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Quotes of the Day:
"He who seeks wisdom is a wise man; he who thinks he has found it is mad."
– Seneca
"Forgive him. for he believes that the customs of his tribe are the laws of nature."
– George Bernard Shaw
"Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed and some few are to be chewed and digested; that is, some books are to be ready only in parts; others to be read, but not curiously; and some few are to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention."
– Francis Bacon
1. North Korean defector visits Korean War Veterans Memorial Park∙∙∙“I will inform North Korea of the value of freedom”
2. Reflections on the Terry Affair — B.R. Myers
3. US, Japan, South Korea sign pact amid ‘deteriorating’ regional security
4. North Korea vows to ‘totally destroy’ enemy as regime marks end of Korean war
5. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is driving South Korea arms industry boom
6. Special Operations Forces cut through Kunsan’s rainy skies to demonstrate strike capability
7. Kangwon Province border residents welcome restart of S. Korean broadcasts
8. Thousands hit by flooding in North Korea
9. N.K. leader's daughter being groomed to succeed Kim: lawmakers
10. Editorial: Leaked identities of South Korean black agents highlight intelligence failures
11. Unification minister calls for patience in dealing with N. Korea
12. US Sanctions Grapple With China's Murky North Korea Networks
13. First lady thanks U.N. veterans of Korean War in hand-written letter
14. N. Korea's Kim guides rescue operation for residents in flood-hit areas
1. North Korean defector visits Korean War Veterans Memorial Park∙∙∙“I will inform North Korea of the value of freedom”
This is a Google translation of the Voice of America report on the North Korean Young Leaders Assembly wreath laying at the Armistice Ceremony at the Korean War Memorial.
Please see the moving comments from our friends from north Korea as well as a Korean war veteran, General Tilelli, and Ambassador Cho, the Korean Ambassador to the US.
See the VOA video report at this link: https://www.voakorea.com/a/7715519.html
North Korean defector visits Korean War Veterans Memorial Park∙∙∙“I will inform North Korea of the value of freedom”
https://www.voakorea.com/a/7715516.html
2024.7.28
North Korean defectors attended the 71st anniversary of the Korean War Armistice Agreement ceremony held at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. on the 27th and laid flowers at the monument before the event.
North Korean defectors attended the 71st anniversary of the armistice agreement and paid tribute to the veterans who died to protect freedom and democracy. They said that without their sacrifice, they would not have the freedom they enjoy, and that they would strive to convey these values to North Korea. The former commander of the U.S. Forces Korea expressed his expectations that North Korean defectors would be the ones to promote freedom and democracy. Reporter Ahn Jun-ho reports.
Nine North Korean defectors attended the 71st anniversary of the armistice agreement ceremony at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
The event, hosted by the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation, was attended by approximately 200 people, including Korean War veterans and their families, former Commander of US Forces Korea John Tilally, and Korean Ambassador to the US Cho Hyun-dong.
On the 27th, a ceremony to commemorate the 71st anniversary of the Korean War Armistice was held at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., USA.
Before the ceremony, the North Korean youth laid flowers and heard an explanation about the significance of the park's creation from retired U.S. Army Colonel Richard Dean, vice president of the memorial foundation.
Hyunseung Lee, a researcher at the Global Peace Foundation who attended the event that day, said, “I decided to pay my respects to the veterans and their families who shed blood to protect freedom and democracy in a country they knew nothing about,” adding, “I was also a North Korean soldier, but I decided to pay my respects so that we could all share in the pain and pay tribute to their sacrifices.”
The researcher is the son of Ri Jeong-ho, a former high-ranking official in Room 39 of the North Korean Workers' Party, and worked in the Operations Bureau of the General Staff Department of the North Korean People's Army.
Hyunseung Lee, a researcher at the Global Peace Foundation, spoke to VOA after attending the 71st anniversary of the Korean War Armistice Agreement on the 27th.
The researcher also said, “North Korea also has a Korean War Memorial, but while it is meant to honor Kim Il-sung alone, this one has the names of each and every veteran engraved on it, which is in contrast to North Korea.”
[Recording: Researcher Lee] “The Korean War Memorial in North Korea is a monument built solely to honor the leadership of one person. Everything was done by my Kim Il-sung, but when I came here and looked, I saw that the names of the sacrificed people were engraved on these 100 panels. I felt that it was not built to commemorate the great achievements of one person, but to honor the sacrificed people.”
Jang Eun-sook, a Fulbright scholar currently studying at Brandeis University Graduate School in the United States, spoke to VOA after attending the 71st anniversary ceremony of the Korean War armistice on the 27th.
Jang Eun-sook, a Fulbright scholarship recipient studying at Brandeis University in the U.S., said, “In North Korea, we were taught that the U.S. invaded North Korea together with South Korea during the Korean War,” but “when I came here and saw the real history, it was the opposite. Instead, I felt that North Korea had done really terrible things.”
Mr. Jang also said that when North Korean brothers and sisters see how North Korean defectors live here in the United States, they will “feel like they have been hit in the head hard,” and that “if more information from the outside world flows into North Korea, there will be a tremendous change in consciousness.”
[Recording: Mr. Jang] “If the North Korean people really realize how cleverly the North Korean regime has been deceiving and brainwashing them up until now, I think there will be a huge change in the consciousness of the people in North Korea, and maybe even a revolution.”
Kim Geum-hyeok spoke to VOA after attending the 71st anniversary of the Korean War Armistice Agreement on the 27th.
Kim Geum-hyeok, a young North Korean defector who recently testified about the human rights situation in North Korea at a public meeting of the United Nations Security Council, said that without the sacrifices of veterans, they would not have the freedom they enjoy today.
[Recording: Mr. Kim] “We felt it was right for us to come here and pay tribute to those who sacrificed their lives in the Korean War. What I mean by right is that, if they hadn’t been here, would the freedom we all enjoy now have ever existed?”
Kim continued, “The scars of war still plague our Korean peninsula,” and added, “We, young defectors who have experienced both North and South Korea, want to step forward to heal those wounds and let many people know about the value of freedom.”
Former USFK Commander John Tilally, chairman of the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation, spoke to VOA on the 27th after attending the 71st anniversary of the Korean War Armistice Agreement.
John Tilally, former commander of U.S. Forces Korea and chairman of the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation, told VOA after the event that young North Korean defectors could help spread the values of freedom and democracy more widely.
“Obviously, they are here because they value freedom and democracy,” said Chairman Tilally. “The only way to promote freedom and democracy is for people who want it to spread it around the world, so in that context, North Korean youth are in a good position.”
“They are spread across South Korea and many other democratic countries,” he continued. “They are talking about their experiences not only in North Korea but also in democratic countries.”
He also emphasized that “voice (speaking of freedom and democracy) is the best means of guaranteeing freedom.”
