Informal Institute for National Security Thinkers and Practitioners

Quotes of the Day:

"Every revolution was first a thought in one man’s mind."

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

"I don't think you're going to be seeing the U.S. employing large army divisions to deal with small terrorist groups again. I don't think they're going to be occupying foreign nations in order to dry up terrorist groups within them. I think that lesson has been learned."

– Richard Engel

“Decisive results come sooner from sudden shocks than from long- drawn pressure. Shocks throw the opponent off his balance. Pressure allows him time to adjust himself to it. That military lesson is closely linked with the general experience of history that human beings have an almost infinite power of accommo-' dation, to degradation of living conditions, so long as the process is gradual.”

― B.H. Liddell Hart, The Revolution in Warfare

1. North Korea is winning its youth information war

2. Will the New Triumvirate Force the South To Go Nuclear?

3. South Korea’s technological prowess could greatly strengthen AUKUS

4. US Offers $10 million Reward to Catch North Korean Cyber Attacker

5. Satellite Photos Reveal North Korea Missile Plans

6. Police question Chinese students who flew drone over USS Theodore Roosevelt in South Korea

7. North Korean charged in cyberattacks on US hospitals, NASA and military bases

8. North Korea-backed cyber espionage campaign targets UK military

9. The Collateral Victims of Kim Jong Un’s About-Face on Korean Unification

10. Trump appears in North Korean ‘anti-American’ propaganda video

11. Propaganda video warns North Koreans not to watch South Korean media

12. A new Cold War? Not really — here’s how the West could capitalize on the rise of the Global South

13. N. Korea revs up celebratory mood ahead of 71st anniversary of armistice signing

14. Belarus' president calls for expanding ties with N. Korea in letter to Kim

15. North Korea justifies garbage balloon launches in lectures

16. North Koreans use VPNs, love Apple and stay up late to browse web: Report

17. North Korea expands factories making anti-tank missiles Russia reportedly wants

18. Biden stresses 'unbreakable' bond of S. Korea-US alliance, proclaims armistice day

1. North Korea is winning its youth information war

Contrary to the headline, I have been hearing a consistent message from the escapees I have been spending this week with. They say change is occurring inside north Korea as the people, and youth in particular, are questioning the regime and asking why they cannot live like Koreans in the South.

Excerpts:

The outside world is presented with two very different characterizations of North Korea’s youth. On the one hand, North Korean state media portray the country’s teenagers and twenty-somethings as loyal proponents of the leader Kim Jong Un regime’s “revolutionary” cause. But, on the other hand, unofficial accounts hint that these youngsters are increasingly questioning the loyal orientation that typified prior generations.

...

Kim Jong Un knows that winning the hearts and minds of his country’s youth is a crucial step toward ensuring the longevity of Kim family rule. For now, Kim has the edge. But outside actors seeking to spread foreign media within North Korea, such as the United States and South Korea, have a winning hand if only they play it right.

Doing so can help foster the rudiments of a civil society capable of seeing through the Kim regime’s lies and imagining a brighter future.

North Korea is winning its youth information war - Asia Times

Kim Jong Un knows winning over young generation’s hearts and minds is crucial to perpetuating Kim family rule

By JONATHAN CORRADO CHELSIE ALEXANDRE AND ALEXANDER TUFTO

JULY 25, 2024

asiatimes.com · by Jonathan Corrado Chelsie Alexandre and Alexander Tufto · July 25, 2024

The outside world has been presented with two contradictory images of North Korea’s younger generation.

In the outside media, youth are portrayed as rebellious and radical, ignoring the Kim regime’s increasingly harsh crackdowns on foreign media and trends, and instead toting the latest South Korean fashion trends and adopting South Korean lingo.

Meanwhile, state propaganda pushes the narrative that North Korean youth are extremely devoted to Kim Jong Un and the regime.

Both conceptions of North Korea’s younger generation fail to acknowledge a more complex reality.

Kim Jong Un understands the importance of winning over the younger generation to ensure his regime’s survival. Since coming into power, Kim has increased the severity of punishments for importing, distributing and consuming foreign media. This strangled information environment amplifies the efficacy of a youth loyalty campaign designed to bear hug the younger generation.

As a consequence, when compared with older cohorts, North Korean youth have a more favorable view of the regime, juche ideology, and Kim Jong Un himself. In short, the campaign is working.

A reinvigorated foreign media distribution strategy is needed to break the impasse and win the battle over hearts and minds. Despite the dangers, North Koreans remain highly interested in foreign media. Research shows that those who consume tend to feel more fondly about South Korea and view the North Korean regime critically.

Foreign media provide a powerful basis to cross check regime propaganda and can even lay the foundation for a shared understanding of concepts like human rights and civil society. A reinvigorated strategy should focus on content curation and innovative dissemination methods to maximize utility and minimize blowback for end users in North Korea.

Two versions of North Korea’s youth

The outside world is presented with two very different characterizations of North Korea’s youth. On the one hand, North Korean state media portray the country’s teenagers and twenty-somethings as loyal proponents of the leader Kim Jong Un regime’s “revolutionary” cause. But, on the other hand, unofficial accounts hint that these youngsters are increasingly questioning the loyal orientation that typified prior generations.

Getting to the truth of the matter is more than an academic discussion: the ideological orientation of the youth speaks to the long-term viability of the regime and prospects for rapprochement with the international community and a soft landing: change from within, which doesn’t precipitate bloodshed.

Kim Jong Un’s ruling strategy necessitates that he inculcates the youth to believe the outside world is a hostile place. This siege mentality legitimizes his totalitarian control. The battle for young people’s hearts and minds — pitting love for the Marshal against South Korean K-Pop — is underway, and there are reasons to think that the regime has taken a comfortable lead.

Let’s start by observing the two different depictions of North Korean young people.

In the regime’s version, the youth are doting and dutiful, aspiring above all else to earn the affection and approval of Marshall Kim Jong Un. North Korea’s government and state media would have the world believe that its young people are unquestionably committed to the ideals of socialism, juche ideology, and the Kim dynasty.

A recent Rodong Sinmun article showcased a glossy propaganda scene rife with symbolism: children at Mangyongdae Schoolchildren’s Palace “burst into cheers full of great excitement” when Kim Jong Un arrived. Children performed songs and danced “full of excitement and joy” for his enjoyment.

This performance reportedly reflects the determination of the children to become “young revolutionaries and patriots … guaranteeing that the Juche revolution is full of vitality.” Kim Jong Un fulfilled his role as the “benevolent father” while the “bright laughing of children” served as a symbol of “the mightiness of Korean-style socialism.”

But other sources reveal that not all children are as devoted as the regime wants us to believe. North Korean children first encountered a song called “Three Bears,” when they (illegally) watched a popular South Korean drama called “Full House.” Youngsters adapted the lyrics of the song to insult the Kim regime, singing: “Grandpa bear [Kim Il Sung] is fat, papa bear [Kim Jong Il] is also fat, and baby bear [Kim Jong Un] is foolish.”

In response, representatives from the Socialist Youth League were dispatched to catch and punish students found singing the song or in possession of foreign media. This was in 2015. But old trends die hard. In 2022, Youth League monitors were again tasked with busting students for singing mocking, satirical versions of revolutionary North Korean songs and embracing South Korean music.

Indeed, since a famine shattered the social contract between state and society in the mid-1990s, millennials have been labeled by outside analysts the jangmadang (market) generation, characterized by their ambivalence to state ideology and proclivity for adopting South Korean fashion, slang and even dating culture.

This version of freewheeling youngsters conflicts with the version described by Kim Jong Un and broadcast in state media. So, which is the truth? A careful analysis suggests that these conflicting characterizations represent extreme ends of the spectrum and both fail to reflect the complex reality.

North Korea recently intensified punishments for people who use South Korean language, which suggests that the regime is straining to maintain an ideological grip over the population. A new law is especially telling. The anti-reactionary thought law, enacted in 2020 and amended in 2022, “describes South Korean movies, dramas, news and other outside content [as] reactionary thought and culture.”

Those caught with the banned content are subjected to heightened punishments: six years to life of reform through labor for consuming, and ten years or even death for importing or distributing.

The law also bans the use of South Korean words like oppa [older brother] and appending nim as an honorific to titles when addressing others. These phrasings are signifiers of South Korean influence that diminish the more stodgy and rigid North Korean values and conventions.

Even cutesy aegyo speech has been targeted: The law dictates that “citizens shall not imitate puppet style [South Korean] intonation by raising and lengthening their intonation at the end of a phrase in an obsequious, lilting and nauseating way.” Anyone who has watched South Korean movies or dramas knows what this is referring to.

While the efficacy of past crackdowns has been diluted by bribery and corruption, this current iteration is having a stronger effect: Video footage has emerged of two teenage boys sentenced to 12 years of hard labor in a show trial in front of hundreds of classmates for the crime of consuming South Korean media.

This is part of a larger trend that has its roots at the inception of Kim’s rule. In 2014, Kim Jong Un oversaw the creation of The State Security Department’s Central 109 Inspection Command (called Group 109) in order to crack down on the flow of foreign media and information.

Since then, 85% of respondents said that punishments are tougher now for consuming foreign media than they were under Kim Jong Il, according to a 2018 survey by the US Agency for Global Media.

Two-thirds of North Koreans “personally experienced an inspection by Group 109,” according to a poll by InterMedia of 350 refugees who left the country between 2016 and 2018. North Korea ranked dead last in the 2023 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders.

The most reliable information on this topic comes from North Korean refugees, but unfortunately, the number able to escape has dramatically declined since the Covid border lockdown. Much information is therefore out of date. Only as the border opens up will we be able to get a stronger understanding of how conditions have changed in the past few years.

North Korea’s not-so-radical youth

Although the persistence of North Korean interest in foreign media suggests that North Koreans are rejecting the regime’s narratives and ideology wholesale in favor of more entertaining foreign alternatives, analysis of other defector surveys suggests a much more complicated picture.

In particular, the younger generation is overall more positive toward the regime, juche ideology, and Kim Jong Un compared with older cohorts, according to defector surveys conducted by Seoul National University (SNU).

From 2011-2020, a higher proportion of North Korean defectors in their 20s and 30s believed that Kim Jong Un had majority support in the country than did their elders. Twenty and 30-somethings were also less likely to report hearing criticism about the government and the leader compared with those in their forties, fifties, and sixties.

In 2014, the young generation had less pride in juche than the older generation. But that dynamic flipped in 2020: over half of the young respondents had “a lot” of or “some” pride in juche, while the majority of older respondents had “not much” or “none.”

What explains these surprising findings? There are a few factors at play. First, the Kim regime has carried out a youth loyalty campaign to generate support for Kim Jong Un and the party.

Young people are a captive and malleable audience. Students’ days are packed full with Kim family history and ideological training, labor mobilizations, organizational activities and criticism sessions.

The exploits of Kim Il Sung, expounded in a massive eight-part memoir, are akin to a Homeric epic that is genuinely entertaining to North Korean students. The book is even difficult to borrow from the library because of its popularity, according to North Korean refugee Jae Young Kim.

One North Korean refugee turned activist, Kang Chol Hwan, described his childhood perception of Kim Il Sung as a “Father Christmas” who gifted children sweets and school uniforms. For Kang, who would later be sent to a political prison camp and then defect, this education instilled “a wellspring of admiration and gratitude for our political leaders and in the willingness to sacrifice everything for them.”

The foreign media crackdown is another factor. The evidence is mixed to what extent or even whether consumption has declined in recent years, but as former US special envoy for North Korean human rights Ambassador Robert King argues, the crackdown has discouraged “more casual use of foreign media.”

This can’t help but have knock-on effects. Slowly but surely, consuming foreign information transforms North Korean peoples’ point of view. Those who consume foreign media tend to have more negative feelings about the North Korean government and its intentions, according to surveys conducted by Stephan Haggard and Marcus Noland for their book “Witness to Transformation: Refugee Insights into North Korea.”

