAZAAR, and Grazia. She has an M.A. in Newspaper Journalism at City, University of London, and a B.A. in Russian language at Queen Mary, University of London. Languages: English, Russian

Newsweek · by Isabel van Brugen · July 16, 2024

8. North Korea mining DMZ despite spate of fatal accidents

Mines are terrible (and dangerous) things.

North Korea mining DMZ despite spate of fatal accidents

Newsweek · by John Feng · July 17, 2024

ByContributing Editor, Asia

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un continues to order his military to mine the Demilitarized Zone, despite injuries and deaths from accidental explosions, the South said on Wednesday.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said at least 10 accidents leading to "multiple casualties" have been detected in the northern DMZ, the 160-mile buffer zones either side of the de facto inter-Korean border, known as the Military Demarcation Line.

The moves are part of Kim's plans to fortify the entire border area and sever all physical connections to the South, which he declared Pyongyang's "principal enemy" earlier this year.

In this undated photo provided on July 17 by South Korea’s Defense Ministry, North Korean soldiers work at an undisclosed location near the inter-Korean border area, as seen from a South Korean side. North Korean... In this undated photo provided on July 17 by South Korea’s Defense Ministry, North Korean soldiers work at an undisclosed location near the inter-Korean border area, as seen from a South Korean side. North Korean land mines could be swept into the South by flooding, South Korea's military warned. South Korea Defense Ministry via AP

Officials in Seoul said that his regime's forces were suffering the consequences while toiling away in the heat for 12 to 13 hours a day without holidays or shift changes.

Kim's workers, which included mobilized female soldiers, were sleeping on site in makeshift tents, according to the Yonhap News Agency, which said South Korea was preparing for possible defections from the North due to the poor working conditions.

A day earlier, Kim's powerful sister, Kim Yo Yong, said South Korea would "pay a terrible price" for failing to stop rights activists from sending anti-North leaflets across the border. Authorities in the South have been reluctant to intervene.

North Korea's embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

At a meeting with senior military officials on Wednesday, South Korea defense chief Shin Won-sik said the country faced a complex crisis, with heavy rains adding to the unpredictability in the border area, the Defense Ministry said in a separate news release.

Downpours forecast this week for parts of North Korea could sweep some of the tens of thousands of land mines into the South, officials said.

"North Korea tends to randomly place them without relevant safety measures," Yonhap quoted a Joint Chiefs of Staff official as saying. "Whether it occurs intentionally or naturally due to heavy rains, there is a higher possibility of the land mines flowing down."

The South Korean Defense Ministry has urged members of the public not to touch suspicious items, including suspected land mines, which have been found to resemble leaves.

North Korean troops have been spotted working in large numbers in the DMZ since spring, installing mines and building fortifications including anti-tank barriers, a row of obstacles that reached 1.5 miles in a month.

South Korean soldiers posted to the border have occasionally fired warning shots after North Korean troops accidentally strayed across the MDL into the southern end of the DMZ amid attempts to block all entry and exit points.

About the writer

John Feng

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John Feng is Newsweek's contributing editor for Asia based in Taichung, Taiwan. His focus is on East Asian politics. He has covered foreign policy and defense matters, especially in relation to U.S.-China ties and cross-strait relations between China and Taiwan. John joined Newsweek in 2020 after reporting in Central Europe and the United Kingdom. He is a graduate of National Chengchi University in Taipei and SOAS, University of London. Languages: English and Chinese.

You can get in touch with John by emailing j.feng@newsweek.com

Newsweek · by John Feng · July 17, 2024

9. North Korean fashion, drums, and jubilation: Here’s how South Koreans celebrated the first-ever Defectors’ Day

And we celebrated north Korean Defectors Day in Annandale on Sunday,

North Korean fashion, drums, and jubilation: Here’s how South Koreans celebrated the first-ever Defectors’ Day | CNN

CNN · by Jessie Yeung, Mike Valerio, Yoonjung Seo · July 16, 2024

A performer does live calligraphy at the Defectors' Day celebration in Seoul, South Korea, on July 14.

Mike Valerio/CNN

Seoul, South Korea CNN —

In the shadow of what looks like Seoul’s colossal chrome space station, Dongdaemun Design Plaza, hundreds of defectors from North Korea gathered for lively celebrations on Sunday marking the first nationwide North Korean Defectors’ Day.

The inaugural event, declared by the government to be held each July 14, recognizes approximately 34,000 North Koreans who escaped the authoritarian grip of Pyongyang to resettle in the South – leaving behind legacies of fear, deep familial ties, and days devoted to a repressive regime often seen as frozen in time.

The joy of freedom marked the celebration on Sunday, the thunderous tempo from massive drums declaring a spirited independence from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The echoes of well-known North Korean songs celebrating friendship spilled into nearby neighborhoods, as families filled booths serving both North and South Korean treats such as the deep-fried confection yakgwa, and fruit punch, or hwachae.

A booth at the Defectors' Day festival sells North Korean styles of traditional treats, including watermelon punch (hwachae), the glutinous rice dessert yugwa, and the deep-fried sweet yakgwa.

Mike Valerio/CNN

The lively celebrations in the heart of South Korea are particularly significant given the difficulties defectors often face once they arrive – with many struggling to assimilate, and a rare few even risking their lives to return to the hermit nation. Among the problems they face are financial hardship, discrimination and deep stigma among South Koreans against defectors.

Activists and authorities hope this new annual celebration will help to change that.

“This is something that we all have to celebrate,” said Park Daehyeon, a defector who fled North Korea in 2006 and has since founded the non-profit organization Woorion to help other defectors resettling in the South.

Defectors flee the North and come to the South “to be very meaningful to society, and also contribute to this South Korean society, and also (are) supporting their friends and family left behind in North Korea,” he added.

“So, this is a date (where) we all have to embrace and support each other, recognize each other, and appreciate the diversities and different experiences we have.”

The Defectors' Day festival in Seoul featured dance and music performances, many by groups of North Korean refugees who resettled in the South.

Mike Valerio/CNN

The perilous journey south

Since the Korean War ended with an armistice in 1953, North and South Korea have been separated by an almost impenetrable border preventing anyone from crossing to the other side.

Over subsequent decades, South Korea has modernized, becoming one of the world’s richest and most technologically developed countries. Meanwhile, North Korea has become increasingly isolated, with the vast majority of citizens subject to widespread poverty and limited basic freedoms.