[Recording: Chairman Tillerly] “Clearly they're here because they respect freedom and democracy and the only way that you stimulate freedom and democracy are by people who desire that and spread the world the word so in that context they're in a good place they're in the Republic of Korea they're spread out through democratic countries and they speak not only from experience in North Korea but they also speak from experience in democratic countries. So I think voices are the best mechanism to ensure freedom.”
On the 27th, U.S. military veterans attended the 71st anniversary of the Korean War Armistice Agreement at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Regarding the recent security situation on the Korean Peninsula, Chairman Tilally said, “The North Korean regime’s nuclear development and human rights abuses are always dangerous, but the power of the U.S.-ROK alliance is much stronger and is much stronger militarily, diplomatically, and economically than ever before.” He added, “We must become stronger through strength, deterrence, and joint training.”
Then he said, “Let’s go together.”
Chairman Tilally said in his previous commemorative speech, “This memorial park, the most beautiful on the National Mall, represents the ironclad alliance between the U.S. and Korea,” and “This park emphasizes that freedom is not free.”
On the 27th, a ceremony to commemorate the 71st anniversary of the Korean War Armistice was held at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., USA.
Ron Twenty, a Korean War veteran, told VOA that he visited Korea last year and couldn't believe what he saw. "It was really a miracle what they had accomplished," he said. "All I saw (of the Korean War) was black, white and gray. It was all so desolate that I cried."
“When you see what the Kim family is doing in North Korea, you can see how bad the situation is in North Korea,” he said. “(Escape from that situation) is a truly amazing thing, and I’m really glad that defectors can now have freedom in their lives and move forward.”
[Recording: Mr. Twenty] “But the defectors is another story altogether. That is amazing. I’m so glad they now have freedom in their life and can move on.”
Ambassador Cho Hyun-dong of the Republic of Korea to the United States gave a commemorative speech at the 71st anniversary of the Korean War Armistice Agreement held in Washington, D.C. on the 27th.
Ambassador Cho Hyun-dong of the Republic of Korea to the U.S. met with VOA after the event and said that the North Korean defectors' flower and incense offerings that day have much to say about the future of a unified Korea.
[Recording: Ambassador Cho] “It is especially touching that our North Korean youth are participating in this event to commemorate the 71st anniversary of the armistice, and I think it also suggests a lot about our future.”
Ambassador Cho also said that the images of North Korean defectors living successful lives in the United States could give hope to North Korean residents.
[Recording: Ambassador Cho] “When they see those people living freely here and achieving their dreams, I think many North Korean citizens will yearn for the outside world even more and it will have a great influence on them.”
On the 27th, Korean veterans attended the ceremony commemorating the 71st anniversary of the Korean War Armistice Agreement at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Ambassador Cho said in his commemorative speech that day, “The solid and unshakable foundation of the ROK-U.S. alliance is the warriors who fought and died in the Korean War,” and “If there had been no ROK-U.S. alliance, we would not have enjoyed the peace and prosperity that we enjoy today.”
This is Ahn Jun-ho from VOA News.
2. Reflections on the Terry Affair — B.R. Myers
Many critical comments from B.R. Myers.
Excerpts:
As I’ve said repeatedly on this blog, our foreign policy establishment (henceforth: FPE) generally leans softline on North Korea, while accommodating a minority of hawks for hedging purposes. Hence the curious note of indulgence that has long characterized Beltway discussion of the dictatorship. While journalists and experts play up the autocratic power that Putin and Xi allegedly enjoy, the North Korea spin goes in the opposite direction: toward downplaying Kim Jong Un’s power, and pretending that this is an actual socialist party-state, with a second and third in command, following set procedures. A somber fuss is made about party conferences, as if we hadn’t learned after the Cold War how unimportant even the Soviet ones had been. It wasn’t long ago that a State Department official assured us in a well-received book that North Korea is a budding pluralist order, its Rodong Sinmun newspaper a lively forum for hawk-dove contention over foreign policy.
Ri Il-gyu, the latest defector from North Korea’s diplomatic corps, tried to set the record straight a few days ago by making clear that Kim’s giant fiefdom is hardly a state at all, but as Ian Robinson said, “it is the nature of fallacies to survive refutation.” Although the tone of our North Korea commentary has hardened since last year’s Putin-Kim summit, it will likely soften again next year. South Korean conservatives who think Trump is their only problem need to understand that Foggy Bottom was as furious with him after the Hanoi summit as the Blue House was.
Reflections on the Terry Affair
— B.R. Myers
https://sthelepress.com/index.php/2024/07/21/reflections-on-the-sue-mi-terry-affair/?utm
Several years ago one of the big Washington think tanks hosted a forum at a hotel in Seoul. The audience consisted mostly of officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but I’d had been invited (by one of the co-sponsors, I think) along with about a dozen other foreigners.
The head of the think tank, an elderly American, got things rolling with a long and leisurely speech. In it he informed his elite South Korean listeners that their ancient nation had endured decades of Japanese colonial rule, only to be divided in two when it ended. Then a terrible war had broken out, leaving great destruction in its wake; and although the republic was rescued by its foreign friends, it languished in poverty for years, before going through one of the most remarkable economic transformations in world history… cars, semi-conductors, cellphones; Samsung and Hyundai, household names… North Korea, meanwhile, famine, nuclear program… but together, an alliance forged in blood, the US and South Korea, etc, etc.
No doubt I’m misremembering some parts, but that was the gist. Having read more Juche texts than the average person I can lay claim to a high boredom threshold, but twenty minutes in I thought I was losing my mind. I’d come up from Busan for this? Yet the South Korean officials in my row, arms folded, eyes half-closed, were letting the speech wash over them with a kind of somnolent approval.
Later I asked a native how South Koreans could possibly look to such people, such institutions, for analysis of this part of the world. He answered that it wasn’t about analysis. It was about giving the Washingtonians face and stature here, in return for their opening doors for ROK officials over there.
True or not, that assertion came back to me the other day upon reading the allegations against Sue Mi Terry, a CFR member and former CIA agent who until a week ago was an even more common fixture at Beltway Korea events than Victor Cha. If the indictment is correct, Terry spent at least 10 years working for South Korea’s intelligence agency: taking requests for op-eds on particular topics, conveying information and documents acquired at meetings with top US officials, and letting into that exalted company the South Korean “wolf” (her choice of words) in diplomat’s clothing. All this without having registered as a foreign agent.
As I’ve said repeatedly on this blog, our foreign policy establishment (henceforth: FPE) generally leans softline on North Korea, while accommodating a minority of hawks for hedging purposes. Hence the curious note of indulgence that has long characterized Beltway discussion of the dictatorship. While journalists and experts play up the autocratic power that Putin and Xi allegedly enjoy, the North Korea spin goes in the opposite direction: toward downplaying Kim Jong Un’s power, and pretending that this is an actual socialist party-state, with a second and third in command, following set procedures. A somber fuss is made about party conferences, as if we hadn’t learned after the Cold War how unimportant even the Soviet ones had been. It wasn’t long ago that a State Department official assured us in a well-received book that North Korea is a budding pluralist order, its Rodong Sinmun newspaper a lively forum for hawk-dove contention over foreign policy.