Significantly, after Kim Jong Un’s intensified crackdown on foreign media in 2019, survey respondents became more likely to view state media as credible (over 70%) while the number of skeptics dwindled to about 20%.

The lack of disconfirming sources no doubt plays a role in youth’s perceptions. Consuming foreign information has the impact of improving kinship ties between North and South. Nearly three-quarters of respondents said their perception of South Korea “improved a lot” after consuming South Korean media, according to a 2020 SNU survey.

The ability to improve South Korea’s image is especially relevant considering that Kim Jong Un recently announced that North Korea would no longer pursue unification and labeled South Korea as the North’s “number one enemy.”

Finally, young people tend to have rose-colored glasses when looking at the government, compared with the older cohorts, because they have yet to spend any significant time in the sphere of North Korean life that tends to lead to the most antipathy towards the regime: the markets.

The portion of North Korean people who participate in the unofficial market economy has risen and remained high during Kim Jong Un’s tenure, while the proportion of respondents who participate in the official (state) economy has steadily diminished. More significantly, only a tiny minority of respondents (13%) earn enough money per month to buy a single kilogram of rice from their state jobs, the SNU survey reveals.

This means the vast majority of people rely on market earnings for their household income, and this positions the state as a hindrance to their livelihood rather than a provider. In fact, respondents spent an average of 20% of their earnings on bribes and 46% of people identified “bribes and crackdowns” as the greatest difficulty for their economic activity.

This explains why North Korea’s older “money-making” generations have soured on the regime. In contrast, the younger cohorts are busy with school and compulsory military service through their early 30s and therefore have yet to encounter the regime in this light.

Next steps

Despite Kim Jong Un’s severe crackdowns and harsh punishments, North Korean people remain interested in outside media. This presents an opportunity. Increasing the quantity and availability of foreign information inside North Korea will be crucial for:

planting the seeds for a civil society,
challenging state propaganda that demonizes the outside world,
helping North Koreans understand their human rights,
increasing feelings of kinship with South Korea and
promoting conditions that can lead to a soft landing in the long term that makes the peninsula a more stable and prosperous place for all Koreans.

It’s especially important to reach young North Koreans to counteract the Kim regime’s information blockade and loyalty campaign, which have proven surprisingly effective. The United States’ North Korean Human Rights Act, adopted in 2004, appropriates funds for information programs.

The last iteration of the law authorized the government to spend $3 million per year to increase “the availability of sources of information not controlled by the Government of North Korea.” The law enjoys bipartisan support, but it expired in September 2022 and has not yet been reauthorized.

Reauthorization bills have been introduced multiple times, for example in the House by Congresswoman Young Kim (R-California) and Congressman Ami Bera (D-California) and in the Senate by Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida) and Senator Tim Kaine (D-Virginia), but each of these efforts have ultimately foundered.

In 2021, the National Endowment for Democracy funded a wide array of creative initiatives, many based in South Korea and staffed by North Korean refugees, to reach the North Korean people such as radio news programs.

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Amplifying the foreign media presence in North Korea requires a focus on both content and method. It will only be possible to outcompete regime propaganda if the content succeeds in meeting the needs, gaining the trust, and provoking the curiosity of the North Korean people.

When asked what types of media North Koreans need the most, the most popular response was “news about South Korean society” (41.5%) followed by “entertainment programs made in South Korea” (18%), according to a 2019 survey by Unification Media Group.

Radio broadcasts that feature North Korean defectors provide a familiar voice that North Koreans can relate to. Heavy-handed content that explicitly criticizes the regime is counter-productive because it is reminiscent of North Korean propaganda and poses a danger to any North Korean found consuming it.

On the other hand, entertaining and straightforward depictions of ordinary South Koreans going about their lives with the freedom to choose their own jobs and vote for their own government officials can be subtly radicalizing.

In addition, actionable content, such as market prices and weather forecasts, can build a foundation of trust, whereupon it is possible to incrementally introduce topics such as universal human rights and civil society.

Content should also be differentiated for audiences, as in the case of VOA’s Korean targeting elites.

Methods for disseminating information also deserve a rethink and revitalization. With the border largely sealed, the most effective way to inject information into the country is currently radio broadcasts. But the regime counteracts radio with signal jamming and surveys suggest that radio is favored by the older generation.

Distributing the kind of content favored by the young, like hallyu pop music and K-dramas, is typically done manually over the border via memory sticks like USBs and micro SDs. Though old-fashioned, this method is beneficial because it provides a source of income for the distributors. However, it is dangerous and very risky. To overcome this, bold new ideas should be investigated, such as utilizing satellite technology or decentralized mesh networks.

In this game of cat and mouse with the authorities, the key is to replace old, discoverable methods with new, innovative ones faster than the regime can keep up. There must also be careful analysis of each method to ensure that it is easy to use and readily deployable, and that it shields end users from detection. A balance must also be struck to avoid provoking too forceful a response from the regime.

Conclusion

Kim Jong Un knows that winning the hearts and minds of his country’s youth is a crucial step toward ensuring the longevity of Kim family rule. For now, Kim has the edge. But outside actors seeking to spread foreign media within North Korea, such as the United States and South Korea, have a winning hand if only they play it right.

Doing so can help foster the rudiments of a civil society capable of seeing through the Kim regime’s lies and imagining a brighter future.

Jonathan Corrado, director of policy for The Korea Society, also teaches at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University and at SUNY Stony Brook University. Chelsie Alexandre is the policy program officer at The Korea Society. Alexander Tufto is a student of political science at SUNY Stony Brook University.

asiatimes.com · by Jonathan Corrado Chelsie Alexandre and Alexander Tufto · July 25, 2024

2. Will the New Triumvirate Force the South To Go Nuclear?

Naivete?

Excerpts:

Meanwhile, Abolition 2000, the Global Network to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons, will host a seminar in Geneva on July 30, titled “Denuclearization in North-East Asia through a 3+3 Model Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone.”

Tensions, unresolved conflicts and nuclear weapons policies of nuclear armed and allied states active in North-East Asia (China, Japan, North Korea, Russia, South Korea and the USA) increase the risks of armed conflict and nuclear war in the region, says Abolition 2000.

“Unilateral disarmament by any one of these countries is highly unlikely while other countries in the region continue with robust nuclear deterrence policies. What is required is a regional approach to nuclear disarmament which maintains the security of all.”

The 3+3 model for a North-East Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone envisages an agreement where-by the three territorial countries in the zone (Japan, North Korea and South Korea) would mutually relinquish their reliance on nuclear weapons in return for credible and enforceable security guarantees from China, Russia and the US that they would not be threatened with nuclear weapons.

This agreement would provide part of a more comprehensive peace agreement to formally end the Korean War.

The proposal is being seriously discussed amongst academics, legislators and civil society organizations in Japan, South Korea and the USA. The upcoming event aims to broaden the discussion to include delegations to the NPT Prep Com.

Will the New Triumvirate Force the South To Go Nuclear?

ipsnews.net · by Thalif Deen · July 26, 2024

Will the New Triumvirate—Russia, China & North Korea—Force the South To Go Nuclear?

By Reprint | | |

A message projected onto the United Nations headquarters in New York in 2022 calls on North Korea to join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). Credit: The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN).

UNITED NATIONS, Jul 26 2024 (IPS) - When Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a pact last month to revive a Cold War-era mutual defense pledge between two of the world’s nuclear powers, it also had the implicit support a third nuclear power standing in the shadows: China.

The new nuclear alliance, which has triggered fears in Japan and South Korea, ensures the possible sharing of Russia’s knowledge of satellites and missile technologies with North Korea.

The new pact, has also resulted in a sharp divide between Russia, China and North Korea on the one hand and the US, Japan and South Korea on the other.

But one lingering question remains: Will these new developments force—at least in the not-too-distant future—South Korea to go nuclear, joining the world’s nine nuclear powers: the U.S., UK, France, Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea.

The New York Times quoted Cheong Seong-chang, the director of the Center for Korean Peninsula Strategy at the Sejong Institute, as saying: “It is time for South Korea to have a fundamental review of its current security policy, which depends almost totally on the US nuclear umbrella to counter the North Korean nuclear threat.”

And quoting North Korea’s official Central News Agency, the Times said Putin and Kim agreed that if one country found itself in a state of war, then the other would provide “military and other assistance with all means in its possession without delay.”

Addressing the UN General Assembly, Ambassador Kim Song of North Korea said nuclear weapons are stockpiled in many countries, including the U.S., yet Pyongyang is the only one facing sanctions: Credit: UN Photo/Evan Schneider

Alice Slater, who serves on the boards of World BEYOND War and the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space, told IPS the fact that Russia is allying with North Korea and China at this time is a result of the failure of U.S. diplomacy, and the drive by the U.S. military-industrial-congressional-media-academic-think tank complex (MICIMATT) to expand the U.S. empire beyond its 800 U.S. military bases in 87 nations.

The U.S., she said, is now surrounding China with new bases recently established in the Pacific and forming AUKUS, a new military alliance with Australia, the UK and the U.S.

“The U.S. has been breaking its agreement made with China in 1972, as we now are arming Taiwan despite promises made by Nixon and Kissinger to recognize China and remain neutral on the question of the future of Taiwan, to where the anti-communist forces retreated after the Chinese Revolution,” said Slater, who is also a UN NGO Representative for the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.

According to a report in the Associated Press (AP) wire on July 12, the U.S. and South Korea have signed joint nuclear deterrence guidelines for the first time, “a basic yet important step in their efforts to improve their ability to respond to North Korea’s evolving nuclear threats.”

Meeting on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Washington, U.S. President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol commended what they called “the tremendous progress” that their countries’ alliance has made a year after creating a joint Nuclear Consultative Group.

Last year, the U.S. and South Korea launched the consultative body to strengthen communication on nuclear operations and discuss how to integrate U.S. nuclear weapons and South Korean conventional weapons in various contingencies, said the AP report.

Meanwhile, Abolition 2000, the Global Network to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons, will host a seminar in Geneva on July 30, titled “Denuclearization in North-East Asia through a 3+3 Model Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone.”

Tensions, unresolved conflicts and nuclear weapons policies of nuclear armed and allied states active in North-East Asia (China, Japan, North Korea, Russia, South Korea and the USA) increase the risks of armed conflict and nuclear war in the region, says Abolition 2000.

“Unilateral disarmament by any one of these countries is highly unlikely while other countries in the region continue with robust nuclear deterrence policies. What is required is a regional approach to nuclear disarmament which maintains the security of all.”

The 3+3 model for a North-East Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone envisages an agreement where-by the three territorial countries in the zone (Japan, North Korea and South Korea) would mutually relinquish their reliance on nuclear weapons in return for credible and enforceable security guarantees from China, Russia and the US that they would not be threatened with nuclear weapons.

This agreement would provide part of a more comprehensive peace agreement to formally end the Korean War.

The proposal is being seriously discussed amongst academics, legislators and civil society organizations in Japan, South Korea and the USA. The upcoming event aims to broaden the discussion to include delegations to the NPT Prep Com.

Denuclearization in North-East Asia through a 3+3 Model Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone. Credit: Abolition 2000

Asked about the rising nuclear threats from North Korea, State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller said July 22: “We have made clear on a number of occasions that we prefer diplomacy to deal with this situation, and the North Koreans have shown that they are not in any way interested in that.”

Responding to a question on the consequences of Russia being driven closer to North Korea and China, Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State said: “I think we’ve seen two things. We have seen that, although that was something that was in the works for a long time, and maybe some of it’s accelerated as a result of the war in Ukraine, but we’ve also seen something else that’s been quite remarkable.”

During a Fireside Chat at the Aspen Security Forum, moderated by Mary Louise Kelly of National Public Radio (NPR) on July 19, Blinken said: “I’ve been doing this for more than 30 years. I have not seen a time when there’s been greater convergence between the United States and our European partners and our partners in Asia in terms of the approach to Russia, but also in terms of the approach to China, than we’re seeing right now.”