Over the years, thousands of defectors have fled – often enlisting brokers who arrange their transport and route across the tight borders, traveling through China and other parts of Asia before arriving in Seoul and other final destinations.

It’s a dangerous journey. Many North Korean women are trafficked and sexually exploited in China, where a gender imbalance has created a black market for brides. And there are few ways out for these victims: China considers North Korean refugees to be economic migrants, and forcibly deports them back – where, as alleged defectors, they face imprisonment, possible torture or worse, activists say.

Even those who safely make it to South Korea face an uphill battle – especially in finding jobs and earning a living, even with vocational training and financial support from the government. Some 6.1% of defectors were unemployed in 2022, more than double the national rate, according to government figures.

Park Daeheyon, founder and CEO of Woorion, an organization that helps North Korean defectors resettling in the South.

CNN

Then there’s the culture shock – and sometimes, hostility from South Koreans.

On news stories online, “You can find people saying, ‘Hey, you need to go back to where you come from,’” said Park, the Woorion founder.

“I wish society is more open (to) new defectors. Maybe there (are) many thousands of thousands of North Korean defectors who want to come to (South) Korea and have a prosperous life. If the society doesn’t (welcome) them … they are kind of lost.”

At the celebration on Sunday, Kwon Ji-hwan, who fled North Korea in 2015, did free drawings for visitors and told CNN he was “very grateful” for the event.

“[If I were still in North Korea] I think I would have been having a difficult life working as a laborer, perhaps at a construction site,” he said. “But since coming to South Korea, I can live freely while drawing what I like, so that’s what makes me happiest.”

However, he said, he wished new arrivals could receive more comprehensive education so they become self-sufficient rather than relying on government benefits.

A non-profit organization runs a booth displaying daily living items used by North Koreans, including military boots, shoes, and North Korean money, at the Defectors' Day celebration in Seoul on July 14.

Yoonjung Seo/CNN

On Sunday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol invited a group of defectors to the Blue House, the former presidential residence, where he offered encouragement and support to the community.

“We express our respect and applause to the 34,000 North Korean defectors who are pioneering new lives every day (in South Korea), he said. “All of you are living witnesses of the noble journey toward freedom.”

Yoon promised to increase resettlement funds for defectors, and to incentivize government agencies and state-run companies to hire more defectors by offering tax benefits.

Mixed welcome

Other defectors attending the festival on Sunday had mixed reactions – some appreciating the gesture, others reminiscing about their home across the heavily militarized border, and others yet unsure if the event would truly serve to unify people.

One defector, who CNN is not naming for their privacy and safety, ate rice cakes at a booth at the Seoul festival. They “tasted like what I used to have in my hometown,” she said. “It’s been 10 years since I came to South Korea, but I still miss the taste of my hometown and have a hard time getting used to the South Korean-style food.”

She worried that the annual Defectors’ Day created a “division between us and South Koreans and it felt like we were not being accepted as fellow Koreans.” However, she added, she understood the government’s intentions, and hoped it would become “an opportunity for harmony and understanding each other.”

A booth set up by North Korean defectors sells traditional rice dessert drinks in both North and South Korean styles at the Defectors' Day celebration in Seoul, South Korea, on July 14.

Yoonjung Seo/CNN

One attendee, Han Bong-hee, told CNN that she wasn’t sure if she would still be alive had she stayed in North Korea. Since arriving in the South 24 years ago, she now practices as a traditional medicine doctor.

“I am very satisfied with my life now because I came to South Korea, found a job, and am living happily while enjoying freedom,” she said.

Another female defector who left North Korea in 2016 expressed gratitude for the celebration. “I didn’t know that a day like Defectors’ Day would happen, but now that it has been established, I feel like I have to work harder,” she said. “I want to live and work harder knowing that there are people in the government who are trying to help us.”

There are many success stories of defectors who have become entrepreneurs, academics and professionals, said Park, the Woorion CEO. He pointed to himself as an example, saying he’d struggled when he was younger – but “now I am able to speak to foreigners and (am) experiencing different cultures and traveling all over the world.”

“This is something that we all North Korean defectors want, and that 25 million North Korean people want,” he added. “This is freedom we are enjoying, and this must be given to everybody.”

CNN · by Jessie Yeung, Mike Valerio, Yoonjung Seo · July 16, 2024

10. North Korea’s use of forced labor ‘deeply institutionalized,’ UN says

North Korea’s use of forced labor ‘deeply institutionalized,’ UN says

The report called on Pyongyang to abolish the use of forced labor and end any form of slavery.

https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/north-korea-forced-labor-07162024233423.html

By Taejun Kang for RFA

2024.07.16

Taipei, Taiwan

Liz Throssell, spokesperson for the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, speaks at the biweekly press briefing in Geneva on July 14, 2024.

Screenshot/OHCHR/UNTV/Reuters

North Korea’s use of forced labor has become “deeply institutionalized” and, in some cases, serious human rights violations have been committed in the process that could amount to the crime against humanity of enslavement, a U.N report said.

The country has maintained an “extensive and multilayered” system of forced labor as a means of controlling and monitoring its people and there is “the widespread use of violence and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment” by officials to discipline workers who fail to meet work quotas, said the United Nations Human Rights Office in a report Tuesday on North Korea’s use of forced labor

The report was based on 183 interviews conducted between 2015 and 2023 with victims and witnesses of such labor exploitation, looking at six distinct types of forced labor, including labor in detention, compulsory state-assigned jobs, military conscription, and work performed by people sent abroad by Pyongyang to earn currency for the country.

Russia, China, Iran and North Korea are ‘deadly quartet’ – defence review chief

Former Nato secretary general Lord Robertson said the UK and allies had to be able to confront the states which were increasingly co-operating.

London Evening Standard · by David Hughes · July 16, 2024

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer meets with Defence Secretary John Healey and former Nato chief Lord Robertson

PA Wire

David Hughes4 minutes ago

The West faces a “deadly quartet” of Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, the head of the Government’s root-and-branch defence review has warned.

Former Nato chief Lord Robertson of Port Ellen said the four states were “increasingly working together”.

Vladimir Putin has relied on supplies from the states to wage his war in Ukraine, with Iranian drones, North Korean munitions and Chinese components sustaining his ability to attack despite Western sanctions.

The strategic defence review launched by Sir Keir Starmer’s administration will examine how to strengthen UK homeland security, bolster Ukraine in its fight against Russia, and modernise and maintain the nuclear deterrent.