Ri Il-gyu, the latest defector from North Korea’s diplomatic corps, tried to set the record straight a few days ago by making clear that Kim’s giant fiefdom is hardly a state at all, but as Ian Robinson said, “it is the nature of fallacies to survive refutation.” Although the tone of our North Korea commentary has hardened since last year’s Putin-Kim summit, it will likely soften again next year. South Korean conservatives who think Trump is their only problem need to understand that Foggy Bottom was as furious with him after the Hanoi summit as the Blue House was.
So I’m not surprised that the first Korea watcher indicted for violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act wasn’t one of the activists in the diaspora “peace movement” who meet with North Korean operatives, or one of the dovish Americans whom the Kim Jong Il regime helped to a lucrative expert status through repeated invitations to special-access tours, but was instead a relative conservative or hardliner. Relative, because no principled conservative would have hosted, as Terry did, that Jeju conference at the Woodrow in 2022, which I suspect had been conceived during the Moon administration. But fear of a wider crackdown seems to have gripped the entire commentariat, judging from the refusal of doves and hawks alike to go on record about this case.
The indictment is interesting. I’m surprised that someone can be virtually forced out of the CIA for excessive coziness with foreign spies and still pass the security clearance needed to work in the White House. Did no one think to ask Terry why she’d left? Even then, ROK intelligence was known to be heavily infiltrated by people working for Pyongyang or Beijing. I also infer that no great urgency attaches to investigations like these, Terry having steadily become more prominent for years after the authorities had amassed quite significant evidence against her.
More nuggets: 1) some think-tank analysts get an unrestricted “gift” account which they can draw from at their discretion, 2) even foreign governments are aware of such accounts, 3) ROK intelligence, despite a famously huge budget, pays a paltry $500 for a bespoke op-ed, and 4) the idea for the Nuclear Consultative Group originated in Seoul and not Washington.
It’s only right that Uncle Sam should care deeply whether a Beltway Korea expert is consciously spreading propaganda on behalf of our FPE or on behalf of a foreign government. From an intellectual or academic standpoint, however, the distinction is trivial. No researcher taking cues from anyone else can be regarded as a disinterested source of information or analysis. This isn’t to say that we can’t derive benefit from such people’s work (which is usually very well funded) if we approach it critically, just as we can learn much of value even from North Korean texts. But nothing they say should be taken on trust.
Unfortunately the tankies aren’t the only ones “in the tank.” Remember that North Korean Studies as an academic field didn’t branch out organically from Korean Studies; it sprang straight out of the FPE, which funded, groomed and promoted our first “academic ward boss.” Not for nothing do invitations to Washington events carry a special cachet for North Korea scholars, including non-American ones. Make that: especially non-American ones. Stature in our field has always derived more from such badges of power-elite approval or patronage than from original insight or research.
Which is why our second “academic ward boss” continued to appear at university and think-tank events for 3 years after being exposed as the most prolific fabricator of sources in US academic history. Only when the FPE university par excellence announced it was forcing him into retirement did the Beltway and academia simultaneously cut him loose. (Terry studied at Columbia’s Weatherhead Institute during Armstrong’s time there.) Although the NYT and Wapo show great interest in academic scandals, they kept deathly quiet about that one, which might otherwise have undermined public faith in the foreign-policy expertocracy.
“Treating former intelligence officers as disinterested sources of news is highly problematic,” as Stephen Marmura has written. Problematic for us, certainly, not least because we know how little weight attaches to former in that context. But the FPE, wanting to keep this discussion “in house” so as to guard against heterodox expression, wants us all to accept a record of CIA, State or NSC service as the mark of a supremely authoritative Korea analyst.
By far the worse problem is that the commentariat’s academic wing, the wing with the better language skills, meekly accepts this hierarchy. When Harvard University hosted a Korean security “summit” in 2022, did it call on any of the young and promising American scholars in the field, of whom even I could name a dozen?
Of course not. It called on Sue Mi Terry.
Author ahasuerusPosted onJuly 21, 2024
3. US, Japan, South Korea sign pact amid ‘deteriorating’ regional security
US, Japan, South Korea sign pact amid ‘deteriorating’ regional security
Agreement signed by defense chiefs is to “deepen trilateral security cooperation”; US, Japan also conclude missile accord.
BY PATRICK TUCKER
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR, DEFENSE ONE
JULY 28, 2024 05:44 PM ET
defenseone.com · by Patrick Tucker
TOKYO—A first-ever gathering of defense chiefs from Japan, South Korea, and the United States here produced a trilateral security agreement, “grave concern” over increasing Russian-North Korean cooperation, and vague opposition to “unilateral attempts to change the status quo”—a reference to China and Taiwan.
Separately, the United States and Japan announced a new effort to co-develop and produce missiles and counterstrike capabilities.
“The defense ministers from our three countries have never met in the same room in either of your countries, but that changes today,” U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told his counterparts as the meeting began here on Monday morning.
In a joint statement, the three countries said the new Trilateral Security Cooperation Framework would include “senior-level policy consultations, information sharing, trilateral exercises, and defense exchange cooperation, to contribute to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, in the Indo-Pacific region, and beyond.”
The statement also said the nations “strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the waters of the Indo-Pacific, and they shared concerns about actions that are inconsistent with international law as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.”
US-Japanese missile plans
A key topic of discussion between the United States and Japan was the co-development of counterstrike missiles such as Lockheed Martin’s PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement, or MSE, and the Raytheon’s AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM.
Later, at a press conference featuring Austin, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, and their Japanese counterparts, the U.S. defense secretary said the new bilateral agreement would “enable us to increase our magazine dept…in a number of areas and increase interoperability as well.”
It was too early, he said, to provide details on production numbers or timelines.
“What's important is that we have committed to working together on producing counter-strike capability. And that commitment is real and our staffs continue to do the hard work to ensure that this becomes a reality,” he said. “And I'm pretty excited about that.”
Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara added that he welcomed the progress in defense industrial cooperation, acquisition, and sustainment, including on “co-production opportunities” for PAC-3 MSE and AIM-120 AMRAAM “that are mutually beneficial to both Japan and the U.S.”
Blinken said Japan had learned lessons from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that apply to the Asia-Pacific.
He said Japan’s prime minister, Fumio Kishida, “was one of the ones who made this so clear, so eloquently. Just days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he made the point that what was happening in Europe today could well happen in this region tomorrow.”
When Defense One asked whether Japan and the United States understood their roles should China invade Taiwan, Japan’s Kihara spoke only in terms of established mutual agreements to defend Japanese territory. He specifically mentioned the Senkaku Islands, which Japan controls and which are claimed by China, and said any “contingency” could invoke Article Five of the Japan-U.S. treaty.
“In addition to that, for specifics and details, I will refrain from discussing,” Kihara said through an interpreter.