“We’ve built convergence across the Atlantic, we’ve built it across the Pacific, and we’ve built it between the Atlantic and the Pacific. So, I would take our team and the countries that we’re working with than anything that Russia’s been able to put together.

“Beyond that, I think there are going to be – and we’ve already seen a lot of strains in these groupings. It’s not particularly good for your reputation to be working closely with Russia and helping it perpetuate its war in Ukraine.

“So, I think China is very uncomfortable in the position it’s in, but for now we do have a challenge, which is China is providing not weapons, unlike North Korea and Iran, but it’s providing the inputs for Russia’s defense industrial base.”

Seventy percent of the machine tools that Russia is importing come from China, he pointed out. And ninety percent of the microelectronics come from China. And that’s going into the defense industrial base and turning into missiles, tanks and other weapons.

“We’ve called out China on that. We have sanctioned Chinese companies. But more to the point, so have many others. And we just saw that in Europe a couple of weeks ago. And China can’t have it both ways. It can’t all at once be saying that it’s for peace in Ukraine when it is helping to fuel the ongoing pursuit of the war by Russia.

“I can’t say that it wants better relations with Europe when it is actually helping to fuel the greatest threat to Europe’s security since the end of the Cold War,” Blinken declared.

This article is brought to you by IPS Noram, in collaboration with INPS Japan and Soka Gakkai International, in consultative status with UN ECOSOC.

IPS UN Bureau Report

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ipsnews.net · by Thalif Deen · July 26, 2024

3. South Korea’s technological prowess could greatly strengthen AUKUS

South Korea’s technological prowess could greatly strengthen AUKUS | The Strategist

aspistrategist.org.au · by Jihoon Yu · July 23, 2024

The members of AUKUS should expand the security pact to include South Korea. If they do, they will deepen and strengthen the partnership, enhance its technological capabilities and make the Indo-Pacific region more secure.

South Korea’s impressive record of indigenous military-technology development shows it would be a valuable addition to AUKUS, which is a technology-focused defence partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and United States. Adding South Korea would enable the partnership to undertake more and harder development projects.

Inclusion of South Korea, with its strategically crucial location next to North Korea and China, would also help solidify the commitment of the United States to its Western Pacific allies and help present a united front against shared security challenges. And South Korea, in turn, would be bound closer to the AUKUS partners.

The ecosystem of South Korean military-technology development is led by the defence ministry’s Agency for Defense Development and includes skilled industrial partners such as Hanwah Defense, Korea Aerospace Industries and LIG Nex 1 and many capable engineers in the armed services.

Examples of South Korea’s achievements in defence technology are numerous. They reveal a capacity for defence engineering that greatly exceeds the ability of Australia and includes systems that even Britain does not develop.

The Republic of Korea Navy and its shipbuilders have developed a class of indigenous submarines following earlier construction based on German designs. The navy also operates destroyers of the Sejong the Great class that have been designed and built locally and incorporate the US Aegis system for air and missile defence.

A considerable capability that South Korea can bring to a defence partnership is the knowhow for building warships quickly and economically. US Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro remarked on this in April, saying he was ‘very interested in the skills and capabilities that South Korea brings to bear in shipbuilding’. He praised South Korean shipbuilders’ ability to produce ‘high-quality, mission-capable ships at a remarkable pace and cost.’

South Korea has invested heavily in building a robust cyber defence infrastructure, as shown by its establishment of a National Cyber Security Center and its implementation of comprehensive national cyber exercises. Extensive work is underway on artificial intelligence and robotics. For example, the country has developed the AI-powered surveillance system S-Goalkeeper to protect against cyber threats.

Hanwha Defense is advancing robotic systems, such as the Multi-purpose Unmanned Ground Vehicle for reconnaissance and combat support.

The Korean Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) system—comprising surface-to-air systems such as the KM-SAM, L-SAM and the US Patriot for dealing with threats of various types and at various altitudes—is indigenously designed, showing that South Korea can tackle some of the greatest challenges in military engineering. The country has also developed its own cruise and ballistic missiles.

Military technology development in AUKUS can be expected to have economic benefits, particularly through innovation and spillover effects, such as promoting growth in semiconductor and materials industries. Adding South Korea would increase those benefits. The country is a global leader in semiconductor manufacturing. Also, its extensive manufacturing capability would greatly improve the reliability of AUKUS’s supply chains.

South Korea is too strong a force in military-technology development for AUKUS to overlook. Adding it to the security partnership would also bolster stability in East Asia.

aspistrategist.org.au · by Jihoon Yu · July 23, 2024

4. US Offers $10 million Reward to Catch North Korean Cyber Attacker

US Offers $10 million Reward to Catch North Korean Cyber Attacker

Newsweek · by Hugh Cameron · July 25, 2024

The U.S. Department of State will hand $10 million to whoever can help them track down a North Korean hacker accused of engaging in "cyber operations" against the United States.

Rim Jong Hyok is a North Korean national associated with the "malicious cyber group known as Andariel," which State Department officials said is "controlled by the DPRK's military intelligence agency."

Federal prosecutors meanwhile announced Thursday that he has been indicted for his alleged involvement in a conspiracy to hack American health care providers.

He was indicted by a grand jury in Kansas City and stands accused of laundering ransom money and using it to fund additional cyber attacks on defense, technology and government entities around the world. The hack on American hospitals and other health care providers disrupted the treatment of patients, officials said.

"While North Korea uses these types of cyber crimes to circumvent international sanctions and fund its political and military ambitions, the impact of these wanton acts have a direct impact on the citizens of Kansas," said Stephen A. Cyrus, an FBI agent based in Kansas City.

Through its "Rewards for Justice" program, the Department is now offering up to $10 million dollars "for information leading to the identification or location" of anyone who has engaged in "malicious cyber activities" against the U.S. under the orders of a foreign government.

Rim's associates are accused of "malicious cyber activities" and their targets are alleged to have included "foreign businesses, government entities, and the defense industry."

In this 2017 photo, employees watch electronic boards monitoring possible ransomware cyberattacks at the Korea Internet and Security Agency in Seoul, South Korea. North Korea's offensive cyber capabilities have long been on the radar of... In this 2017 photo, employees watch electronic boards monitoring possible ransomware cyberattacks at the Korea Internet and Security Agency in Seoul, South Korea. North Korea's offensive cyber capabilities have long been on the radar of the U.S., who is now offering a $10 million reward for information leading to a DPRK hacker. Yun Dong-jin/Yonhap via AP

Andariel used the resulting ransom payments to "fund malicious cyber operations targeting U.S. government entities and U.S. and foreign defense contractors, among others."

In November 2022, the group hacked an unnamed "U.S.-based defense contractor," and extracted over 30 gigabytes of data, which included "unclassified technical information regarding material used in military aircraft and satellites."

"U.S. law enforcement investigators have documented that Andariel actors victimized five healthcare providers, four U.S.-based defense contractors, two U.S. Air Force bases, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Office of Inspector General," the statement reads.

The agency also claims that Andariel has been involved in the country's "illicit arms trade."

The DOS rewards program was founded in 1984, and has since paid over $250 million in rewards to individuals "who provided actionable information that helped resolve threats to U.S. national security."

The largest reward ever offered by the agency was $25 million for information leading to the capture of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

This attracted "hundreds of anonymous calls but no reliable leads," according to the Washington Post, citing officials familiar with the program.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delivers a speech during a meeting of Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea held from June 28 until July 1, in Pyongyang, North Korea. Several cyberattacks against... North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delivers a speech during a meeting of Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea held from June 28 until July 1, in Pyongyang, North Korea. Several cyberattacks against foreign governments and individuals have been linked to the country, prompting the U.S. Department of State to issue one of its largest ever rewards for information leading to North Korean hackers. Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP

The DOS said that the latest, significant reward "underscores the United States' continued efforts to address the DPRK's malicious cyber activity against critical infrastructure as well as prevent and disrupt the DPRK's ability to generate illicit revenue through malicious cyber activity, which it uses to fund its unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs."

North Korea's offensive cyber capabilities have received increased attention in recent months, as tensions between Kim Jong Un and the West continue to deteriorate.

In May, hacking syndicates linked to Pyongyang reportedly infiltrated the personal emails of over 100 South Korean individuals, including high-ranking defense officials.

According to a June report by cloud security company Zscaler, North Korean hackers had used a piece of malware, masquerading as a legitimate Google translation program, to steal email addresses and data from victims, one of whom was a South Korean academic specializing in the geopolitics of the Korean Peninsula.

Do you have a story we should be covering? Do you have any questions about this article? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com.

About the writer

Hugh Cameron

Hugh Cameron is Newsweek Live News Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on international politics, conflict, and crime. Hugh joined Newsweek in 2024, having worked at Alliance News Ltd where he specialised in covering global and regional business developments, economic news, and market trends. He graduated from the University of Warwick with a bachelor's degree in politics in 2022, and from the University of Cambridge with a master's degree in international relations in 2023. Languages: English.

You can get in touch with Hugh by emailing h.cameron@newsweek.com

Hugh Cameron is Newsweek Live News Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on international politics, conflict, and ...

Newsweek · by Hugh Cameron · July 25, 2024

5. Satellite Photos Reveal North Korea Missile Plans

Satellite Photos Reveal North Korea Missile Plans

Newsweek · by Hugh Cameron · July 25, 2024

North Korea appears to be upgrading its missile production capabilities, heightening concerns about the isolated state's objectives amid escalating tensions with its southern neighbor.

Images uncovered by NK Pro show construction underway on several factories across the country, which have in the past produced transporter erector launcher vehicles, anti-tank guided missiles, and surface-to-air missile systems.

One of these is the Huichon Youth Electrical Complex in North Korea's Chagang Province.

Their analysis of satellite images revealed that North Korea had started building a large new production hall at Huichon last April, after demolishing the old facility at the start of the year.

According to NK Pro, the factory produces Pongae "Lightning" missiles, and photos of a 2010 visit by former DPRK premier Kim Jong Il showed a fully assembled surface-to-air missile system in the background.

Other upgraded factories identified by NK Pro include the Pyeonghwa Motors General Factory, believed to produce rocket launch vehicles, and the Sinhung Machine Factory, a warhead production facility where ground was cleared in March in preparation for construction works.

Satellite images of the Huichon Youth Electrical Complex, the red box showing where a production hall was demolished in early 2023 in preparation for an upgrade which began in 2024, according to NK Pro. Efforts... Satellite images of the Huichon Youth Electrical Complex, the red box showing where a production hall was demolished in early 2023 in preparation for an upgrade which began in 2024, according to NK Pro. Efforts to bolster its missile production capabilities align with North Korea's increasingly aggressive posturing toward its neighbor, which some have warned could escalate into an armed confrontation. Google Earth

Efforts to boost production of its military capabilities align with North Korea's increasingly aggressive posturing, which has drawn the ire of its southern neighbor.

Sang Hun Seok is a visiting fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, who previously worked as a diplomat for South Korea's foreign service.

He spoke to Newsweek about the factory upgrades, which he termed "a continuation of North Korea's constant efforts to maintain and increase its weapons production capability."

"The North has never given up its intention to take a hostile stance toward the United States and South Korea, as it forms part of its raison d'être," Sang Hun said. "As rightly pointed out by the NK Pro report, weapon systems such as MLRS, TEL, and anti-air missiles all constitute very relevant assets against a potential conflict with the United States and South Korea."

He added that North Korea's cooperation with Russia served as "an encouragement and an enabling factor in bolstering Kim Jong-un's confidence in North Korea's weapons industry."