Sir Keir Starmer has set a goal of spending 2.5% of GDP on defence spending by 2030 (Benjamin Cremel/PA)

PA Wire

It will also set out a roadmap on how to reach Sir Keir’s target of spending 2.5% of gross domestic product – a measure of the size of the economy – on defence.

Former prime minister Rishi Sunak had set a 2030 goal for spending 2.5%, at a cumulative cost of £75 billion over six years, but the new Labour administration has yet to commit to a timetable.

The co-operation between Mr Putin and his allies has alarmed Western leaders, with Nato’s summit in Washington last week declaring that Beijing and Moscow had a “deepening strategic partnership” while Iran and North Korea are “fuelling Russia’s war of aggression”.

The Washington summit declaration said China had become a “decisive enabler” of the Russian war effort through the supply of components to the defence industry.

Lord Robertson told reporters: “We’re confronted by a deadly quartet of nations increasingly working together, and we in this country, and the Nato alliance that met so successfully last week, has got to be able to confront that particular quartet as well as the other problems that are pervading the world at the present moment.”

Sir Keir Starmer met Nato allies in Washington on his first trip as Prime Minister (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

PA Wire

The Labour peer, a former Nato secretary general and defence secretary, will work with former US presidential advisor Fiona Hill and ex-joint forces command chief General Sir Richard Barrons.

The Prime Minister said: “We live in a more dangerous and volatile world. My Government will forge a new clear-eyed approach to our national defences, equipping us to tackle international threats head-on while keeping the British people safe and secure.”

As part of the process, a defence review team will be established to engage with serving and retired members of the armed forces, the defence industry, the general public, academics, Parliament and the UK’s allies.

At the start of a new era for Britain, we need a new era for defence. Hollowed-out armed forces, procurement waste and neglected morale cannot continue

John Healey

Defence Secretary John Healey will oversee the review and he will be regularly updated on progress, in addition to the Prime Minister and the Chancellor.

Mr Healey said: “At the start of a new era for Britain, we need a new era for defence. Hollowed-out armed forces, procurement waste and neglected morale cannot continue.

“In response, our armed forces need to be better ready to fight, more integrated and more innovative. We need clearer accountability, faster delivery, less waste and better value for money.

“The review will ensure that defence is central to the future security of Britain and to its economic growth and prosperity.”

Labour’s manifesto had committed to conduct the review within its first year in office, but Sir Keir wants the work to be completed much sooner.

London Evening Standard · by David Hughes · July 16, 2024

12. NIS says in talks with U.S. intelligence authorities over indictment of Korean American expert on N. Korea

NIS says in talks with U.S. intelligence authorities over indictment of Korean American expert on N. Korea | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · July 17, 2024

By Kim Seung-yeon

SEOUL, July 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is closely communicating with U.S. intelligence authorities following a news report on the indictment of a well-known Korean American expert on North Korea, the spy agency said Wednesday.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) released the comment after The New York Times reported that Sue Mi Terry, a North Korea expert with the Council on Foreign Relations, has been indicted on charges that she acted as an agent for the South Korean government in return for expensive dinners and designer handbags.

Terry, a former Central Intelligence Agency analyst, is a well-known figure in South Korea for her expertise on North Korea issues.

"The intelligence authorities of South Korea and the United States are closely communicating over the report on the indictment of Sue Mi Terry in relation to the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA)," the NIS said in a message to reporters.

The specific mention of FARA appears intended to make it clear the charges against Terry are unrelated to espionage, which falls under the U.S. Code, as some news outlets here initially reported that Terry was facing spy charges.

The news report said Terry began operating as a foreign agent in 2013, five years after leaving the CIA. She was approached by "handlers" posing as South Korean diplomats and worked to promote South Korea's policy priorities, such as making media appearances and publishing articles, the article said.

Sue Mi Terry, a Korean American expert on North Korea, speaks during an interview with South Korea media on the margins of a forum in Jeju on May 29, 2024. (Yonhap)

elly@yna.co.kr

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en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · July 17, 2024

13. FM Cho voices caution over calls for S. Korea to consider nuclear options

The Foreign Minister is right to counsel caution. Calls for nuclear weapons in South Korea support KJU's poltiical warfare strategy.

(LEAD) FM Cho voices caution over calls for S. Korea to consider nuclear options | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · July 17, 2024

(ATTN: UPDATES story throughout with FM's remarks; CHANGES headline, lead, photo)

By Kim Seung-yeon

SEOUL, July 17 (Yonhap) -- Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul expressed caution Wednesday over growing calls in South Korea for the country to have its own nuclear options, calling a strong deterrence based on the alliance with the United State the "most desirable" approach.

Cho made the remark as the idea of South Korea considering building its own nuclear capabilities has gained traction in political circles amid deepening military ties between Russia and North Korea.

The suggestion also drew attention after Adm. Samuel Paparo, the commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, told South Korean reporters that the allies "can move forward at a later date" based on an operational analysis, when asked about South Korea introducing a nuclear-powered submarine.

"Those issues in relation to nuclear capabilities need further consideration, beyond (revising) the South Korea-U.S. agreement on peaceful use of nuclear energy," Cho said in a National Assembly session in response to a lawmaker's question.

"The question of nuclear armament is also an issue that needs careful and comprehensive consideration, in terms of the potential clash with the NPT (Non-proliferation Treaty) regime and economic risks," Cho said.

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul speaks during a parliamentary session at the National Assembly in Seoul on July 17, 2024. (Yonhap)

Cho added that he sees Paparo's comment as a response to a hypothetical situation based on certain preconditions.

Cho also emphasized that the option of South Korea going nuclear is not the government's position.

"At this stage, strengthening the (U.S.) nuclear deterrence is the most realistic and desirable policy option," he said.

In a policy report submitted to the National Assembly, the foreign ministry said South Korea is seeking to solidify its alliance with the United States, moving beyond the outcome of the U.S. presidential election this November.

The ministry said it is "closely monitoring" the election trends with relevant agencies and using its networks in various communities in the U.S.

"We seek to solidify the foundation of the alliance and smoothly address major issues by expanding and systematically managing our friendly networks with U.S. political circles and policy-related communities," the ministry said.

"The South Korea-U.S. alliance enjoys bipartisan support and is based not only on government-to-government relations but also on active economic and people-to-people partnerships," the ministry said.

"We are meticulously preparing as we look beyond the (U.S.) election," it added.

On the deepening of military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, the government will continue to take stern action against any development in their illegal partnership and also continue to urge China to play a role, the ministry said.