In a joint statement, the U.S. and Japanese defense chiefs said they “shared assessments of an increasingly deteriorating regional security environment, including North Korea’s continued destabilizing behavior and sustained pursuit of its unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile programs, China’s accelerating and opaque expansion of its nuclear arsenal, and Russia’s undermining of arms control and the global nonproliferation regime, including through its expanding military cooperation and unlawful arms transfers with North Korea. Under these circumstances, the United States and Japan reiterated the need to reinforce the Alliance’s [sic] deterrence posture and manage existing and emerging strategic threats through deterrence, arms control, risk reduction, and nonproliferation.”
US-South Korean statement
In another bilateral statement, the U.S. and South Korea defense chiefs said they discussed the “illegal arms trade and transfer of high technology between Russia and the DPRK” that violate U.S. Security Council resolutions, and vowed to “continue to enforce the UNSC sanctions, in close cooperation with the international community.”
The moves come amid deepening cooperation among China, Russia, and North Korea, particularly in terms of supplying Russia’s war in Ukraine. Russia is now using North Korean missiles against Ukrainian targets and China is providing critical components for Russian missiles, according to the State Department.
defenseone.com · by Patrick Tucker
4. North Korea vows to ‘totally destroy’ enemy as regime marks end of Korean war
North Korea vows to ‘totally destroy’ enemy as regime marks end of Korean war | North Korea | The Guardian
Military officials aim to strengthen war efficiency by following any attack order by Kim Jong-un ‘anytime and without delay’
Reuters
Sat 27 Jul 2024 23.25 EDT
amp.theguardian.com
Show caption
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visits the Fatherland Liberation War Martyrs Cemetery on the 71st anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War. Photograph: KCNA/EPA
North Korea
Military officials aim to strengthen war efficiency by following any attack order by Kim Jong-un ‘anytime and without delay’
Reuters
Sat 27 Jul 2024 23.25 EDT
North Korea has vowed to “totally destroy” its enemies in case of war when leader Kim Jong-un gives an order, state media KCNA reported on Sunday, as the regime marked the end of hostilities in the Korean war.
Senior military officials including Col Ri Un-ryong and Lt Cdr Yu Kyong-song made the comments “out of surging hatred” towards the US and South Korea at a meeting on Saturday attended by Kim, marking the 71st anniversary of the Korean war armistice, according to KCNA.
North Korea and the US do not have diplomatic ties and talks over reducing tensions and denuclearising North Korea have been stalled since 2019. North Korea’s state media recently said it does not expect that to change no matter who is next elected in the White House.
Accusing the US and South Korea of “being hellbent on provoking a nuclear war”, the military officials vowed to strengthen war efficiency to stage an “overwhelming attack on the enemy anytime and without delay and totally destroy them once the respected supreme commander Kim Jong-un gives an order”.
North Korea signed an armistice agreement with the US and China on 27 July 1953, ending hostilities in the three-year war. US generals signed the agreement representing the UN forces that backed South Korea.
North Korea calls it “victory day” while South Korea does not mark the day with any major events. Hostilities ended with a truce, not a treaty, meaning the two sides are still technically at war.
On Sunday in Tokyo, the US defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, and Japan’s defence minister, Minoru Kihara, met with their South Korean counterpart, Shin Won-sik, to signed an agreement on trilateral cooperation efforts, such as real-time sharing of North Korean missile warning data and joint military exercises. Tokyo is looking to establish a new joint headquarters to oversee its armed forces and coordinate better with Washington on growing regional threats from China and North Korea.
View on theguardian.com
amp.theguardian.com
5. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is driving South Korea arms industry boom
Excerpts:
Its expertise in conventional weapons enables South Korea to produce quality weapons quickly and at a lower cost. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Moscow’s recent military pact with Pyongyang have become major drivers of South Korea’s arms exports.
This is for several reasons. First and foremost, European countries have increased their defence spending as their security has come under greater threat. South Korea is attractive as an arms supplier given the urgent demand for conventional weapons. Other countries have larger arms industries, but their weapons can be more expensive and difficult to mass produce.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is driving South Korea arms industry boom
- The deteriorating security landscape has countries from Europe to Southeast Asia looking to South Korea for quality, affordable arms exports
Listen to this article
Sokvy Rim
+ FOLLOWPublished: 8:30pm, 28 Jul 2024
https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3271663/russias-invasion-ukraine-driving-south-korea-arms-industry-boom
South China Morning Post · July 28, 2024
The South Korean government has nurtured the indigenous defence industry for decades, mainly because of North Korea’s threat. Since the Korean war, South Korea has been under constant threat from North Korea.
Pyongyang’s hostile approach presents a major national security challenge to Seoul, especially when pursuing its own nuclear weapons is not a viable option. Instead, South Korea feels the need to strengthen its military technology to enable a strong and swift response if provoked.
This can be seen in South Korea’s offensive military strategy, known as the “three-axis system”. This involves a pre-emptive strike on North Korea’s nuclear arsenal and missile facilities, targeting its air and missile defence systems and attacks aimed at eliminating the North Korean leadership. This strategy only works if South Korea can develop sophisticated conventional military weapons that can fire with precision from long range and do massive destruction.
01:34
Seoul Mayor says South Korea should build nuclear weapons in the face of threats from the North
Seoul Mayor says South Korea should build nuclear weapons in the face of threats from the North
The South Korean government has spent heavily on home-grown defence industries. Its 2023 defence budget reached US$47.9 billion, or 2.8 per cent of its GDP, putting it just behind Japan as the world’s 11th-biggest military spender. Financial support and technological transfers from the US have helped develop South Korea’s arms manufacturing.
In addition to manufacturing weapons ranging from light weapons to artillery, submarines, aircraft and satellites, South Korea is also capable of producing missiles as powerful as nuclear weapons. For example, reports in 2021 suggested the country was in the final stages of developing a surface-to-surface ballistic missile with a flight range of 350 to 400 kilometres which could carry a warhead of up to 3 tonnes.
Its expertise in conventional weapons enables South Korea to produce quality weapons quickly and at a lower cost. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Moscow’s recent military pact with Pyongyang have become major drivers of South Korea’s arms exports.
This is for several reasons. First and foremost, European countries have increased their defence spending as their security has come under greater threat. South Korea is attractive as an arms supplier given the urgent demand for conventional weapons. Other countries have larger arms industries, but their weapons can be more expensive and difficult to mass produce.
02:10
South Korea aims to be major global arms seller after clinching Poland deal
South Korea aims to be major global arms seller after clinching Poland deal
South Korea’s arms industries can do a better job. Five months after signing a US$12.3 billion deal to supply Poland with K-2 tanks, K-9 self-propelled howitzers, K239 Chunmoo anti-barrelled missile launchers and FA-50 light combat aircraft, the first shipment of South Korean tanks and howitzers arrived in Poland.
Also, the spillover effects from Russia’s war in Ukraine could lead South Korea to deepen its military engagement with Nato. South Korea’s arms industry could benefit from this given that its weapons system design is similar to that of many members of the transatlantic alliance, making it easier to integrate.