Moscow-Pyongyang ties have strengthened over the past few years, with the leaders of the two countries signing a "Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership" in mid-June.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un toast during a reception at the Mongnangwan Reception House in Pyongyang on June 19, 2024. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un toast during a reception at the Mongnangwan Reception House in Pyongyang on June 19, 2024. Vladimir Smirnov/AFP via Getty Images

NK Pro's analysis comes after a series of aggressive actions and statements from the DPRK.

In early July, according to South Korean military leaders, two short-range missiles were launched from North Korea's Jangyon County, with one reportedly landing near the nation's capital, Pyongyang.

During a visit to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol advocated further joint defense training between his country and the U.S. in response to "North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile capabilities and continued provocations."

The two countries, alongside Japan, recently participated in joint naval exercises in the South China Sea, aimed at enhancing their readiness against threats from North Korea.

The country has issued several warnings in response to these "war games," which one North Korean paper said had "boldly crossed the red line of a new nuclear world war."

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits a hall displaying what appear to be various types of warheads designed to be mounted on missiles or rocket launchers on March 27, 2023, in an undisclosed location... North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits a hall displaying what appear to be various types of warheads designed to be mounted on missiles or rocket launchers on March 27, 2023, in an undisclosed location in North Korea. North Korea has issued multiple warnings of military escalation in response to joint military exercises by the South Korea and its allies, with one North Korean paper warning that these had “boldly crossed the red line of a new nuclear world war.” Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP

The last few weeks have also seen tensions rising at the inter-Korean border.

In June, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff claimed that North Korea had begun erecting anti-tank barricades along the border's demilitarized zone, viewed by some as Pyongyang preparing for a military confrontation.

The pair have also been engaged in an exchange of propaganda and trash balloons, one of which landed in South Korea's presidential compound in Seoul on Wednesday.

South Korea has also claimed that Kim Jong Un had ordered his military to lay mines along the demilitarized zone, resulting in "multiple" North Korean casualties.

In an interview with Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun, retired South Korean lieutenant and former vice chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Shin Won-sik suggested that the border disputes could descend into an armed confrontation between the two countries.

However, Sang Hun said that the likelihood of a full-scale attack by North Korea appeared unlikely.

If its forces were preparing for a "surprise attack," which he said would be necessary given their relative strength compared to the South, Sang Hun said that the country "would shift into dialogue mode," to lower the expectations of a confrontation.

"Given the current situation, where tensions are relatively high and the South and the United States are alarmed and well-prepared, I think the chances of an armed conflict are low, ironically."

Newsweek · by Hugh Cameron · July 25, 2024

6. Police question Chinese students who flew drone over USS Theodore Roosevelt in South Korea

Police question Chinese students who flew drone over USS Theodore Roosevelt in South Korea

Stars and Stripes · by Yoo Kyong Chang · July 25, 2024

The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt arrives in Busan, South Korea, on June 22, 2024. (Aaron Haro Gonzalez/U.S. Navy)

South Korean police questioned three Chinese students who used a drone to record panoramic views of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt at Busan in June, a Busan Metropolitan Police officer said Thursday.

The three were suspected of illegally recording video of the carrier and South Korean Naval Operations Command on June 23 and June 25, the police officer told Stars and Stripes by phone.

The students, who police described as being in their 30s or 40s, were questioned and released but remain under investigation, the officer said.

South Korean government officials customarily speak to the media only on condition of anonymity.

The carrier arrived in Busan on June 22 ahead of Freedom Edge, several days of maritime exercises with warships of the South Korean and Japanese navies.

The three, students at a Busan university, are suspected of violating the Protection of Military Bases and Installations Act, which outlaws photographing military installations and equipment without approval from the unit or base commander, according to police. The officer did not identify the three by name, citing privacy concerns.

At 12:11 p.m., a South Korean army officer on security duty discovered the three students operating a drone on a hill in Busan and held them for police, a South Korean navy spokesman told Stars and Stripes by phone Thursday.

The hill is popular with Busan locals as a lookout point, the police officer said.

“There is a viewing platform giving stunning views over the hill,” he said. “So, it is almost always crowded.”

The students had parked their car nearby and taken the drone, which they told police they carry in the car, with them to the hill, the officer said. Police confiscated the drone and in it found about five minutes of footage of the carrier and naval base.

The three told police they took the footage only out of curiosity, the Busan officer said.

Police also confiscated their cellphones before releasing them and are reviewing their records. The three are not suspected of espionage, a police detective told Stars and Stripes by phone Thursday.

U.S. authorities have not inquired about the incident, the police officer said.

The naval base typically increases security when U.S. assets arrive, the navy spokesman said, but this incident may prompt a tightening of those measures. He said the drone did not appear in any surveillance video at the base.

In May, the U.S. Navy in Japan investigated what appeared to be overhead imagery of the carrier USS Ronald Reagan, the amphibious command ship USS Blue Ridge and Yokosuka Naval Base and posted in Chinese to the social media platform X. The Navy found no indication a drone had flown over the site, however.

Similar images of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force base at Yokosuka and the flattop helicopter destroyer JS Izumo appeared on the same account.

Yoo Kyong Chang

Yoo Kyong Chang is a reporter/translator covering the U.S. military from Camp Humphreys, South Korea. She graduated from Korea University and also studied at the University of Akron in Ohio.

Stars and Stripes · by Yoo Kyong Chang · July 25, 2024

7. North Korean charged in cyberattacks on US hospitals, NASA and military bases

The all purpose sword continues to be wielded effectively by the regime.

North Korean charged in cyberattacks on US hospitals, NASA and military bases

BY NICK INGRAM, MICHAEL GOLDBERG AND HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH

Updated 8:21 PM EDT, July 25, 2024

AP · by MICHAEL GOLDBERG · July 25, 2024

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A North Korean military intelligence operative has been indicted in a conspiracy to hack into American health care providers, NASA, U.S. military bases and international entities, stealing sensitive information and installing ransomware to fund more attacks, federal prosecutors announced Thursday.

The indictment of Rim Jong Hyok by a grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, accuses him of laundering the money through a Chinese bank and then using it to buy computer servers and fund more cyberattacks on defense, technology and government entities around the world.

The hacks on American hospitals and other health care providers disrupted the treatment of patients, officials said. He’s accused of targeting 17 entities across 11 U.S. states, including NASA and U.S. military bases, as well as defense and energy companies in China, Taiwan and South Korea.

For more than three months, Rim and other members of the Andariel Unit of North Korea’s Reconnaissance General Bureau had access to NASA’s computer system, extracting over 17 gigabytes of unclassified data, the indictment says. They also reached inside computer systems for defense companies in Michigan and California, as well as Randolph Air Force base in Texas and Robins Air Force base in Georgia, authorities say.

The malware enabled the state-sponsored Andariel group to send stolen information to North Korean military intelligence, furthering the country’s military and nuclear aspirations, federal prosecutors said. They’ve gone after details of fighter aircraft, missile defense systems, satellite communications and radar systems, a senior FBI official said.

“While North Korea uses these types of cyber crimes to circumvent international sanctions and fund its political and military ambitions, the impact of these wanton acts have a direct impact on the citizens of Kansas,” said Stephen A. Cyrus, an FBI agent based in Kansas City.

Online court records do not list an attorney for Rim, who has lived in North Korea and worked at the military intelligence agency’s offices in both Pyongyang and Sinuiju, according to court records. A reward of up to $10 million has been offered for information that could lead to him or other foreign government operatives who target critical U.S. infrastructure.

The Justice Department has prosecuted multiple cases related to North Korean hacking, often alleging a profit-driven motive that sets the nation’s cybercriminals apart from hackers in Russia and China. In 2021, for instance, the department charged three North Korean computer programmers in a broad range of hacks including a destructive attack targeting an American movie studio and the attempted theft and extortion of more than $1.3 billion from banks and companies around the world.

In this case, the FBI was alerted by a Kansas medical center that was hit in May 2021. Hackers had encrypted its files and servers, blocking access to patient files, laboratory test results and computers needed to operate hospital equipment. A Colorado health care provider was affected by the same Maui ransomware variant.

A ransom note sent to the Kansas hospital demanded Bitcoin payments valued then at about $100,000, to be sent to a cryptocurrency address.

“Otherwise all of your files will be posted in the Internet which may lead you to loss of reputation and cause the troubles for your business,” the note reads. “Please do not waste your time! You have 48 hours only! After that the Main server will double your price.”

Federal investigators said they traced blockchains to follow the money: An unnamed co-conspirator transferred the Bitcoin to a virtual currency address belonging to two Hong Kong residents before it was converted into Chinese currency and transferred to a Chinese bank. The money was then accessed from an ATM in China next to the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge connecting China and North Korea, according to court records.

In 2022, the Justice Department said the FBI seized approximately $500,000 in ransom payments from the money laundering accounts, including the entire ransom payment from the hospital.

An arrest of Rim is unlikely, so the biggest outcome of the indictment is that it may lead to sanctions that could cripple the ability of North Korea to collect ransoms this way, which could in turn remove the motivation to conduct cyber attacks on entities like hospitals in the future, according to Allan Liska, an analyst with the cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.

“Now, unfortunately, that will force them to do more cryptocurrency theft. So it’s not going to stop their activity. But the hope is that we won’t have hospitals disrupted by ransomware attacks because they’ll know that they can’t get paid,” Liska said.

He also noted that a Chinese entity was among the victims and questioned what the country, which is an ally of North Korea, thinks of being targeted.

“China can’t be too thrilled about that,” he said.

___

Goldberg reported from Minneapolis. Hollingsworth reported from Mission, Kansas. Associated Press reporter Alanna Durkin Richer contributed from Washington, D.C.

AP · by MICHAEL GOLDBERG · July 25, 2024

8. North Korea-backed cyber espionage campaign targets UK military

North Korea-backed cyber espionage campaign targets UK military

National Cyber Security Centre warns of global hacking effort to obtain nuclear and defence intelligence

Dan Milmo and Alex Hern

Thu 25 Jul 2024 13.19 EDT

The Guardian · by Dan Milmo · July 25, 2024

North Korean state-backed hackers have mounted a campaign to obtain secrets related to nuclear materials, military drones, submarines and shipbuilding in the UK and US, as intelligence agencies warned of a “global cyber-espionage campaign” targeting sensitive industries.

A joint notice from the US, UK and South Korea warned that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) was using state-backed attackers to further the regime’s military and nuclear ambitions. It added that Japan and India had also been targeted.

Hackers have targeted sensitive military information and intellectual property in four main areas: nuclear, defence, aerospace and engineering. The assailants, working for a group called Andariel, have also sought to obtain secrets from the medical and energy industries.

Paul Chichester, the National Cyber Security Centre’s (NCSC) director of operations, said: “The global cyber espionage operation that we have exposed today shows the lengths that DPRK state-sponsored actors are willing to go to pursue their military and nuclear programmes.”

Is the UK resilient enough to withstand a major cyber-attack?

The NCSC said Andariel had been “compromising organisations around the world to steal sensitive and classified technical information and intellectual property data”.

The NCSC believes that Andariel is a part of DPRK’s reconnaissance general bureau (RGB) and that the group’s malicious cyber activities pose a continued threat to critical infrastructure organisations globally.

The information targeted by the hackers includes data related to tanks, torpedoes, fighter aircraft, satellites, government nuclear facilities, nuclear power plants, robots and 3D printing, the NCSC said. The targeted countries include the US, UK, South Korea, India and Japan.

The intelligence agencies said Andariel was funding its espionage campaign by launching ransomware attacks against the US healthcare sector. They said the attackers were likely identifying vulnerable systems using publicly available internet scanning tools.

Chichester said: “It should remind critical infrastructure operators of the importance of protecting the sensitive information and intellectual property they hold on their systems to prevent theft and misuse.

“The NCSC, alongside our US and Korean partners, strongly encourage network defenders to follow the guidance set out in this advisory to ensure they have strong protections in place to prevent this malicious activity.”

The advisory outlines how Andariel has evolved from destructive hacks against US and South Korea organisations to carrying out specialised cyber espionage and ransomware attacks.