"As we take note of the differences in China's position and the positions of Russia and North Korea, we will continue to have high-level communications with China," the ministry said.

The ministry said it will reinforce its firm stance against the military ties between Moscow and Pyongyang that undermine South Korea's core security interests while continuing to coordinate with the international community to urge Russia to "act responsibly."

With China, the government will push to hold more high-level diplomatic talks going forward, including a vice-ministerial dialogue and public-private policy talks, to maintain strategic communications for a "healthy and mature" relationship.

On relations with Japan, it said it will work closely with Tokyo to advance the bilateral ties in a future-oriented manner, particularly as next year will mark the 60th anniversary of the normalization of the bilateral relations.

elly@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Seung-yeon · July 17, 2024

14. Unification ministry cautious about legislation banning anti-North Korea leaflet launches

These opposition lawmakers are providing support to Kim Jong Un.

Unification ministry cautious about legislation banning anti-North Korea leaflet launches | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · July 17, 2024

SEOUL, July 17 (Yonhap) -- The unification ministry on Wednesday struck a cautious note about opposition lawmakers' legislative attempt to ban Seoul activists' sending of anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border, citing the right of freedom of expression.

In September, the Constitutional Court ruled that a clause banning leaflet launches in the law on the development of inter-Korean relations is unconstitutional, saying it excessively restricts the right to freedom of expression.

The decision paved the way for North Korean defectors and activists to resume their leaflet campaigns toward North Korea. In retaliation, the North has sent more than 2,000 trash-filled balloons into the South since late May.

Several lawmakers from the main opposition Democratic Party have proposed revisions to the law to restrict such leaflet launches while taking into account the intent of the court's ruling.

"When it comes to a revision to the law, there is a need for a cautious approach, given that the court's ruling underscores freedom of expression as a constitutional value that is the basis of democracy," the ministry in charge of inter-Korean affairs said in a report to the National Assembly.

Inter-Korean tensions have heightened as Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of the North's leader Kim Jong-un, warned Tuesday that South Korea will face "gruesome and dear" consequences if it lets North Korean defectors continue to send such leaflets to the North.

She hinted that North Korea could opt for a new tactic to counter the leaflet campaign instead of resorting to its campaign of sending trash-carrying balloons across the border.

South Korea's defense ministry warned that North Korea could let its landmines flow into the South amid heavy downpours as part of its potential responses to the leaflet launches.

Materials believed to be anti-Pyongyang leaflets from South Korea are set on fire after being discovered in North Korea, in this photo released by the North's Korean Central News Agency on July 14, 2024. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

sooyeon@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · July 17, 2024

15. N. Korean defectors' baseball team to visit U.S. this week

I hope they get a chance to visit Cooperstown to see the hall of fame.

N. Korean defectors' baseball team to visit U.S. this week | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · July 17, 2024

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, July 16 (Yonhap) -- The world's first baseball team of young North Korean defectors will arrive in the United States this week, a non-profit organization said Tuesday, in a program that would enable them to experience first-hand the land of freedom and opportunities.

"The Challengers" will visit New York and Washington between Thursday and July 28 to meet Korean American lawmakers and U.S. Special Envoy for North Korean human rights Julie Turner, engage in friendly matches with Korean American friends and visit various U.S. sites, according to GoEun Elaine Kang, director of Washington at the non-profit New Korean Peninsula Baseball Association (NKPBA).

The association has been supporting the Challengers that consists of seven high school students and five young adults. The team was launched in 2018 to help young defectors learn baseball -- a sport unheard of in North Korea -- and better adapt to their new life in South Korea.

This undated photo, provided by GoEun Elaine Kang, director of Washington at the non-profit New Korean Peninsula Baseball Association, shows the Challengers, a team of young North Korean defectors, posing for a photo at Yeomyung School in Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

"Though it is a short trip here, I hope that the team members will experience a lot of things here and continue their aspirations for national reunification," Kang told reporters.

"I understand that they have gone through difficulties in the process of defecting from the North and adapting to a new life thereafter. I hope this trip would help them overcome those difficulties," she added.

The team is set to arrive in New York on Thursday. There, they plan to visit U.N. headquarters, the Human Rights Foundation, the Korean Methodist Church and Columbia University. They will also watch a New York Yankees game and visit the Statue of Liberty.

On Sunday, the team will travel to Washington.

In the U.S. capital, they plan to meet Reps. Young Kim (R-CA) and Michelle Park Steel (R-CA), South Korean Ambassador to the U.S. Cho Hyun-dong, Amb. Turner and Greg Scarlatoiu, the executive director of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, according to Kang.

The young defectors will also get a baseball lesson from Chad Cordero, a former U.S. baseball pitcher, and hold friendly matches with a group of young Korean-Americans, named the "Challengers plUS," as well as those of the Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy.

Turner has been invited to throw the ceremonial opening pitch before a friendly Challengers game against an American youth baseball team, Kang said.

On July 24, the team will also attend a Korean Heritage Day event at the Washington Nationals game.

The Challengers will head home from New York on July 28.

The team initially wanted to visit the U.S. last year, but could not make it due to financial and other issues. This year's trip to the U.S. has been sponsored by a South Korean entrepreneur who requested anonymity.

The team consists of current students and graduates from Yeomyung School, a Seoul-based alternative educational institution for young North Korean defectors.

NKPBA, a key supporter of the team, is a not-for-profit institution registered with South Korea's unification ministry.

GoEun Elaine Kang, director of Washington at the non-profit New Korean Peninsula Baseball Association, speaks during a press meeting in Annandale, Virginia, on July 16, 2024. (Yonhap)

sshluck@yna.co.kr

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en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · July 17, 2024

16. Unification minister to visit U.S. next week

Unification minister to visit U.S. next week | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · July 17, 2024

SEOUL, July 17 (Yonhap) -- Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho will visit the United States next week for talks with U.S. government officials and experts on issues concerning the Korean Peninsula and North Korea's human rights situation, his office said Wednesday.

Kim will visit Washington, D.C., from Sunday through July 26, marking the first trip to the U.S. by a South Korean point man on North Korea in about five years, according to the unification ministry.

During the visit, he will meet with officials from the U.S. government and Congress, as well as experts on inter-Korean affairs, and discuss pending issues related to unification and North Korea, according to the unification ministry.

In particular, Kim will deliver a keynote speech Monday at an international forum on North Korea's human rights situation.