Finally, while European countries look to South Korea because of the military threat from Russia, some Asian countries are drawn to South Korea as an arms supplier partly because of the growing isolation of Russia from the international community, the disruption of Russia’s weapon manufacturing production amid the war in Ukraine and questions over the quality of Russian weapons.
Events in Ukraine might lead some to question the effectiveness of Russian hardware. The Russian military is now more than three years into what was supposed to be a “special military operation” against a much weaker opponent.
Some formerly reliable Russian clients are moving away from importing Russian arms. For example, Vietnam is reducing its arms imports from Russia after being a regular customer for decades and integrating Russian technology into its defence system. Instead, Vietnam is now considering buying arms from South Korea.
Other countries in the region, such as the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, are also looking to South Korea for arms imports. Cambodia, a close regional ally of China, has expressed a desire to strengthen military relations with South Korea.
Imports from South Korea are attractive to Southeast Asian countries as their standards are as good as Western products but have fewer strings attached. Western imports can be more expensive, and access to them can be restricted over concerns about human rights abuses. For example, the US placed an arms embargo on Cambodia in December 2021 over human rights violations and China’s military influence.
On the other hand, South Korea considers diplomatic relations and strategic significance in supplying arms. The security landscape around South Korea might be worryingly uncertain, but the country’s defence industry is stronger than ever.
Sokvy Rim is a research fellow at the Cambodian Centre for Regional Studies
South China Morning Post · July 28, 2024
6. Special Operations Forces cut through Kunsan’s rainy skies to demonstrate strike capability
Special Operations Forces cut through Kunsan’s rainy skies to demonstrate strike capability
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KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --
The Republic of Korea’s summers are famous for cloudy skies and torrential downpours that may appear at a moment’s notice. However, during a week in mid-July, members of the Wolf Pack at Kunsan Air Base observed a spectacle precipitate from the open skies unlike the typical monsoon rains.
Spectators throughout the installation could spot paratroopers descending from the sky onto a drop zone near the base’s alternate landing area, delivered by a U.S. MC-130J Commando II and a ROKAF MC-130K Hercules flying in formation together.
The nearly three-week, multi-national training called Joint Combined Exchange Training, was hosted by the Special Operations Command Korea from July 15-31, 2024.
The goal of the training was to ensure interoperability with coalition special operations forces (SOF) partners in realistic training environments. To do this, mission organizers created challenging scenarios in different domains to replicate adversarial tactics in combat scenarios.
“A JCET is where USAF SOF train alongside our ROK SOF counterparts to rehearse mission essential tasks while enhancing our lethality,” said Capt Raymond Lessig, 320th Special Tactics Squadron drop zone controller and mission commander. “The training provided opportunities for U.S. and ROK SOF to work through language barriers, exchange tactics techniques and procedures, and gain a better understanding of our collective strengths/weaknesses so that we can better leverage each other’s capabilities during real-world contingency operations.”
As the only theater special operations command in which the U.S. and host nation SOF are institutionally organized for combined operations, SOCKOR and aligned units regularly train with their counterparts in the ROK Army Special Warfare Command, Air Mobility and Reconnaissance Command, Naval Special Warfare Flotilla command, and other units.
To successfully accomplish the training, planners relied heavily on the coordination between the 8th FW, SOCKOR, the 353rd SOW, ROK AMRC, and the 51st Fighter Wing at Osan Air Base. Each unit played a complementary role in achieving desired training objectives. Throughout the second week, participants utilized Kunsan AB to conduct the jump training portion of the JCET.
“This is the fourth year we’ve conducted this training at Kunsan,” said Lessig. “We keep choosing to come back because of how accommodating and helpful the Wolf Pack has been. Each aspect of Kunsan from airfield management to the medical group have been ready to support our team execute this high-value training. Even with the high rate of turnover.”
The ability to accept follow-on forces is one of the key tenets of the Wolf Pack’s core mission and was on full display during the weeklong training on Kunsan. According to Col. Peter Kasarskis, 8th Fighter Wing commander, this is what makes Kunsan such a crucial asset in optimizing USFK’s agility and ability to project airpower throughout Asia.
"Kunsan exemplifies readiness in the Indo-Pacific,” said Kasarskis. “Our Airmen here at the Wolf Pack demonstrate daily what it means to be forward-deployed and ready to fight tonight. Supporting training, like the JCET, highlights our ability to rapidly receive follow-on missions and integrate with allies and partners. Kunsan is more than just a fighter base; it’s an agile power projection platform ready for any mission.”
Lessig said Kunsan’s location also made the difference in ensuring this iteration of the training was as representative of potential real-world scenarios as possible.
“Kunsan’s location is invaluable to creating realistic training conditions,” said Lessig. “Its location, surrounding environment and mission set, forces participants to plan and rehearse airborne operations far from their desired landing area, potentially at night and in adverse weather conditions, and to safely navigate as a team with all combat equipment to their objective.”
As this portion of the JCET ends, the event showcased the military partnership between the U.S. and ROK forces, serving as a powerful reminder of their unwavering commitment to regional security. However, for some, this event was more than just a testament to their strength; it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness the seamless interoperability of two of the world's most formidable military forces.
7. Kangwon Province border residents welcome restart of S. Korean broadcasts
Not tit for tat but the right thing to do. The Korean people in the north desire, need, and deserve information. The ROK should not ever halt broadcasts again in the misguided belief that halting the broadcasts will reduce tensions.
Kangwon Province border residents welcome restart of S. Korean broadcasts - Daily NK English
Thirsty for outside information and culture, residents of the frontline areas of Kimhwa County have been able to satisfy their cravings
dailynk.com · by Lee Chae Eun · July 29, 2024
On June 9, South Korea decided during an emergency National Security Council meeting on June 9 to install loudspeakers along the inter-Korean border and restart broadcasts to North Korea. The photo shows soldiers dismantling a loudspeaker in the central part of the inter-Korean border in June 2004. (Yonhap)
Residents of areas of Kangwon Province near the border with South Korea are welcoming the resumption of loudspeaker broadcasts by the military authorities of the South.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a Daily NK source in Kangwon Province said Wednesday that military families and civilians living in the frontline areas of Kimhwa County “welcome the resumption of the South Korean loudspeaker broadcasts even if they can’t say so openly” because “it is a chance for them to get information from the outside world.”
According to the source, the frontline military units stationed in Kimhwa County have been on high alert as if a war were about to break out with the resumption of full-scale loudspeaker broadcasts by South Korea on July 21.
The families of the soldiers and civilians, however, have been listening to the broadcasts breathlessly.
“The broadcasts carry information considered sensitive by the state, such as criticism of North Korea’s three-generation hereditary power succession and propaganda supporting capitalism, as well as South Korean music such as Jang Yoon-jeong’s ‘Ollae,'” the source said. ”
Most of the residents in the frontline areas of Kimhwa County are reportedly soldiers and their families. There are relatively few crackdowns in the area, but since the authorities have been conducting nationwide crackdowns on “impure recordings” since the COVID-19 pandemic, residents of the area have had virtually no access to outside information or cultural products.