In some cases, the hackers carried out ransomware attacks and cyber espionage operations on the same day against the same victim.

The US state department offered a reward of up to $10m (£7.8m) for information on Rim Jong Hyok, who it said was associated with Andariel. The department said Rim and others conspired to carry out ransomware attacks on US hospitals and other healthcare providers to fund its operations against government bodies and defence firms.

US law enforcement agencies believe Andariel targeted five healthcare providers, four US-based defence contractors, two US air force bases and Nasa’s office of inspector general. In one operation that began in November 2022, the hackers accessed a US defence contractor from which they extracted more than 30 gigabytes of data, including unclassified technical information regarding material used in military aircraft and satellites.

Unlike most other state actors, North Korea’s motivations in cyberwarfare appear split between conventional military and national security goals and financial advantages.

Over the past six years, according to a UN report, Korean hackers have been involved in almost 60 cyber-attacks on cryptocurrency-related companies alone, stealing an estimated $3bn. One single attack, against the crypto exchange Poloniex, seized more than $110m. “The key tasks of these cyberthreat actors are to obtain information of value to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and to illicitly generate revenue for the country,” the report concluded. The hackers used any method they could to secure hard funds, including “spearphishing, vulnerability exploits, social engineering and watering holes”.

The most damaging individual attack linked to the North Korean cyber-army was the WannaCry “ransomworm” in 2017. The US and UK formally accused North Korea of building the virus, which the country denied. Although it appeared to be a piece of ransomware, WannaCry’s payments infrastructure wasn’t linked to anything, and the virus, which took down machines around the world and significantly hampered the NHS, raised just over $55,000.

The Guardian · by Dan Milmo · July 25, 2024

9. The Collateral Victims of Kim Jong Un’s About-Face on Korean Unification

Conclusion:

Outsiders often marvel at how the North Korea people remain supportive of a government that spends massively on missiles and nuclear weapons while they lack basic food and medicine. The answer was simpler when those weapons were (in theory) intended to “liberate” fellow Koreans in the South, rather than simply slaughter them. Kim Jong Un’s new rhetoric may not have presaged the sort of war that makes for explosive footage and splashy headlines, but the war it set off within the hearts and minds of the regime’s last loyal supporters is no less real.

The Collateral Victims of Kim Jong Un’s About-Face on Korean Unification

thediplomat.com

The rejection of unification marked a massive paradigm shift for the North Korean state and its sympathizers – including Japan’s pro-North Korean community.

By Meredith Shaw

July 24, 2024

Credit: Depositphotos

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At the annual Workers’ Party Plenum last December, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un announced that he was abandoning the long-standing goal of peaceful reunification with the South. Kim declared, “It is not suitable to the prestige and position of the DPRK to discuss the issue of reunification with the strange clan, who is no more than a colonial stooge of the U.S.” (DPRK is an abbreviation of North Korea’s formal name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea). In the same speech, Kim also referred to South Korea as a “hemiplegic malformation.”

This startling announcement set off a flurry of speculation, beginning with an article in 38 North by veteran North Korea analysts Siegfried Hecker and Robert Carlin provocatively titled “Is Kim Jong Un Preparing for War?” Like most developments that thrust North Korea briefly onto the front pages, speculation whirled for about a week – but when no war was forthcoming, the news cycle quickly moved on.

But Kim’s announcement was not the usual forgettable bluster. Most Western media failed to appreciate what a massive paradigm shift this was for the North Korean state and its sympathizers. Indeed, it would be no exaggeration to say that it marked a rejection of the central tenet of North Korean propaganda since the state’s founding in 1948.

Until last December, “unification” infused every aspect of North Korean state semiotics, and scrubbing it out was a non-trivial task. The Pyongyang subway’s Unification Station was abruptly and pithily renamed “Station.” The massive Unification Arch that decorated the road to the southern border, said to have been designed by Kim Jong Il himself, was summarily demolished.

The part of the national anthem that referred to “3000 ri” – the full length of the peninsula from north to south – was changed. The phrase “by our people amongst ourselves” (uriminjokkiri), a much-used slogan implying that unification should be achieved by Koreans working together without foreign interference, was similarly excised. All of the Korean-language websites and YouTube channels promoting North Korean propaganda and culture, which had expanded greatly in content if not sophistication over the last decade, went down overnight.

To use an American analogy, it would be as if the U.S. president suddenly proclaimed that “freedom” was no longer an American value – and consequently, the Statue of Liberty will be demolished, Freedom Plaza in Washington D.C. will be renamed simply “Plaza,” and the national anthem lyrics will be changed to “O’er the land of the reasonably priced.”

What a change from just a few years ago when Kim feted South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Pyongyang, and North Korean media streamed triumphant images of the pair chummily slicing into a unification-themed cake as they hatched grand plans for cross-border rail transit and energy cooperation. What a disappointment for the North Korean people, at a time when they badly needed some good news.

How did ordinary North Korean citizens react to this bewildering about-face? With crossings still choked off by North Korea’s COVID-era border crackdown, it is hard to know. But a good hint came from Ri Il-gyu, a diplomat who defected from the North Korean embassy in Cuba last November. In his first post-defection interview, published in Chosun Ilbo last Tuesday, Ri claimed that “North Koreans are more eager for reunification than South Koreans” and that this feeling had been sharpened by the illegal but unstoppable diffusion of South Korean popular culture. Ri believes the recent policy shift was a final desperate attempt “to block the people’s longing for reunification.”

The change also had dire implications for an oft-overlooked group: the ethnic Korean “Zainichi” community in Japan, particularly the dwindling membership of the pro-North General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, a.k.a. Chosen Soren. For decades, this group had provided a vital source of hard currency as well as human capital in the form of patriotic “returnees,” while also educating generations of Zainichi children at special Korean-language schools operating within Japan.

Chosen Soren’s membership has dwindled drastically from its heyday in the 1970s, but the remaining holdouts had proven incredibly loyal in the face of external shocks. Time and again, they dutifully parroted North Korean denials of various atrocities, only to see them disproven by overwhelming evidence or the regime’s own confessions. Younger generations were already leaving in droves, disaffected by the anachronistic dogma and social stigma of membership.

But one core message still resonated: uriminjokkiri, Koreans working toward unification together against a corrupt and oppressive Western order. Yes, they said, South Korea may be richer and freer and have better music, but it is still enslaved to the U.S. forces that occupy it and corrupt its youth. By promoting uriminjokkiri unification, the regime still inspired some diasporic Koreans with a messianic drive to save their southern brethren from their comfortable prison.

Now that that last compelling ideal has been abandoned, Japan’s pro-North Korean community is in turmoil. The Chosen Soren leadership reflexively expressed support for the new policy and released a 10-point list of instructions to its members. This included a prohibition on “any activities promoting the ideas of ‘North and South Koreans as one homogenous people,’ ‘uriminjokkiri,’ or ‘peaceful unification.’” There were orders to “cut off relations with all organizations and personnel from the Republic of Korea” and to “remove from offices and schools all remaining words, slogans, propaganda posters, and artworks that misleadingly suggest that the puppets [South Koreans] are the same people as us.”

Most shockingly, members are now prohibited from “referring to words of the Great Leader [Kim Il Sung] or the General [Kim Jong Il] that can be considered expressions of ethnic unity.” The words of North Korea’s late leaders are revered as scripture, memorized by schoolchildren, pasted on the walls of workplaces, and quoted incessantly – and they abound with references to “unification” and “uriminjokkiri.”

Park Hyangsu, who was educated in a Chosen Soren-run school and is now a human rights activist, spoke of the traumatic impact of this change. “It seems there was a lot of confusion within Soren. ‘Unification’ was their most important keyword, but now they have rejected it,” Park said. “It was also the central value in their school curriculum, so it will be interesting to see how the textbooks change from next year. I think more and more students will leave.

“My friend who was a Soren member said the most ardent supporters are like members of a cult, brainwashed since childhood by the beautiful words ‘ethnic education.’ However unreasonable the instructions from above are, they keep twisting their logic to justify it, out of habit. Of course, we have to consider that their family members are being held hostage [in North Korea], but that factor is fading with time.”

Park believes that former members of Chosen Soren have valuable knowledge and should be given a voice. That is part of the mission of “Free to Move” (F2M), a Japan-based NGO that Park co-founded with fellow ex-Soren member Hong Kyung-eui. Championing the core ideal that “freedom to move is a basic human right,” this group advocates the free return of Chosen Soren family members and Japanese abductees still trapped inside North Korea.

According to Park, “As more people leave Soren, testimonies from former members will reveal new information on the history of its ties with North Korea. Soren members were closer to North Korea than anyone else. If they change their minds and become active on North Korean human rights issues, their passion and drive will be stronger than anyone else’s. I would like to help them get involved in that, and this can also be F2M’s role.”

Outsiders often marvel at how the North Korea people remain supportive of a government that spends massively on missiles and nuclear weapons while they lack basic food and medicine. The answer was simpler when those weapons were (in theory) intended to “liberate” fellow Koreans in the South, rather than simply slaughter them. Kim Jong Un’s new rhetoric may not have presaged the sort of war that makes for explosive footage and splashy headlines, but the war it set off within the hearts and minds of the regime’s last loyal supporters is no less real.

Authors

Guest Author

Meredith Shaw

Meredith Shaw is a Korea Foundation fellow and a visiting researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU) in Seoul.

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thediplomat.com

10. Trump appears in North Korean ‘anti-American’ propaganda video

It will be interesting to read the comments from the Trump campaign or forem president Trump himself.

Trump appears in North Korean ‘anti-American’ propaganda video

https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/donald-trump-north-korea-propaganda-video-kim-jong-un-summit-07252024174310.html

Residents are confused that Trump’s image was used in a negative light after 2019 summits were touted as successes.

By Kim Ji Eun for RFA Korean

2024.07.25

A screen capture shows former President Donald Trump appearing in a recording of a regular lecture for North Korean residents in July, 2024. (Kim Ji Eun/RFA)

Photo: RFA

A picture of former U.S. President Donald Trump appeared in a North Korean propaganda video that suggested the United States is orchestrating plots against Pyongyang, residents in the country told Radio Free Asia.

Residents said they were confused as to why the video used Trump’s image this way. In the past, his image had been used positively to tout the successes of Kim Jong Un, who became the first North Korean leader to meet with a sitting U.S. president when the two countries held summits in 2018 and 2019.

The video, shown during mandatory weekly lectures, likened Trump and other influential Americans to wolves.

“The US imperialists and other hierarchical enemies are trying to recreate the bloodshed of the past on this land,” an audio recording of video obtained by RFA Korean said, referring to the carnage of the 1950-53 Korean War. “The only thing that has changed is that the various methods of how they kill and the weapons of murder they used that day are now covered in a sweet and fragrant outer shell, including movies, printed propaganda, superstitions, and drugs.”

Trump’s appearance in the video shocked a resident from the northeastern province of North Hamgyong.

“These days, the party’s regular lectures are held by watching recorded videos,” he said on condition of anonymity for safety reasons. “This week’s lecture was conducted as a recorded lecture with the message that dreaming about American imperialism leads to self-destruction and death.”

The title of the lecture was “Guide to the anti-DPRK plot,” according to the resident. The video contained a photo of Trump holding hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during one of the bilateral summits.

Propaganda video warns North Koreans not to watch South Korean media

The video shows footage of people being sentenced to life imprisonment for their ‘anti-socialist’ crimes

https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/propaganda-video-warns-about-watching-south-korean-media-07222024151658.html

By Kim Jieun for RFA Korean

2024.07.22

Still images of a recent North Korean propaganda video being shown to residents, urging them to intensify the struggle to eliminate anti-socialist and non-socialist phenomena.

RFA photo-Kim Jieun

Authorities in North Korea are showing propaganda videos meant to scare people off watching media from rival South Korea, residents in the country told Radio Free Asia.