The 2024 International Dialogue on North Korean Human Rights will be held Monday and Tuesday, co-hosted by the ministry, the National Endowment for Democracy, and the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

It marks the first time that the ministry has hosted such a forum abroad.

"The event will serve as an occasion to raise the international community's awareness about the importance of North Korea's human rights issues," the ministry said.

The minister will also meet with experts from major think tanks in Washington, D.C., such as the Center for a New American Security and The Heritage Foundation, to discuss key issues related to the peninsula.

This photo, provided by the Ministry of Unification on July 10, 2024, shows Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

sooyeon@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · July 17, 2024

17. Exclusive: "North Koreans reject Kim Jong-un, claim life is harder than under Japanese rule"

Important insights that we should make proper use of.

Exclusive: "North Koreans reject Kim Jong-un, claim life is harder than under Japanese rule"

Former North Korean diplomat Ri Il-gyu exposes country's human rights abuses

https://www.chosun.com/english/north-korea-en/2024/07/17/45USSEOYZBAYFJBD5EJJTWJIPY/

By Kim Min-seo,

Kim Jin-myung,

Kim Seo-young,

Kim Mi-geon

Published 2024.07.17. 16:20

Updated 2024.07.17. 16:24

Former North Korean counselor and defector, Ri Il-gyu /Kim Ji-ho

Ri Il-gyu, 52, a former elite counselor who worked at the North Korean Embassy in Cuba, said in an interview with the Chosun Ilbo on July 14, “Once the article is published, the North Korean authorities will attack me as human trash, just as they always do with defectors.” Despite this, he agreed to the interview because he felt that “exposing the horrific human rights abuses and reality in North Korea is the way to help the North Korean people.”

What was life as a North Korean diplomat like?

“Embarrassingly, some in North Korea call Foreign Ministry officials ‘beggars in ties.’ Unlike trade workers or those in special agencies, we don’t have any money, but we have to wear high-end clothes and ties for external activities, hence the nickname. When I was the Deputy Director General for Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I also served as a party cell secretary and received the highest salary for a deputy director general, which was 3,000 North Korean won. However, at the time, $1 was about 8,000 North Korean won, so my salary was only about $0.30.”

Ri Il-gyu (left), then Deputy Director for Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East at the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attends a banquet celebrating the 57th anniversary of diplomatic relations with Jesús Aise Sotolongo (right), the Cuban ambassador to North Korea, at the Koryo Hotel by the Taedong River in Pyongyang on Aug. 29, 2017, in this file photo provided by Ri.

What was it like working overseas?

“Overseas, the salary is paid in dollars, which is slightly better. When I was in Cuba, my salary was $500 (about 690,000 won). It varies by country, but ambassadors receive $600 to $1,000, counselors and ministers get $500 to $600, and secretaries earn between $350 and $500.”

How do you manage with that income?

“That’s why North Korean overseas workers have been reported worldwide for engaging in illegal trade. The primary reason for this is the very low income of diplomats. They save every penny they can and bring it back to North Korea. North Korean diplomats in Cuba, for instance, use their diplomatic privileges to send 150 to 200 boxes of cigars each to China, making a net profit of $15,000 to $20,000 per shipment. Given the profitability of the cigar trade in Cuba, they can live off these earnings alone. Although the illegal cigar trade paused during the coronavirus pandemic, it has recently resumed on a large scale with the resumption of flights.”

What happens if they can’t trade?

“In February 2019, the Director of Disarmament at the International Organizations Department at the Foreign Ministry was publicly executed on espionage charges. He frequently traveled to Switzerland, where illegal trade is not possible, so he had no money. His extravagant spending raised suspicions, leading to an investigation. Another case involved the embezzlement by a secretary at the Beijing Embassy following the purge of Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho in 2019. The secretary, responsible for purchasing plane tickets, would buy a $500 ticket from a Chinese travel agency but get a receipt for $1,000, pocketing the difference. Many security officials rely on bribes as supplementary income due to their need for extra earnings.”

A North Korean diplomat was recently seen leaving the arrivals hall at a Brazilian airport with six pieces of luggage (left). In another photo (right), taken at an airport in Central or South America, an X-ray image shows the diplomat’s luggage filled with cigars. The diplomat, who works at the North Korean embassy in Brazil (the man pulling the suitcase in the left photo), reportedly stopped in Cuba to purchase a large quantity of cigars. North Korean diplomats in Central and South America are exploiting their diplomatic status to avoid customs inspections at airports, smuggling Cuban cigars to earn foreign currency. These diplomats use their privileges to smuggle up to 100kg at a time. Cuban cigars cost around 500,000 to 600,000 won per box (25 cigars). /The Chosunilbo

Is living on just their salary difficult?

“Inadequate and unjust labor pay is one of the most critical issues in North Korean society. Agencies like the Ministry of External Economic Relations compel their overseas workers to pay annual loyalty fees ranging from $20,000 to $50,000. Despite Kim Jong-un ordering a crackdown after reports surfaced of workers engaging in illicit activities to meet these payments, citing concerns that it undermines the Party’s authority abroad, the agencies paradoxically advise their employees to use any means necessary to acquire funds while avoiding detection, as these loyalty payments are mandatory.”

How did you feel about the nuclear and missile tests?

“Initially, the announcement of successful nuclear and missile tests was met with a sense of pride. However, as people realized the immense financial resources being diverted to these programs, their support waned. Under the false pretense of preparing for a U.S. invasion, Kim Jong-un’s regime has allocated hundreds of millions of dollars to nuclear and missile development. This expenditure has crippled the country’s economy and reduced 25 million people to modern-day slavery. Older citizens have remarked that ‘it wasn’t this hard during the Japanese occupation.’ They question the rationale behind defending such a harsh and impoverished system. In response to losing popular support, the regime is escalating its politics of fear.”

What are your thoughts on North Korea’s trash-balloon operations?

“I find it difficult to even comment on the trash-filled balloons. As a North Korean, this is the one act that brings me profound shame and humiliation. These balloons are abnormal, nonsensical, and unethical actions that the North Korean regime should be ashamed of. North Korea claims it is responding to leaflets from South Korea criticizing the regime. If that’s the case, they should respond with leaflets highlighting the happiness in North Korean society or pointing out injustices in South Korean society to maintain logical consistency.”

Former North Korean counselor and defector, Ri Il-gyu /Kim Ji-ho

Why do you think North Korea acted in this manner?