Thirsty for outside information and culture, residents of the frontline areas of Kimhwa County have been able to satisfy their cravings – at least a little – with the recent resumption of loudspeaker broadcasts in South Korea.
“Before COVID-19, few people went to South Korea, even with South Korea’s agitation through broadcasts or leaflets, because soldiers’ families got enough rations,” the source said. “Now, however, the broadcasts will really agitate people because the soldiers’ families and even the soldiers at the front-line guard posts don’t get enough food.”
South Korean military authorities played loudspeaker broadcasts for two hours on June 9 in response to North Korea’s launch of garbage-laden balloons.
But when North Korea continued to launch the balloons, South Korea escalated, with some loudspeakers broadcasting for 10 hours on July 18. Since July 21, fixed loudspeakers along the entire front line have been broadcasting simultaneously for 16 hours a day, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
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 Lee Chae Eun · July 29, 2024
8. Thousands hit by flooding in North Korea
Excerpts:
It said Kim guided the evacuation works Sunday, ordered food and other necessities to be provided to affected people, and set tasks for recovery and relief works.
KCNA cited Kim as calling the rescue works “miraculous” as more than 5,000 people were saved through the efforts.
Thousands hit by flooding in North Korea
29 Jul 2024 06:42PM
channelnewsasia.com
SEOUL: More than 5,000 people isolated by flooding in northwest North Korea were rescued in airlifts and other evacuation work supervised by leader Kim Jong Un, state media reported on Monday (Jul 29).
Heavy rainfall on Saturday had caused a river on the North Korean-Chinese border to exceed a dangerous level and created “a grave crisis", the official Korean Central News Agency said.
About 10 military helicopters and navy boats were mobilised for the evacuation efforts in Sinuiju city and Uiju town where flooding had isolated residents.
KCNA did not mention any deaths or how much damage the flooding caused. It said each of the about 10 helicopters made several fights to move the residents despite bad weather, ultimately rescuing 4,200 of the affected people by airlift.
It said Kim guided the evacuation works Sunday, ordered food and other necessities to be provided to affected people, and set tasks for recovery and relief works.
KCNA cited Kim as calling the rescue works “miraculous” as more than 5,000 people were saved through the efforts.
In this photo provided by the North Korean government, Kim Jong Un inspects a flood-hit area in North Phyongan province, North Korea Sunday, Jul 28, 2024. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. (Photo: Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
Summer floods in North Korea often cause serious damage to farmlands due to poor drainage, deforestation and dilapidated infrastructure. Typhoons and torrential rains in 2020 were among the difficulties Kim previously said had created “multiple crises” at home, along with draconian pandemic-related restrictions and UN sanctions over his nuclear weapons program.
During his weekend visit to the flooded region, Kim also scolded officials for their failure to prepare and respond to the recent torrential rains, despite previous orders to enhance the country's measures against natural disasters, KCNA said.
“Seized with defeatism at combat with nature, the officials do not confidently turn out in the disaster prevention work, only expecting chance from the sky,” Kim said, according to the report.
Kim stressed that the irresponsible attitude of those tasked with ensuring people's safety should not be overlooked. He said the North’s emergency response agency and the Ministry of Public Security didn’t even know the exact populations of the flood-hit areas so the number of people rescued was larger than expected.
Kim’s criticism could be seen as an effort to shift blame while establishing his own image as a leader caring about his people while North Korea struggles with economic difficulties and international isolation, observers say.
9. N.K. leader's daughter being groomed to succeed Kim: lawmakers
I remain very skeptical of these assessments.
(LEAD) N.K. leader's daughter being groomed to succeed Kim: lawmakers | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Haye-ah · July 29, 2024
(ATTN: UPDATES with other assessments by NIS)
SEOUL, July 29 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's daughter, Ju-ae, is being groomed to succeed her father, though the selection is not final and he could ultimately choose someone else, two lawmakers quoted South Korea's spy agency as saying Monday.
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) made the report to the parliamentary intelligence committee, saying North Korea has suggested Ju-ae is a strong candidate to succeed her father by adjusting the frequency of her public appearances to gauge public sentiment, Rep. Lee Seong-kweun of the ruling People Power Party and Rep. Park Sun-won of the main opposition Democratic Party said during a press briefing.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (R) watches a ceremony marking the completion of a new street in northern Pyongyang, alongside his daughter, Ju-ae, in this file photo carried by the Korean Central News Agency on May 15, 2024. It was the first time in two months that Ju-ae made a public appearance. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
The NIS said it determined that Ju-ae is being groomed as Kim's successor by studying the appellations North Korea uses to refer to her, how frequently she has appeared in public and at which events, according to the lawmakers.
The NIS said in the past, around 60 percent of Ju-ae's public activities involved accompanying her father to military events with some others economy-related, but North Korea's use of the word "hyangdo," which translates as "guide," in reference to her suggested she was on the path to becoming the next leader.
The word "hyangdo" means to light the path forward in a revolutionary fight and is used for leaders or their successors, Lee explained.
Still, the NIS said it does not rule out the possibility Kim will choose someone else as his next-in-line, given his other children could step forward or that North Korea has not finalized who the successor will be.
Meanwhile, the North Korean leader appears to have health issues, weighing 140 kilograms and at high risk of heart disease, likely due to stress, smoking and drinking, the NIS was quoted as saying.
Kim is believed to have shown systems of high blood pressure and diabetes since his early 30s, it said.
The NIS further reported signs Kim is looking for alternative medicinal substances, leading to speculation he could have conditions that are difficult to deal with using his current medicine.
On the pace of Pyongyang's nuclear and missile development, the NIS counted a total of 48 missiles being launched on 14 occasions this year, according to Lee.
The spy agency also reported a total of some 3,600 trash-filled balloons launched toward South Korea this year, which the North has claimed is retaliation for South Korean activists sending propaganda leaflets across the border.
Since last month's summit between North Korean leader Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the two countries have been speeding up the implementation of follow-up measures especially in the military and economic fields, the NIS was quoted as saying.
For example, Russia has sent a military delegation and its top prosecutor to the North, while more than 300 Russian tourists have visited the North's border city of Rason following the resumption of tours previously suspended due to COVID-19.
The NIS also dismissed concerns that recent indictment of Sue Mi Terry, a renowned Korean American foreign policy expert, could hurt the South Korea-U.S. alliance.
Terry was indicted this month on charges of acting as an unregistered agent for the South Korean government from 2013 until last year.
"There are no major problems in intelligence cooperation between South Korea and the U.S., and in fact, it is only expanding," the NIS was quoted as saying. "There are no problems at all in security cooperation."
hague@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Haye-ah · July 29, 2024
10. Editorial: Leaked identities of South Korean black agents highlight intelligence failures
I have never heard Korea use"black" (covert) and "white" (declared) for its intelligence personnel. Perhaps the Chosun Ilbo is using spy novels for reference.