The videos show footage of people getting sentenced to long stints in prison or in labor camps to atone for the “anti-socialist” crime of watching South Korean TV shows, which are routinely smuggled into the country through China via easily concealable SD cards or USB flash drives.

The videos, titled “Let’s eliminate anti-socialist and non-socialist phenomena” were shown to the public during the mandatory lectures that they must attend every week, a resident from the northeastern province of North Hamgyong told RFA Korean on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

“This is a warning to eradicate the South Korean culture that is prevalent these days,” he said. “Recently, the authorities have defined the act of watching impure recordings as an anti-socialist and anti-establishment crime and are cracking down more strictly.”

The resident said that even despite the warnings, interest in media from South Korea and other countries is very high.

The video characterized the problem, with a voiceover saying, “The act of watching and distributing impure recordings is not only occurring in North and South Pyongan Provinces, but in almost all regions as well. These criminal acts are a very serious problem…”

Unintended effects

The video is intended to discourage people from watching South Korean media. Instead, the lack of freedom to watch media from outside North Korea is causing people to question the nature of the society they live in, the resident said.

“Even though the authorities boast that our socialism is the best in the world, the reality of socialism can be seen by the fact that they cover the eyes and ears of the residents,” he said. “If our country is an ideal society like in the propaganda material, why do they desperately try to block the eyes and ears of the people?”

The propaganda videos show North Koreans of all ages, including minors, being sent to prison for life for watching South Korean movies, a resident from the northwestern province of North Pyongan told RFA on condition of anonymity for safety reasons.

“Residents had a cold reaction to the authorities imposing life-long correctional labor sentences for watching South Korean movies,” she said. “In the recording, numerous students, teenagers, and residents were sentenced to life imprisonment. The anger of their parents, siblings, and families must be very high.”

Translated by Claire S. Lee and Leejin J. Chung. Edited by Eugene Whong.

12. A new Cold War? Not really — here’s how the West could capitalize on the rise of the Global South

A new Cold War? Not really — here’s how the West could capitalize on the rise of the Global South

theconversation.com · by Daniel Lincoln

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un recently held a historic meeting in Pyongyang that resulted in a mutual defence agreement that has alarmed many western analysts.

This alliance has sparked concerns about deteriorating security in northeast Asia and the invigoration of Russia’s campaign against Ukraine, as well as renewed fears of a unified anti-western bloc that could potentially precipitate a new Cold War.

A closer examination of global geopolitics and economics, however, suggests that instead of a second Cold War, the world is witnessing transient intersections of interests among some non-western powers.

The Russia-North Korea defence treaty highlights the complexities surrounding the rise of non-western nations, including those in the Global South. But instead of viewing the growing power of non-western states broadly as a threat, the West should recognize the opportunities this shift presents.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks as North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un listens to him during a reception after their talks in Pyongyang, North Korea, in June 2024. (Vladimir Smirnov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Partnerships of convenience

Western observers are justified in viewing the Russia-North Korea pact as worrisome. Russia could replenish its war machine in Ukraine with North Korean aid, and North Korea could develop more sophisticated weapons systems. And with Russia acting as a security guarantor, North Korea might act more provocatively on the Korean Peninsula.

However, this agreement lacks substantial long-term sustainability because it’s based solely on shared opposition to the western-led world order.

This is not unique to the rejuvenated Russia-North Korea relationship. Among many non-western powers seeking a heightened international profile, alliances of convenience are increasingly common.

The Iran-Russia partnership, for example, largely mirrors the Russian relationship with North Korea. Despite extensive economic and military co-operation, both states share little beyond their current animosity towards the West, and are, in fact, historic enemies.

Similarly, the “no-limits” partnership between China and Russia remains precarious due to China’s desire to remain integrated in the global economy while also wishing to avoid a significant inflammation of tensions with the West.

This geo-strategic dynamic is a far cry from the Cold War, where the Soviet-led bloc was ostensibly united by an ideological commitment to Marxism-Leninism. It also contrasts with enduring western security partnerships like the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance that’s based on cultural, historic and linguistic closeness.

The dynamics of transient and pragmatic interests driving the Russia-North Korea defence treaty illustrate how the West can more astutely navigate the world’s changing economic and geopolitical landscapes.

Opportunities to co-operate with the West

In recent decades, the Global South has expanded its economic and strategic power, exemplified by BRICS — an intergovernmental organization comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates. These countries are now experiencing faster economic growth than the G7 countries of the West.

As these countries grow richer and more powerful through their integration into the international economy, these emerging economies increasingly exercise more strategic autonomy than was possible in the 20th century. These countries now leverage more geo-strategic hedging between competing great powers to fulfil their unique interests.

China’s rise to the status of the world’s second-largest economy is a notable example of this. China seeks to reform international institutions and norms, efforts that have attracted support from the Global South. Generally, China and the Global South aspire towards a world that acknowledges their enhanced geo-economic stature.

Foreign ministers from the BRICS nations of India, Egypt, South Africa, China, Russia, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia and Iran pose for a photo on the sidelines of a meeting in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia in June 2024. (AP Photo/Roman Yarovitsin)

This differs from Russia and North Korea, which largely aim to undo the post-Cold War international order.

China gained power and wealth through its concerted participation within the established world order and largely wishes to continue this historically fruitful engagement. Western perceptions of China as a threat have contributed to its brokering of partnerships of convenience with disruptive powers like Russia.

These relationships aren’t due to a deep-felt enmity towards the West in China. Rather, it is a reaction to geopolitical tensions with western countries and China’s resulting need to establish working relations with powers that it currently shares common ground with.

If the West works with these emergent powers to accomplish shared goals, it could maintain its global pre-eminence. Viewing the rise of developing economies as a threat, on the other hand, risks missing significant and potentially invaluable opportunities.

Double-edged sword

The Russian-North Korean pact and relations between North Korea, Iran and Russia are counterproductive to international stability and western global interests, but this troublesome dynamic does not extend to the Global South.

The strategic manoeuvring of the Global South — as exhibited by rising powers such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and Arab countries asserting their interests through skilful and astute relations with multiple great powers — underscores this.

By understanding these nuances and working strategically with the Global South, the West can navigate the complexities presented by the current geo-strategic landscape and mitigate potential security threats more effectively.

Working with a likely receptive China, for example, to manage the possible consequences of the Russia-North Korea military alliance could be beneficial to both parties.

These developments ultimately illustrate the double-edged sword of contemporary geopolitics, which simultaneously offer the West considerable advantages and daunting challenges.

Whether western countries are subjected to the favourable or hostile side of this proverbial sword depends on how successfully they can navigate the complex and changing dynamics of today’s global landscape.

theconversation.com · by Daniel Lincoln

13. N. Korea revs up celebratory mood ahead of 71st anniversary of armistice signing

N. Korea revs up celebratory mood ahead of 71st anniversary of armistice signing | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Soo-yeon · July 26, 2024

SEOUL, July 26 (Yonhap) -- North Korea said Friday it is preparing for a grand event celebrating the upcoming 71st anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War, with its leader Kim Jong-un sending gifts to war veterans across the nation.

North Korea will hold celebrations for the anniversary to mark the country's victory in the Fatherland Liberation War in Pyongyang this week, and participants invited to the event arrived in the capital Thursday, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The Korean War, which started with an invasion by North Korea, ended in a truce, not a peace treaty, on July 27, 1953. Since 1996, North Korea has celebrated the armistice signing date as Victory Day, claiming that it won the Liberation War against U.S.-led aggression.

For this year's celebrations, authorities have invited war veterans and people with wartime merits, as well as officials and innovative workers in the munitions industry across the country, the KCNA said.

Kim has also sent gifts to war veterans on the occasion of the anniversary.

The gifts reflect Kim's wish that the war veterans would "become the strength of the country and the mainstay of the minds of the Korean people who are creditably carrying forward the history and tradition of invincibility," the KCNA reported.

Last year, North Korea held a military parade to mark the 70th anniversary by inviting then Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chinese Communist Party politburo member Li Hongzhong in an apparent move to show its solidarity with Beijing and Moscow, which backed Pyongyang during the war, as Seoul, Washington and Tokyo were bolstering three-way security cooperation.

This file photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on July 25, 2023, shows participants arriving in Pyongyang to attend a celebratory event to mark the 70th anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War on July 27. (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 26, 2024

14. Belarus' president calls for expanding ties with N. Korea in letter to Kim

Belarus' president calls for expanding ties with N. Korea in letter to Kim | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · July 26, 2024

SEOUL, July 26 (Yonhap) -- The president of Belarus has called for "further expanding cooperation" with North Korea in a message sent to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Pyongyang's foreign ministry said Friday, amid speculation that the nations will seek to strengthen trilateral cooperation with Russia.

"I affirm that I will work to further expand cooperation with the DPRK to make it full of new content, and common programs of giving mutual benefits to the improved well-being of the peoples of our countries," Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko was quoted as saying in the letter sent on July 15.

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

In a congratulatory message sent to Lukashenko on the occasion of National Day in Belarus earlier this month, Kim said he is certain that their countries' traditional friendly ties will expand in all areas in accordance with the demand of the new times.

The North's foreign ministry disclosed the letter on its web site as Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Vladimirovich Ryzhenkov arrived in Pyongyang on Tuesday for a four-day visit.

The top diplomat has held talks with his North Korean counterpart, Choe Son-hui, and paid a courtesy call on Premier Kim Tok-hun, joined by officials from the North's agriculture, education and health ministries, raising views the two nations may seek to expand cooperation in the respective areas.

North Korean Premier Kim Tok-hun (R) meets with Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Vladimirovich Ryzhenkov at the Mansudae Assembly Hall in Pyongyang on July 25, 2024, in this photo provided by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

mlee@yna.co.kr

(END)

en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · July 26, 2024

15. North Korea justifies garbage balloon launches in lectures

It is hard to justify such "crap."

North Korea justifies garbage balloon launches in lectures - Daily NK English

"Piles of garbage are only suitable for puppets who are themselves human garbage and have become lapdogs for the U.S. Let's dump more garbage in the Seoul area," the script used in one lecture said

By Seulkee Jang - July 26, 2024

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

Remnants of North Korea's balloons filled with trash are scattered in front of the Incheon Meteorological Observatory in Jeonjeon, Jung-gu, Incheon, South Korea, on June 2, 2024. (Yonhap News)

North Korea recently launched its ninth trash balloon blitz against the South this year. Pyongyang is now working overtime to convince its own citizens through lectures that these trashy tactics are not only legitimate, but praiseworthy.

A source in North Pyongan Province, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Daily NK on Tuesday that since the beginning of July lectures have been held at factories and enterprises in various parts of the country to inform workers about the waste dumping and explain the reasons for it. Most of the lectures are being held in areas near the border with China.

“Piles of garbage are only suitable for puppets who are themselves human garbage and have become lapdogs for the U.S. Let’s dump more garbage in the Seoul area,” the script used in the lecture said.

The lecture did not specify that the garbage balloons were a response to propaganda leaflets being flown across the border by North Korean defector groups in South Korea.

Nevertheless, the language about “human garbage” and “lapdogs for the U.S.” suggests that South Korea was the reason for launching the garbage balloons.

Echoes of Kim Jong Un’s anti-South rhetoric

In fact, the phrase about becoming “lapdogs for the U.S.” echoes comments made by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during the Ninth Enlarged Plenum of the Eighth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea late last year.

“It is not befitting the prestige and position of [North Korea] to discuss the issue of reunification with the strange clan, which is nothing but a colonial stooge of the US, just because of the rhetorical word ‘fellow countrymen.’ South Korea at present is nothing but a hemiplegic deformity and a colonial subordinate state whose policy is completely out of order, whose whole society is contaminated by the Yankee culture and whose defense and security are totally dependent on the United States,” Kim said at the meeting.