“I believe the planning of the trash balloon operations was orchestrated by the United Front Department, now the 10th Bureau of the WPK Central Committee, executed by the General Staff Department of the KPA and the military, and publicized by the Propaganda and Agitation Department of the WPK. These three organizations share a common trait: a lack of understanding of international trends, conventions, and diplomacy, operating solely on blind loyalty and recklessness. If the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had been involved, they would not have crossed such an absurd and disgraceful line.”

What do you think about the statements released under Kim Yo-jong’s name regarding this issue?

“The statements were issued in her name; it’s as if Kim Yo-jong merely lent her name to it. This makes me feel sorry for her. Her name is being used to justify actions like the waste balloons, which the entire world criticizes and mocks. The notion that Kim Yo-jong holds the status and power of the second or third most powerful person is nonsense. North Korean society is under the singular rule. Everyone, except the ‘Supreme Leader,’ is just a pawn. Even statements issued in Kim Yo-jong’s name are orchestrated by the Party. She doesn’t see the document until after receiving Kim Jong-un’s directive.”

What are your plans for the future?

“For people like us, it’s hard to live without believing in the possibility of reunification. We hope to return to our hometowns someday and seek forgiveness from our families. If reunification happens, I want to introduce advanced culture, science, and technology to North Korean society. When I was in North Korea, I thought I was worldly because I had traveled a lot, but after coming to South Korea, I realized how naive I was. I didn’t know anything about banking, finance, traffic regulations, or automated systems. President Yoon Suk-yeol said in his Memorial Day speech this year, ‘South Korea is now one of the brightest countries in the world, but North Korea behind the armistice line is the darkest land.’ He was absolutely right. I want to think about how we can bring light to that dark land.”

18. Editorial: North Koreans' desire for reunification cannot be crushed

This is important. KJU has eliminated the policy of peaceful unification. South Korea has the moral high ground since it supports peaceful unification. This should be a foundation theme and message of a public diplomacy campaign targeting the Korean people in the north.

Editorial: North Koreans' desire for reunification cannot be crushed

https://www.chosun.com/english/opinion-en/2024/07/17/4Y47AIMU3RHIDMPF2EV36KUR4U/

By The Chosunilbo,

Lee Jae-eun

Published 2024.07.17. 08:54

Updated 2024.07.17. 09:11

Former North Korean counselor and defector, Ri Il-gyu /Kim Ji-ho

“North Koreans are more eager for reunification than South Koreans,” Ri Il-gyu, a former North Korean counselor responsible for political affairs at the North Korean Embassy in Cuba, said in an interview with the Chosunilbo. Ri, who defected to South Korea with his family last November, attributes this desire to the harsh living conditions in North Korea. He said both North Korean officials and ordinary citizens share the sentiment: “My children should have a better life than me. The only answer is reunification.”

No parent wants their children to live miserably under the North Korean regime, even if they can’t help themselves. This sentiment is echoed by many elite North Korean defectors, including former lawmaker Tae Young-ho, whose primary motivation to defect was their children’s future.

“Miserable” living conditions do not only refer to economic poverty. It also includes lifelong brainwashing, control, and severe human rights abuses. Ri cited the case of Han Song-ryol, a former Vice Foreign Minister who was publicly executed. Officials forced to witness the gruesome execution had trouble eating for days. North Koreans have long been reduced to the status of slaves and livestock, and even high-ranking officials live in constant fear of machine gun executions. It’s natural for parents to want to avoid passing this life on to their children. The only way to end the nightmare is defection or reunification.

For a long time, North Koreans had no access to the outside world. The regime blocked their ears and mouths through extreme surveillance, control, and repression. Many North Koreans didn’t know that “Hanguk” (what South Koreans call South Korea) meant South Korea.

But things are different now. Information from outside, once limited to the border areas, is now spreading across North Korea like wildfire through cell phones and marketplaces. The influx of South Korean pop culture, known as Hallyu (the Korean Wave), has created a longing for South Korea among North Koreans. This is why Pyongyang has outlawed South Korean culture and enacted a series of draconian punishment laws to suppress it. “But no matter how much control and punishment they imposed, the Korean Wave didn’t slow down,” said Ri.

In a desperate attempt to stop the Korean Wave, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has declared “no reunification” as a last resort policy. “He is trying to block the people’s longing for reunification,” said Ri.

North Korea closed roads and railroads connecting the two Koreas and laid landmines in their place. A barrier has been constructed along the Demilitarized Zone, and electrified barbed wire now lines the Amnok and Duman rivers. The word “reunification” has been removed from the name of Pyongyang station, and “Samcheonri” - referring to the entire Korean Peninsula, which extends about 1,000 kilometers - has been omitted from the national anthem’s lyrics. But even the sturdy Berlin Wall eventually crumbled. No amount of repression by Kim Jong Un will be able to crush North Koreans’ desire for reunification.

18. Cyber Allies: North Korea and Russia's cyber partnership in the post-treaty era

Excerpts:

Conclusion

Russia has been actively conducting targeted cyber campaigns against its Western adversaries, primarily the U.S. and European countries, in recent years. Similarly, North Korea has conducted cyber offensive operations against the U.S. and its allies, South Korea and Japan. With the treaty, the leaders have now created an opportunity for the two sides to work together on various issues, including cooperation in cyberspace. We will likely see an exchange of cyber capabilities and skills between militaries and threat actors operating from their respective regions to implement the leaders’ vision. However, the pace at which this will happen remains to be seen.

We can expect increasing cases of clandestine cooperation regarding the transfer of tools and exploits between state-affiliated cyber actors, as there already exists a history of collaboration between DPRK and Russia. It would also be interesting to observe whether the DPRK’s attacks on Russia continue as cooperation increases. If they decrease, it could signal an increase in trust between the two parties at the institutional level. The treaty has pushed Russia-DPRK relations forward, and it is expected that relations will continue on an upward trajectory as we move forward. Going forward, regional geopolitical tensions, particularly the strengthening of trilateral cooperation in Northeast Asia in cyberspace, will push Pyongyang and Moscow toward greater cyber cooperation driven by anti-Western ideology.

Cyber Allies: North Korea and Russia's cyber partnership in the post-treaty era - Daily NK English

We can expect increasing cases of clandestine cooperation towards transferring tools and exploits between state’s affiliated cyber actors, as there already exists a history of collaboration between DPRK and Russia

By Abhishek Sharma -July 17, 2024

dailynk.com · by Abhishek Sharma · July 17, 2024

The year 2024 will be remembered as a milestone that paved the way for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK or North Korea) to emerge from its period of strategic reclusion. After years of lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic, the DPRK hosted a successful visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Pyongyang in June 2024, where they signed a treaty on comprehensive strategic partnership, replacing the earlier 1961 and 2000 treaties, marking a drastic shift in bilateral diplomatic relations and the Northeast Asian regional order.