One of the unstated reasons for the situation between the NIS and Dr Terry is the long standing belief in South Korea that it is not receiving all the information from the US through the normal intelligence liaison and diplomatic relationship. But no country ever discloses all information even among the Five Eyes. Every country withholds what it believes is necessary to do so.
Excerpt:
Recently, when U.S. federal prosecutors indicted a Korean-American researcher who previously worked for the CIA and disclosed photos of him meeting with NIS officials, the Korean government was unaware of U.S. activities until then. Because of this, it is hard to refute criticism that our intelligence agencies are fundamentally flawed.
Editorial: Leaked identities of South Korean black agents highlight intelligence failures
https://www.chosun.com/english/opinion-en/2024/07/29/I3WZIKFBERDADMA7U2ZM2SGQ3U/
By The Chosunilbo
Published 2024.07.29. 09:04
A series of alarming breaches and espionage incidents have exposed severe vulnerabilities within South Korea's Defense Intelligence Command (KDIC), raising critical concerns about the fundamental flaws in the nation's intelligence agencies. /Illustrated by Chosun Design Lab
A significant breach has occurred, revealing that the personal and classified information of South Korea Defense Intelligence Command (KDIC) overseas agents at the forefront of the intelligence war against North Korea has been leaked to the North.
This includes data on ‘white agents’ who operate openly, such as diplomats, as well as ‘black agents’ who work undercover. For black agents, exposure of their true identities can be catastrophic, potentially leading to imprisonment, torture, or even execution. Disturbingly, this sensitive information was leaked through a laptop belonging to a civilian employee of the Intelligence Command, which is unacceptable.
The KDIC focuses on HUMINT (human intelligence) activities, including the deployment of covert operatives to North Korea. While the National Intelligence Service (NIS) oversees foreign and North Korean intelligence, the KDIC often handles undercover missions.
Black agents disguise their identities to interact with North Korean officials abroad, but establishing a local presence for them is challenging, and building a HUMINT network can take over a decade.
The hurried recall of exposed agents by the KDIC indicates that an extensive overseas intelligence network is at risk of collapsing, and once an intelligence network is compromised, it is nearly impossible to restore. Additionally, the lives of North Korean informants who have provided information to the South are now endangered.
In fact, in 2018, it was revealed that the head of a KDIC operation team had sold information on secret agents operating in China to China and Japan for 100,000 won ($72.25) per case. This betrayal endangered colleagues’ lives for a pittance. Consequently, it became challenging to deploy agents to China for some time.
In 2017, the Defense Integrated Data Center (DIDC), the central hub of S. Korean military, was hacked, resulting in 15 million confidential documents being leaked to the North, including plans for a decapitation strike and U.S.-provided North Korean intelligence.
However, the then-Defense Minister downplayed the incident, stating that there was no need to worry too much. This occurred under the administration of former S. Korean President Moon Jae-in, which advocated for protecting the country through dialogue.
Nonetheless, shortly after the current administration took office, a captain from a decapitation unit was caught providing operational plans to a North Korean agent in exchange for cryptocurrency worth approximately more than $34,600.
Earlier this year, an Indonesian employee at Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) was found to have been collecting information on the KF-21 fighter jet development, but the S. Korean government realized it too late.
Recently, when U.S. federal prosecutors indicted a Korean-American researcher who previously worked for the CIA and disclosed photos of him meeting with NIS officials, the Korean government was unaware of U.S. activities until then. Because of this, it is hard to refute criticism that our intelligence agencies are fundamentally flawed.
11. Unification minister calls for patience in dealing with N. Korea
Patience, yes. But not "strategic patience."
And according to our escapee friend from the north, Gumhyok Kim, "change is coming."
Unification minister calls for patience in dealing with N. Korea | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · July 29, 2024
SEOUL, July 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's point man on North Korea called Monday for patience in creating conditions to bring Pyongyang back to the dialogue table amid heightened tensions on the divided Korean Peninsula.
North Korea has launched thousands of trash-carrying balloons since late May in a tit-for-tat response against anti-Pyongyang leaflets sent by North Korean defectors in the South. In response, South Korea conducted anti-Pyongyang broadcasts through its border loudspeakers in full-scale for the ninth consecutive day Monday.
"It is important to continuously and patiently work toward creating conditions for dialogue with North Korea," Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho said in a message marking his one-year anniversary since taking office.
Kim, a former conservative professor, is known for his hard-line stance toward North Korea and for being a vocal advocate of human rights.
North Korea has been focusing on erasing unification references since its leader Kim Jong-un defined inter-Korean ties as those between two states hostile to each other.
This file photo shows Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho. (Yonhap)
khj@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Han-joo · July 29, 2024
12. US Sanctions Grapple With China's Murky North Korea Networks
US Sanctions Grapple With China's Murky North Korea Networks
By Matthew WALSHJuly 26, 2024
Barron's · by Matthew WALSH
Washington announced sanctions on Wednesday against six people and five companies in China, accusing them of helping North Korea procure crucial materials "in flagrant violation" of UN Security Council resolutions designed to rein in its nuclear weapons development.
China maintains that it consistently implements UN sanctions and opposes "unilateral" actions by Washington.
One of the companies targeted on Wednesday was Beijing Sanshunda Electronics Science and Technology Co. Ltd., a firm run out of a small 13th-floor office in a sterile business park in the south of the capital.
The US Treasury accuses Shi Qianpei, a Chinese citizen, of serving as a kind of fixer, using the company to procure illicit items for Choe Chol Min, a Beijing-based North Korean operative at a secretive group responsible for developing Pyongyang's advanced weapons systems.
Shi's network of contacts and companies helped Choe obtain "sensitive electronics" and "metal sheets... known to be used in the production of North Korean missiles", the Treasury said.
When AFP visited Beijing Sanshunda this week, two staff members said Shi was not there and were unsure when he would return.
They declined to provide contact details for company executives and denied knowledge of any dealings with North Korea.
Using public business records, AFP was later able to contact Chen Tianxin, the firm's executive director, manager and legal representative.
The US Treasury alleges that Chen is Shi's wife and business partner who also helped to procure items for Choe.
Over the phone, Chen acknowledged her listed roles at the company but denied that she took part in its day-to-day operations.
"I'm just a normal housewife," she told AFP, hanging up without providing a number for Shi.
Beijing Sanshunda is one of five companies slapped with fresh US sanctions on Wednesday
Matthew WALSH
AFP left contact details with a Beijing Sanshunda staffer in case other executives wished to comment on the sanctions.
Instead, a call came from a man who identified himself as a North Korean national living in the Chinese capital.
Speaking in broken Chinese and English, the man described himself as a "friend" of Choe and offered to arrange a meeting.
AFP requested an interview, but when contacted again a day later, the man said Choe had declined.
The US Treasury sanctioned Choe last year along with his wife, who allegedly works at Pyongyang's embassy in Beijing.