“North-South relations have been completely fixed in the relations between two hostile states and the relations between two warring states, no longer consanguineous or homogeneous,” Kim said in the same speech, taking the position that South and North Korea are completely separate countries.

While North Korea often uses the phrase “puppet clique” when disparaging the South Korean government, the more general mention of “puppets” in this speech seems to indicate that the garbage launches are aimed not only at the South Korean government, but also at the South Korean public as a whole.

The same speech claimed that the South Korean government had besmirched the dignity of North Korea’s supreme leader.

“These puppets who insult the esteemed name of Marshal [Kim Jong Un] deserve to continue picking up the feces and garbage we send their way,” the lecture said, in an apparent attempt to stir up the North Korean public’s antipathy toward the South.

“Lectures of this kind are held every morning before work,” Daily NK’s source said.

Controlling the narrative in the border regions

North Korea is not currently printing photos of the garbage balloons in the Rodong Sinmun newspaper or other media available to the general public. But since information from the outside world is more likely to reach North Koreans in the border region, the authorities appear to be using these lectures to dominate the local narrative and convince locals of the legitimacy of the garbage balloon launches.

In fact, some residents of the border area in North Pyongan Province were already aware that the leader’s younger sister, Kim Yo Jong, had made a statement about the garbage launches.

“After several days of the lecture, some people noticed that Comrade Kim Yo Jong had released a statement that captured public sentiment. [The authorities] seem to be holding these lectures out of concern that people’s ideological commitment will be undermined by all the information coming out of China,” the source said.

Daily NK works with a network of sources living in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous for security reasons.

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

Read in Korean

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

16. North Koreans use VPNs, love Apple and stay up late to browse web: Report

Positive developments?

North Koreans use VPNs, love Apple and stay up late to browse web: Report

https://www.nknews.org/2024/07/north-koreans-use-vpns-love-apple-and-stay-up-late-to-browse-web-report/

Researchers find DPRK importing latest foreign tech despite sanctions, though some raise questions about methodology

Anton Sokolin July 26, 2024

An illustration of a man looking out of a window at the Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang | Image: NK News

North Koreans increasingly use VPN services to break through state censorship and avoid monitoring, adore Apple products and often stay up late to browse the web, according to new research exploring how the tech habits of DPRK citizens changed during the pandemic.

For a new report released this month, Recorded Future’s Insikt Group’s threat research division analyzed North Korean internet traffic during the period between Jan. 2023 and March 2024, when the DPRK experienced “little to no foreign presence” after closing its borders to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The analysis revealed that some North Koreans continue to get their hands on the latest foreign technology almost as soon as it is available elsewhere, with the researchers underscoring the country’s ability to import such devices despite sanctions designed to prevent this.

However, experts have raised questions about the report’s methodology and comprehensiveness, noting that the researchers don’t specify the source of the internet traffic data and how they identified whether a device was being used by North Koreans or foreigners in the country.

“I’m not suggesting the data is flawed, but I think with such unique data, a little more explanation of what it is, how it was cleaned and how it was gathered is needed,” Martyn Williams, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center, told NK Pro.

Junade Ali, a researcher focusing on North Korean cybersecurity capabilities, said the report confirms “what we’ve already known for a long while about the use of foreign technology in North Korea.”

However, he said it fails to outline how much of the observed traffic was state-sanctioned and how much came from people accessing the web without supervision.

The report also doesn’t account for satellite internet usage, which means “there is likely to be more internet traffic than is reflected in the research,” the expert added.

VPNS AND ANTIVIRUS PRODUCTS

According to the report, Insikt Group saw an “increase in the use of obfuscation services, such as VPNs” by North Korean internet users, observing 31 unique North Korean IP addresses communicating with 35 different VPN or proxy services during the study period.

This demonstrates “an increased awareness of operational security for online activities of which the regime disapproves,” the researchers concluded.

North Koreans “overwhelmingly” use the VPNs Hotspot Shield, Express VPN and Private Internet Access, Insikt Group reported, while some prefer Psiphon 3 — a tool designed specifically to skirt internet censorship.

The cyber researcher Ali told NK Pro that a number of North Korean individuals and organizations have demonstrated “greater operational security practices” by using VPNs in recent years but noted that there are still vulnerabilities in these “privacy-preserving technologies.”

Alongside VPN services, the Insikt Group report found evidence of North Koreans using foreign antivirus products like McAfee, a sign of concerns about cyber hygiene. However, the expert Williams noted that “the use of McAfee requires a credit card, which raises questions about how North Koreans are paying for this” and whether the users are actually foreigners.

The group of cyber specialists noted that, like their counterparts in other countries, DPRK citizens with internet access also frequent social media platforms like Facebook, X and Instagram and chat in messengers like WeChat, Japan’s LINE and China’s QQ.

To access information, some North Koreans choose Chinese or Russian search engines like Baidu, Sogou and Yandex.

The group found DPRK nationals use gaming consoles like Xbox for entertainment, while confirming earlier evidence that some privileged country residents also shop online and watch porn.

DOOMSCROLLING?

Insikt Group assessed that North Korea continues to import various devices and foreign technology, attributing the influx of high-tech products to the DPRK’s renewed trade with China and burgeoning ties with Russia.

It raised concerns that North Korea’s continued import of foreign technology will likely “reduce the effectiveness of sanctions placed upon the regime,” especially after Russia vetoed the U.N. mandate of the Panel of Experts tasked with monitoring the DPRK sanctions regime.

Moscow and Pyongyang have pledged to refrain from publishing any information that could discredit one another as part of their new defense deal, with the two countries’ officials increasingly focusing on cooperation in IT, including in tackling cyber crimes.

But Ali said that it still remains an open question how far North Korea is ready to go in its cyber cooperation with Russia and to what extent it would “allow freer access to Russian cyberspace.”

According to the report, “North Koreans, like consumers in the U.S., prefer Apple products,” with Apple devices being “the single most popular brand in North Korea.” The next three most popular brands are reportedly Samsung, Xiaomi and Huawei.

The country also procures Dell computers and Chinese mobile phones, Insikt Group found, adding that mobile devices are more commonplace than desktop or laptop computers in the DPRK, especially when it comes to global brands.

However, North Koreans are also among the first in the world to acquire the latest device models, the report said, finding that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra released on Jan. 31 was being used before March this year.

Ali suggested “only the most privileged parts of the North Korean population,” like diplomats and elites, could access such foreign devices that fast, while noting that some officials would “go to some effort to mask the use of foreign technology to foreigners.”

Windows remained the most popular operating system in North Korea, with many users regularly updating their software. Some 57% of Windows devices “were running Windows 10 or 11,” the report said, while the remaining 43% were likely Windows 8 or older like Windows XP.

Insikt Group also pointed to changes in patterns of internet usage in North Korea.

In June 2023, internet usage dropped sharply on weekends but extended late into the night. The report suggests that it could be due to the DPRK’s IT workers accommodating other time zones.

North Koreans stationed abroad and overseas researchers continued to drive traffic to North Korea’s two main propaganda mouthpieces — the Rodong Sinmun party daily and the Korean Central News Agency — the report said.

Notably, the researchers observed that consistent internet traffic to North Korean websites from Africa abruptly decreased in 2023, correlating with the DPRK’s decision to close multiple embassies and reduce its diplomatic presence in African countries.

Edited by Alannah Hill

17. North Korea expands factories making anti-tank missiles Russia reportedly wants

Extensive imagery at the link.

North Korea expands factories making anti-tank missiles Russia reportedly wants

Major construction also underway on new underground facilities near weapons plants that could be used for storage

https://www.nknews.org/pro/north-korea-expands-factories-making-anti-tank-missiles-russia-reportedly-wants/

Colin Zwirko July 26, 2024

Kim Jong Un gives instructions to officials in front of ATGM models inside what appears to be the Sinuiju Measuring Instrument Factory in Sept. 2023 | Image: KCTV (Jan. 14, 2024)

Editor’s note: This article is the second in a two-part series on North Korean weapons factory upgrades. The first part can be found here.

North Korea appears to be ramping up efforts to produce anti-tank missiles, according to NK Pro analysis of satellite imagery, upgrading multiple factories suspected of manufacturing the weapons likely of interest to Russia amid their growing arms trade.

The expansion of the two facilities in the northwest comes as the DPRK has also started construction at a factory producing rifles reportedly modeled after Russian products, while new extensive underground facilities are being built near other weapons plants, potentially for arms storage.

The findings emphasize leader Kim Jong Un’s priority on developing close-range combat systems in addition to the more prominently promoted long-range nuclear weapons.

FactoryLocationProductsNew construction (start date)Sinuiju Measuring Instrument Factory (신의주측정계기공장)Sinuiju, North Phyongan Province (40.06928° N, 124.43914° E)NLOS ATGMs, possibly other weaponsDemolition and building large production hall (May 2024)Taegwan Glass Factory (대관유리공장)Taegwan, North Phyongan Province(40.23473° N, 125.24590° E)

ATGMs, possibly other weaponsUpgrading a series of apparent production halls (June 2024)Songgan light electrical appliance factorySonggan, Jagang ProvinceLikely missilesLarge new underground facility nearby (Early 2022)January 12 Factory (No. 112 Factory)Kusong, North Phyongan ProvinceUnknownLarge new underground facility nearby (Late 2021)February 8 General Machine Factory (2.8기계종합공장) Jonchon, Jagang Province (40.63012° N, 126.43098° E)Rifles, small arms, possibly text here

TELsLand clearing in likely preparation for construction (July 2023)

ANTI-TANK MISSILES FOR RUSSIA?

Sinuiju Measuring Instrument Factory (신의주측정계기공장)

NK Pro analysis of satellite imagery shows a new project is underway to increase production capabilities at the missile-producing Sinuiju Measuring Instrument Factory near the Chinese border, despite the construction of a large new complex there just six years ago.

This is where Kim Jong Un inspected modernized production lines for new North Korean non-line of sight (NLOS) anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) last September, according to Jeffrey Lewis and John Ford from the New Tools Team at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies’ James Martin Center.

Planet Labs imagery shows three large buildings were demolished in the second half of May and that the basic structure of a 1-acre (0.4-hectare) building and two other buildings had already been built by July 14.

New construction at the Sinuiju Measuring Instrument Factory points to plans to increase production of ATGMs or other missiles | Image: Planet Labs (Nov. 4, 2023), edited by NK Pro

New construction at the Sinuiju Measuring Instrument Factory points to plans to increase production of ATGMs or other missiles | Image: Planet Labs (July 14, 2024), edited by NK Pro

Kim Jong Un appears to inspect ATGM production at what experts have identified as the Sinuiju Measuring Instrument Factory | Image: KCNA (Sept. 3, 2023)

The larger structure appears similar in size to the two existing production halls, where Kim was seen inspecting NLOS ATGM parts being sculpted by advanced computer numerically controlled (CNC) machines. It is being built on top of where a basketball and volleyball court once stood.

Just after Russian cargo ships first started picking up military supplies from North Korea last summer, the New York Times reported that Moscow was seeking “artillery shells and antitank missiles” to support its invasion of Ukraine, and in exchange, would provide Pyongyang with “advanced technology for satellites and nuclear-powered submarines.”

Overwhelming evidence has emerged of Russia using artillery rockets and even advanced short range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) in attacks on Ukraine in the time since, but none yet related to DPRK-made ATGMs.

Joost Oliemans, co-author of “The Armed Forces of North Korea,” told NK Pro that “the NLOS would be by far the most attractive to Russia” of North Korea’s ATGM offerings.

Tianran Xu, an analyst with Open Nuclear Network, said “Russia would be in need of ATGMs” but that acquiring new versions like the NLOS would require training.

He told NK Pro “It could be likely that [Russia’s] ATGM stocks are also running low, but definitely shells are higher priorities. The daily use of shells has slowed down, and they are even using apparently sub-quality North Korean shells.”