The treaty was not a surprise for those closely following the bilateral developments, particularly after the frequent ministerial meetings and agreements between both sides. However, the surprises from the visit were the details mentioned in the treaty, which signal that the partnership is deeper than expected, spanning across different domains. What stands out in the treaty is the focus on cooperation in science and technology, information security, countering disinformation, and collaboration between enforcement agencies, as mentioned in articles 10, 18, 20, and 15. These steps establish a strategic and legal framework within which operational, tactical, and strategic cooperation between the two sides is likely to take place in an often overlooked domain: cyberspace.

DPRK and Russia’s “Most Powerful Treaty”: Establishing a Legal Framework

Considering the trajectory of DPRK-Russia relations since last September’s meeting and the subsequent developments gives an insight into the expected cooperation in new domains such as cyberspace. The 2024 Treaty and the decisions taken by Russia in the U.N. Security Council (UNSC), such as the U.N. PoE veto and its support for developing the DPRK Space program, underline a clear strategic cooperation emerging between the two sides. These steps signal Moscow’s willingness to enhance cooperation with Pyongyang beyond usual trade and commerce issues, reflected in agreements signed during the summit meeting on connectivity, medical education, and science.

After the recently signed Treaty on Comprehensive and Strategic Partnership, cooperation and exchanges are expected to bring both sides closer. This is because the negotiated partnership is more expansive and detailed than the 1961 Treaty, which was more abstract. On the other hand, the 2024 partnership will be formulated in the context of developments in Northeast Asia, in particular the institutionalization of the U.S. alliance and the growing cooperation between NATO and U.S. Northeast Asian allies, particularly in areas such as information exchange, cyber security, and disinformation. Both sides perceive a strategic partnership as essential in countering any possible future threat; as a result, we should expect cooperation even in new domains such as space and cyberspace, where U.S. alliance cooperation has progressed in the last few years.

We see some interesting additions in the 2024 treaty on this front, focusing on enhancing cooperation in cyber issues. Article 4, which promises military assistance in a state of war, also states “other assistance by all of one’s means,” highlighting support by extending other capabilities, which may likely include cyber and space. Similarly, Articles 9 and 10 mention cooperation in areas such as “information security” and “exchanges and cooperation in scientific and technological fields,” especially in areas such as “artificial intelligence, information technology, and actively promoting joint research.” Most importantly, Article 18 focuses on “developing the relevant legal and normative foundation and deepening the dialogue between institutions” about information security, cooperation at the international level, and expanding cooperation in countering the use of ICTs. All these articles will likely encourage collaboration between the parties, to fulfill what Kim Jong Un iterated as “carrying out the far-reaching plan of the leaderships.”

Post-treaty DPRK-Russia Cyber Cooperation

One important reason for greater cooperation in cyberspace is that it is less risky and difficult to track than other domains because it falls into the gray area, unlike the highly visible transfer of munitions and equipment. The second reason is that there is currently a greater incentive for both sides to coordinate their efforts in cyberspace, since they have common adversaries, i.e. the United States and its allies as a whole. Based on the treaty and the DPRK’s expectations, there are two areas where we are likely to see more cooperation in the short term.

Cyberspace cooperation between the two countries’ militaries is likely to increase as their military-technical partnership strengthens, driven by Kim Jong Un’s vision to modernize his military, which includes building up the cyber aspect of warfare, particularly by integrating cyber warfare capabilities into command operations. To this end, closer cooperation with the Russian military will be a priority for Kim Jong Un. As a result, we are likely to see more cyber military training, exercises, education, and strategic planning. For instance, in the area of military education, interaction between the two sides used to happen until 1991 when higher-level students were taught by Soviet Union military academy professors in DPRK, but it stopped after the USSR disintegration. Now with a treaty in place, we will likely see a return to cooperation between the two countries in this field. Recently, a delegation of military educationists led by Kim Kum Chol, President of Kim Il Sung Military University, departed for Moscow, signaling the fast pace of cooperation between the two sides.

The DPRK aims to set up its own independent AI and electronic warfare command with an objective to “improve the nation’s arsenal of modernized electronic weaponry and bolster the military’s operational command capacity using AI technology. As such, cooperation would be looked at more positively in the DPRK, given its aim to build asymmetric military capabilities, which is also mentioned in article 10. Possible cooperation on information security and countering disinformation, as stated in articles 18 and 20, is another critical area where DPRK does not have much experience, unlike Russia.

The second area would be imparting cyber skills and training to its elite students. DPRK hopes to expand its science and technology cooperation agreement, which was signed last year. Therefore, this will be one of the many areas where we will likely see more mobility from North Korea to Russia’s Far East (labor and non-labor). The treaty (Article 10) is expected to facilitate DPRK students to go to Russia. DPRK students are particularly interested in studying at Russian Far East universities, such as Far East Federal University (FEFU) and Primorsky Krai universities, where students from North Korea have traditionally enrolled for their studies. In April this year, Kim Sung Du, Minister of Education, led a delegation to Russia’s Far East to discuss increasing student quotas. Even Kim Jong Un requested the same when he visited FEFU last year, expressing his hopes for greater scientific and technological cooperation between the two countries and asking North Korean students studying there to put more effort into their education. Increased enrollment will likely lead to greater participation through joint research, academic exchanges, conferences, and seminars. Although some experts have argued that this is a ploy to send more North Korean workers to evade sanctions after signing the agreement, it would be naive to think that Russia is concerned about complying with UNSC sanctions.

Conclusion

Russia has been actively conducting targeted cyber campaigns against its Western adversaries, primarily the U.S. and European countries, in recent years. Similarly, North Korea has conducted cyber offensive operations against the U.S. and its allies, South Korea and Japan. With the treaty, the leaders have now created an opportunity for the two sides to work together on various issues, including cooperation in cyberspace. We will likely see an exchange of cyber capabilities and skills between militaries and threat actors operating from their respective regions to implement the leaders’ vision. However, the pace at which this will happen remains to be seen.