Under President Xi Jinping, China has become a "safe haven" for North Korean sanctions evasion, said Joshua Stanton, a US-based lawyer who has helped draft laws targeting Pyongyang.
Beijing has "not only protected Pyongyang's money laundering, but also its arms trafficking, cyber crime, use of forced labour and proliferation" of weapons, he said.
From restaurants staffed by North Korean waitresses to grizzled traders in rundown border towns, AFP reporting has shown that Pyongyang has openly conducted trade in China since the two countries relaxed Covid-era border controls last year.
Beijing's foreign ministry said Thursday that China "always conscientiously implements UN Security Council resolutions and fulfils its own international obligations".
"Indiscriminately imposing sanctions cannot resolve (Korean) peninsular issues," spokeswoman Mao Ning added.
The sanctions punish people and companies by blocking access to their interests in the US and cutting them out of the global financial system.
But another Chinese national targeted on Wednesday told AFP the moves would have little impact on his business.
Han Dejian is the owner and executive director of Yidatong Tianjin Metal Materials Co., Ltd., a producer of metal sheeting based in northern China.
He told AFP in a phone call that he had "never done" business with North Korea and denied that his products could be used to make missiles.
"I don't know what (the US allegations) are based on," he said. "Our sheets are used by average people to build floors and walls."
The company does not sell goods for export, and therefore has no bank accounts or other interests outside China, Han said.
Stanton, the sanctions expert, likened Washington's policy to a game of "whack-a-mole".
An effective strategy would demand a stronger attack on North Korea's "extensive network of arms trafficking and financial crime", he said.
AFP calls to other sanctioned people and companies went unanswered.
Neither the US embassy nor the North Korean embassy in Beijing immediately responded to a request for comment.
Barron's · by Matthew WALSH
13. First lady thanks U.N. veterans of Korean War in hand-written letter
One of the many things to respect about South Korea is how it continues to recognize and honor veterans from other countries/UN forces who fought for Korea's freedom.
These are words that really are true:
"The Republic of Korea will forever remember the war veterans. It will also not forget the toil of the family members who quietly devoted themselves from behind," she wrote, using South Korea's official name.
First lady thanks U.N. veterans of Korean War in hand-written letter | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · July 29, 2024
SEOUL, July 29 (Yonhap) -- First lady Kim Keon Hee on Monday thanked a group of visiting U.N. veterans who fought for South Korea in the 1950-53 Korean War, in a hand-written letter sent for a program commemorating their service in the conflict, the veterans ministry said.
In the letter, Kim praised the veterans' "noble sacrifice" in defending South Korea during the war, which began with North Korean aggression and ended in an armistice on July 27, 1953.
"The Republic of Korea will forever remember the war veterans. It will also not forget the toil of the family members who quietly devoted themselves from behind," she wrote, using South Korea's official name.
The letter will be delivered to 35 representatives of the group of U.N. veterans and family members visiting the country as part of the commemorative program, which coincided with the 71st anniversary of the armistice's signing on Saturday.
In response, Charles Lusardi, a U.S. veteran of the war, was set to gift a quilt made of ties donated by American veterans to Kim and President Yoon Suk Yeol, according to the ministry.
Nearly 2 million troops and personnel from 22 countries were dispatched to support South Korea under the U.N. flag during and right after the war. More than 40,000 of them died, with 3,950 others going missing, according to the ministry.
This photo, provided by the veterans ministry on July 29, 2024, shows a hand-written letter by first lady Kim Keon Hee thanking U.N. veterans of the 1950-53 Korean War for their service. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · July 29, 2024
14. N. Korea's Kim guides rescue operation for residents in flood-hit areas
N. Korea's Kim guides rescue operation for residents in flood-hit areas
The Korea Times · July 29, 2024
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, center, visits flood-ravaged areas in Sinuiju City and Uiju County, North Phyongan Province, in this photo released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency, July 29. Yonhap
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has visited flood-hit areas near the Amnok River and guided an operation to rescue around 5,000 isolated residents with the military's helicopters, Pyongyang's state media reported Monday.
Kim visited flood-ravaged areas in Sinuiju City and Uiju County of North Phyongan Province on Sunday, after a record downpour hit the northern border of North Korea, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
North Korea is vulnerable to natural disasters due to its lack of infrastructure, with heavy rains, in particular, displacing thousands of people in the impoverished country.
More than 5,000 inhabitants were isolated in areas vulnerable to flooding in the North's border city and the county, as the water level of the Amnok River, also known as the Yalu River, exceeded a dangerous level, the report said.
In accordance with Kim's order, the Air Force mobilized its ten-odd helicopters to make more than 20 rounds of shuttle flights to rescue residents.
The North's leader "repeatedly stressed the need to rescue everyone. He also saw to it that reconnaissance flights were reorganized several times even in the areas where the rescue was completed," the KCNA said.
As the pilots successfully rescued more than 4,200 residents, Kim said saving so many people in a span of half a day is an "unbelievable miracle and a model of air rescue operation," the report said.
The North's state media did not reveal details about casualties and property damage from the latest downpours. Photos carried by the KCNA showed water levels rising almost to the roofs of houses in a village and the four wheels of the SUV that Kim rode in to visit the affected areas being submerged in water.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un examines a flood-ravaged areas in Sinuiju City and Uiju County, North Phyongan Province, in this photo released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency, July 29. Yonhap
The North's leader also chided officials for failure to prevent damage from the latest heavy rains, even as he has ordered thorough measures to cope with natural disasters.
"He seriously pointed out that what should not be overlooked any longer is just the irresponsible and non-militant attitude of the public security organ responsible for thoroughly ensuring the life and security of the people," the KCNA said.
North Korea held a crisis response meeting on July 22 to discuss measures to minimize damage that natural disasters could cause to crops and other agricultural products.
Kim designated some areas along the Amnok River in the North Phyongan, Jagang and Ryanggang provinces as "areas of special-level disaster emergency" and ordered related agencies to make all-out efforts to prevent damage from potential downpours and focus on recovery work.
South Korea's unification ministry said North Korea has unusually unveiled details about its operation to rescue residents in the flood-hit areas.
"This appears to be aimed at prompting an image of Kim Jong-un as a leader caring for people and stressing the country's systemic crisis management capability," Koo Byoung-sam, spokesperson at the ministry, told a regular briefing.
He said more monitoring on North Korea's situation is needed as its state media did not mention damage from the latest heavy rains on the country's southern provinces of Hwanghae and Kangwon.
Typhoon Bolaven and heavy rain left around 300 people dead and some 600 injured or missing during June-August 2012, the unification ministry said, citing North Korea's state media.
In 2020, North Korea was hit by three consecutive typhoons in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Downpours pounded the western province of Hwanghae, considered the country's breadbasket.
Last year, Kim Jong-un scolded Premier Kim Tok-hun for his "irresponsible" attitude over failure to prevent damage to farmland from Typhoon Khanun. (Yonhap)
The Korea Times · July 29, 2024
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