If Russia is found to be using additional DPRK weapons, this could put pressure on ROK President Yoon Suk-yeol to once again consider sending lethal weapons to Ukraine, as his administration has warned.

Moscow could then follow through with threats to punish Seoul and expand its military aid to North Korea.

Taegwan Glass Factory (대관유리공장)

Another factory in North Phyongan Province, the Taegwan Glass Factory, has been said to be producing ATGMs at least since a Burmese military delegation visited and made this claim in 2008.

Now, Planet Labs imagery shows new roofing has been installed since early June on a line of old above-ground production halls that previously appeared defunct. The renovation project appeared to start in mid-2021 but stalled until recently.

Workers appeared to install new roofing on large defunct buildings (inside the yellow box) at the Taegwan Glass Factory, a sign of possible improvements to production capabilities | Image: Planet Labs (Sept. 15, 2023), edited by NK Pro

These high-resolution images taken before the recent renovation push show the renewal project began with some demolition and dismantlement in 2021 | Image: Google Earth (May 11, 2019), edited by NK Pro

These high-resolution images taken before the recent renovation push show the renewal project began with some demolition and dismantlement in 2021 | Image: Google Earth (April 17, 2022), edited by NK Pro

These high-resolution images taken before the recent renovation push show the renewal project began with some demolition and dismantlement in 2021 | Image: Google Earth (July 1, 2023), edited by NK Pro

Various weapons factory managers sat on the front row for Kim Jong Un’s speech at the Oct. 2021 arms expo, including from the Taegwan Glass Factory (and possibly former manager Ri Jong Sik) and the Feb. 8 General Machine Factory, demonstrating that they play an important role in the DPRK leader’s weapons development plans | Image: KCTV (Oct. 12, 2021), edited by NK Pro

The Taegwan Glass Factory manager highlighted in the previous photo stands to the left of Kim Jong Un in this photo of his visit to the plant in Nov. 2018 | Image: Rodong Sinmun (Nov. 18, 2018)

Though the extent of the project remains unknown, it could involve acquiring new equipment and expanding production capabilities. It is unclear if the factory’s underground tunnel production lines have been included in the renovations.

Kim Jong Un last publicly visited the factory in Nov. 2018, while the factory’s managers appeared as recently as Oct. 2021 in the front row of a major weapons exhibition — indicating Taegwan’s ongoing importance in munitions production.

The previous manager, Ri Jong Sik, appeared to be promoted to a more central weapons development role and was seen with Kim at various weapons tests, as well as his inspection of a new ballistic missile submarine in July 2019.

Meanwhile, a new “light electrical appliance factory” built rapidly in the last year in Songgan, Jagang Province may also produce ATGMs or other missiles, which if confirmed, would further point to a higher priority on ATGM production.

NEW UNDERGROUND FACILITIES NEAR ARMS PLANTS

Songgan

Extensive new underground facilities that could be used in weapons production or storage appear to be under construction adjacent to two major weapons factories, including the new Songgan factory.

NK Pro analysis of Planet Labs satellite imagery shows steady tunnel excavation inside an existing secure valley on the west side of Mount Soksa (속사산), possibly a military base, since June 2023. The project started over the winter of 2021-22 with the construction of two tunnel entrances and support buildings.

Since last June, rock spoil piles have appeared along an excavated path stretching 400 meters (1,300 feet) west of the first tunnel entrance built in early 2022, showing digging is ongoing.

This timelapse shows the underground facility (UGF) construction on a mountain between major munitions factories in Songgan, as well as construction on a new train station Kim Jong Un used for his recent visit | Video: Planet Labs, edited by NK Pro

These high-resolution images were taken before the most recent construction push but show early efforts to push the project forward in 2022 | Image: Google Earth (Nov. 13, 2021), edited by NK Pro

These high-resolution images were taken before the most recent construction push but show early efforts to push the project forward in 2022 | Image: Google Earth (Sept. 9, 2022), edited by NK Pro

These high-resolution images were taken before the most recent construction push but show early efforts to push the project forward in 2022 | Image: Google Earth (Nov. 9, 2022), edited by NK Pro

NK Pro has geolocated these video stills to a new train station in central Songgan, showing Kim Jong Un arriving for his July 2 visit to the new Songgan weapons factory | Image: KCTV (July 3, 2024)

Another tunnel entrance appeared to be built over the winter of 2023-24 on the other side of that part of the mountain to the southwest. If connected to the previously built underground facilities, there would be a tunnel over 1.2 km (0.75 miles) in length connecting the two sites.

The new tunnels are located between munitions plants with existing underground facilities, the new Songgan weapons factory to the north and a complex to the south that has previously been called the February General Steel Enterprise (2월제강종합기업소) and the Jagang Machine Plant (자강기계공장).

Given that the new tunnel site is not directly connected to either factory complex, it seems more likely to be a storage rather than a production facility, while its location suggests it is likely to be military-related.

Kim Jong Un just visited the new Songgan factory again in June, but state media didn’t mention any inspection of the tunnels.

State TV showed him using a new train station built in the last year near the February General Steel Enterprise in the town center, suggesting he may be planning to visit the area more in the near future.

Kusong

Another similarly extensive underground facility is under construction at the site of a May 2017 Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) launch, a munitions plant referred to as the January 12 Factory (No. 112 Factory) in Kusong, North Phyongan Province.

Planet Labs imagery showed preparations for the excavation of new tunnels in the mountain just south of the factory complex in late 2021 before two new tunnel entrances appeared by mid-2022. At the same time, on the other side of the mountain to the south as well, work started on a third tunnel entrance after two were built over the previous decades. If the two sides are connected, the tunnel system would stretch over 1.5 km.

Since March this year, piles of dug-out rock spoil appeared to grow and new support structures were built outside both north and south tunnel entrance areas, while a new road bridge was built over a stream in May as part of work that started in late 2022 to build a heavy-duty road from the factory to the north tunnel entrances.

This timelapse shows new UGF tunnel construction accelerating in recent months on two sides of a mountain connected to the Kusong No. 112 Factory and also located near the Kusong Tang Plant | Video: Planet Labs

These images show major construction efforts since 2022 on a new UGF (north entrance) located just south of the Kusong No. 112 munitions factory | Image: Planet Labs (Oct. 11, 2021), edited by NK Pro

These images show major construction efforts since 2022 on a new UGF (north entrance) located just south of the Kusong No. 112 munitions factory | Image: Planet Labs (April 1, 2022), edited by NK Pro

These images show major construction efforts since 2022 on a new UGF (north entrance) located just south of the Kusong No. 112 munitions factory | Image: Planet Labs (Sept. 27, 2022), edited by NK Pro

These images show major construction efforts since 2022 on a new UGF (north entrance) located just south of the Kusong No. 112 munitions factory | Image: Planet Labs (June 30, 2023), edited by NK Pro

These images show major construction efforts since 2022 on a new UGF (north entrance) located just south of the Kusong No. 112 munitions factory | Image: Planet Labs (May 17, 2024), edited by NK Pro

A new road was also built in the first half of May 2024 connecting the No. 112 Factory to the new UGF entrances | Image: Planet Labs (June 30, 2023), edited by NK Pro

A new road was also built in the first half of May 2024 connecting the No. 112 Factory to the new UGF entrances | Image: Planet Labs (May 17, 2024), edited by NK Pro

Kim Jong Un stands outside near the entrance to the Kusong No. 112 Factory sometime in 2023 | Image: KCTV (Jan. 14, 2024)

These are closer to the factory than the Songgan case but still far enough away — just over one kilometer — to suggest a storage role rather than production directly related to the factory as their purpose. The south side tunnel entrances are in a valley around 3.5 km (2.1 miles) west of what is unofficially referred to as the Kusong Tank Plant, which was recently almost completely rebuilt.

Kim Jong Un visited the January 12 Factory sometime in 2023, according to NK Pro analysis of state TV documentary footage released earlier this year, meaning he likely also inspected the underground facility project.

The Kusong Tank Factory appears to produce North Korea’s new main battle tank (MBT-2020) and possibly also new self-propelled guns (SPGs) and armored fighting vehicles (AFVs), while it remains unclear what the January 12 Factory produces.

CONSTRUCTION AT RIFLE FACTORY

Just before and after Kim inspected rifle production at the February 8 General Machine Factory (2.8기계종합공장) last August in Jonchon, nearby Songgan, Planet Labs imagery showed demolition work and possible preparation for new construction.

Boosting small arms production could be aimed at widening distribution to Korean People’s Army (KPA) units after showing off multiple new rifles at military parades and exhibitions in recent years, or to export to Russia and other customers.

According to

NK Pro

analysis, two large administrative or museum buildings were torn down near the front gate and tunnel entrances between July and Oct. 2023, while most trees lining the main road inside the complex also appeared to be cut down over the winter of 2023-24.

These images of the February 8 General Machine Factory, taken one year apart on July 9 of this and last year, show demolition at the front gate near tunnel entrances as well as tree clearing along the main road running through the complex | Image: Planet Labs (July 9, 2023), edited by NK Pro

Kim shooting rifles at firing range likely at the February 8 Factory in Jonchon during a visit reported in state media last August | Image: KCTV (Jan. 14, 2024)

There does not appear to be significant new work at the far west end of the complex where Kim tested out rifles last August and where long-range ballistic missile launches have been conducted numerous times.

The land and tree clearing suggests new buildings could soon go up near the factory entrance and further to the west, or that there are plans to move large items or trucks throughout the complex that would have been hindered by the trees.

It’s possible Kim visited again and checked on the project’s progress in

early May

when state media showed him once again testing out the same rifles at an unnamed factory, but that factory hasn’t been geolocated.

Meanwhile, a facility across the river that researchers say

may contribute

to uranium extraction, the Jonchon Rock-drill Factory (전천착암기공장), was recently demolished and is

scheduled

to be rebuilt.

Given the current construction at the numerous sites listed above and others, including upgrading the

Nampho Dockyard

to improve naval shipbuilding capabilities, it is likely that there are more projects underway to improve munitions production around the country.

18. Biden stresses 'unbreakable' bond of S. Korea-US alliance, proclaims armistice day

Biden stresses 'unbreakable' bond of S. Korea-US alliance, proclaims armistice day

The Korea Times · July 26, 2024

U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (not pictured) in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 25. Reuters-Yonhap

U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday expressed his appreciation to Korean War veterans for their sacrifices during the 1950-53 conflict, as he proclaimed a special day to commemorate the signing of the armistice that halted the war.

Biden issued an annual statement proclaiming Saturday as National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day. The armistice was signed on July 27, 1953.

"It is an unbreakable bond because it was forged in bravery and the sacrifice of both of our peoples — sanctified by the American and Korean troops who fought and died to defend liberty," he said in the statement.

"Our Korean War veterans are the reason the alliance stands and remains strong today as two vibrant and innovative democracies," he added.

The president also said that the entire nation "owes a debt of gratitude" to every Korean War veteran for their service and sacrifice.

"As we recognize the service and sacrifice of our Nation's Korean War veterans, we also remember the thousands of service members who went missing in action during the Korean War — we will never stop working to bring each of them home," he said.

He pointed out the need to fight for freedom.

"Like every generation before them, these veterans knew that freedom is never guaranteed — one has to fight for it and defend it in the battle between autocracy and democracy, between the greed of a few and the rights of many," he said.

Biden called particular attention to the service of retired Col. Ralph Puckett Jr. who was the last living Korean War veteran to have received the Medal of Honor, the U.S. Armed Forces' highest military decoration. Puckett passed away in April.

"His story, though one of uncommon valor, was reflected in the experiences and trials of so many of our nation's Korean War veterans — trudging through frozen rice paddies, fighting on the rocky terrain of the Korean Peninsula, and persisting in spite of the fact that the enemy often far outnumbered our troops," he said. (Yonhap)

The Korea Times · July 26, 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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