We can expect increasing cases of clandestine cooperation regarding the transfer of tools and exploits between state-affiliated cyber actors, as there already exists a history of collaboration between DPRK and Russia. It would also be interesting to observe whether the DPRK’s attacks on Russia continue as cooperation increases. If they decrease, it could signal an increase in trust between the two parties at the institutional level. The treaty has pushed Russia-DPRK relations forward, and it is expected that relations will continue on an upward trajectory as we move forward. Going forward, regional geopolitical tensions, particularly the strengthening of trilateral cooperation in Northeast Asia in cyberspace, will push Pyongyang and Moscow toward greater cyber cooperation driven by anti-Western ideology.

Views expressed in this guest column do not necessarily reflect those of Daily NK.

dailynk.com · by Abhishek Sharma · July 17, 2024

19. Blame Donald Trump for North Korea’s sabre-rattling

We want to blame Trump Biden, and every US president. But the blame should lie solely with the Kim family regime. Our failure is that we have long refused to recognize the nature, objectives, and strategy of the Kim family regime. If we understood those then we would know that the blame lies with the regime.

Blame Donald Trump for North Korea’s sabre-rattling | The Strategist

aspistrategist.org.au · by Joel S. Wit · July 17, 2024

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Pyongyang in June and North Korea’s announcement this month of tests of new missiles have raised alarms in Washington, rattled America’s allies and threaten to destabilise the Indo-Pacific region. While this certainly is not the first time that tensions have escalated, the current turmoil can be traced back to the actions of one man: former US President Donald Trump.

During his presidency, Trump’s attempts at diplomacy were often viewed as ill-informed and dangerous, especially when he and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un exchanged nuclear threats in 2017. Yet, Trump and Kim, who met for two summits in 2018 and 2019, actually made significant progress towards resolving the decades-long conflict between their two countries—until Trump’s impulsiveness derailed these efforts and set the stage for escalation.

Seeing a chance to shine on the international stage and win a Nobel Peace Prize like his predecessor, Barack Obama, Trump pushed for a summit with Kim. This also reflected a stark reality. In their first and only meeting after Trump’s election, Obama warned that North Korea was on the verge of acquiring missiles and bombs capable of killing millions of Americans. Obama also told Trump that the US might have to launch a preemptive strike to prevent this scenario.

Trump’s offer to meet Kim was a dream come true for North Korea, signifying its acceptance on the world stage. Kim, like his father and grandfather, sought to modernise the country’s underdeveloped economy. An end to the cold war with the US, and resulting opportunity for North Korea to transfer resources from defense to the civilian economy, was crucial to this process. To achieve it, Kim was even willing to put his nuclear-weapons program on the chopping block.

Even as they were issuing public threats, Trump and Kim were secretly angling for a summit. Immediately after Trump took office, the North Koreans reached out to the State Department, signaling Kim’s desire to meet the new US president. During secret talks in Singapore, North Korean spies reportedly asked their CIA counterparts whether Trump was serious about meeting Kim.

Although the Trump administration’s official policy was to force the North Koreans to come to the negotiating table, the president liked the idea of a leader-to-leader summit. In December 2017, he even provided a United Nations envoy with a message for Kim, proposing a meeting.

Whether Trump knew it or not, engaging directly with Kim was the only way to stop North Korea from amassing more weapons of mass destruction. While observers were dismissive of these efforts, Kim’s unilateral decision to halt missile and nuclear-weapons tests and start dismantling test sites showed he was serious. Notably, Kim also announced a major economic-modernisation program, indicating his expectation that the US-North Korea conflict would soon end.

But ending decades of hostility cannot be achieved in a few hours, and the first Trump-Kim summit in June 2018 in Singapore fell far short of such unrealistic expectations. Trump himself seemed to realise this, telling his aides that it was a ‘process’ that might require several summits.

He was right. While Trump was criticised for being unprepared for his second meeting with Kim in Hanoi in February 2019, the summit was preceded by intense negotiations between Trump’s special envoy, Stephen Biegun, and his North Korean counterparts. According to former US officials, the talks produced a lengthy document that addressed nearly every issue the two countries had struggled with, leaving two major questions for Trump and Kim to resolve: how much of North Korea’s nuclear program would be dismantled immediately and how many sanctions the US would lift in return.

Trump and Kim came close to resolving these issues, but Kim’s demands exceeded what Trump was willing to offer. The two haggled until Trump, who is known for his impatience, abruptly decided to cut the summit short.

Regrettably, Trump’s impulsive decision came just as the negotiations were gaining momentum. After the formal talks had ended, a top Kim adviser approached Biegun with a new, promising proposal. The two seemed to be making progress as Trump walked by, shook Kim’s hand, and left, despite Kim’s request that he stay a few more hours. The American delegation had no choice but to follow Trump, and the stunned Kim returned to Pyongyang empty-handed.

At the time, many experts believed that the summit failed because Kim was not willing to give up his stockpile of nuclear weapons. Some thought that John Bolton, Trump’s hawkish national security adviser, had sabotaged the talks, while others noted that Trump was likely distracted by the congressional testimony of his former lawyer, Michael Cohen. But the blame lies squarely with Trump himself. As Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, put it, Trump’s attention span is ‘a minus number’.

Trump himself may have had second thoughts about walking out of the Hanoi summit. As he left Vietnam, he reportedly called then-South Korean President Moon Jae-in and sought his advice. But Trump and Kim never reconnected.

This raises the question: What if Trump had reached a historic deal with Kim in Hanoi? It is probably safe to say that the US and North Korea would have made significant, albeit slow, progress towards better relations. If they had, it is also likely that Kim would not have jeopardised his new relationship with the US by embracing Putin, nor would he be building an enormous weapons arsenal that threatens to annihilate American cities. Alas, because of Trump’s rash decisions, we will never know what could have been.

Joel S. Wit, a distinguished fellow in Northeast Asia Security Studies at the Henry L. Stimson Center, is the author of the forthcoming Flashpoint: The Untold Story of How North Korea Built Its Nuclear Arsenal (Yale University Press). This article is presented in partnership with Project Syndicate © 2024. Image of Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un in 2019: Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images.

aspistrategist.org.au · by Joel S. Wit · July 17, 2024

De Oppresso Liber,

David Maxwell

Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy

Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation

Editor, Small Wars Journal

Twitter: @davidmaxwell161

Phone: 202-573-8647

email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com

De Oppresso Liber,

David Maxwell

Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy

Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation

Editor, Small Wars Journal

Twitter: @davidmaxwell161

email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com

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

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

Access NSS HERE

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