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Quotes of the Day:
"A time will come when a politician who has willfully made war and promoted international dissension will be as sure of the dock and much surer of the noose than a private homicide. It is not reasonable that those who gamble with men's lives should not stake their own."
– H. G. Wells
"You think your pains and heartbreaks are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, or who have ever been alive."
– James Baldwin
"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one getting burned."
– Buddha
1. More info needed on link between loudspeaker broadcasts, N. Korean's defection: military
2. No sign of North Korean missile launchers arriving on southern border: Seoul
3. North Korea threat update released by South
4. Tennessee man arrested for allegedly using IT worker scheme to raise money for North Korea’s weapons program
5. Some US soldiers in South Korea will now serve 2-year tours
6. Yoon visits military headquarters on last day of summer vacation
7. U.S. amphibious assault ship arrives in Busan for replenishment
8. IOC: North Korean athletes never received sanctions-violating smartphones
9. Railways Stopped in Northern Region, Continued Power Outages Food Shortages Lead to Increase in Robberies
10. Kim Jong Un BULLDOZES mansion that belonged to his hated step-grandmother whose bloodline was seen as a threat to his rule
11. Police to refer Korean American pastor to prosecutors over alleged illegal electioneering
12. N. Korea hacking groups hack S. Korea defense contractors
13. Footage of Kim Yo-jong bowing signals NK leader's daughter as heir
14. N. Korea's frequent mine collapses due to production push, wood shortages
15. Prosecutors inspect market offices in S. Pyongan Province
16. N. Korea prioritizes Kim portraits over flood victims
1. More info needed on link between loudspeaker broadcasts, N. Korean's defection: military
I commend this work by Dr. George Huthcinson. It provides important insights about information and the nKPA.
Army of the Indoctrinated: The Suryong, the Soldier, and Information in the KPA
https://www.hrnk.org/publications/hrnk-publications-view.php?id=59
Description:George Hutchinson's The Suryong, the Soldier, and Information in the KPA is the second of three building blocks of a multi-year HRNK project to examine North Korea's information environment. Hutchinson's thoroughly researched and sourced report addresses the circulation of information within the Korean People's Army (KPA). Understanding how KPA soldiers receive their information is needed to prepare information campaigns while taking into account all possible contingencies. The report examines official propaganda and indoctrination delivered to North Korean soldiers, all along the chain of control and command. Hutchinson provides the information, analysis and recommendations needed to inform KPA soldiers on the real situation outside North Korea, the human rights violations affecting them, and the corruption of their leadership.
More info needed on link between loudspeaker broadcasts, N. Korean's defection: military | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · August 9, 2024
SEOUL, Aug. 9 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's military said Friday that further analysis is necessary to determine whether South Korea's propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts affected the recent defection of a North Korean amid speculation the anti-Pyongyang campaign may have prompted the person to flee the North.
On Thursday, a North Korean individual crossed the neutral zone of the Han River estuary located west of the inter-Korean land border and arrived at South Korea's Gyodong Island off the west coast in what marked the first known defection of a North Korean in the border area since October last year.
The latest defection came as South Korea's military continues to blare news, K-pop music and other broadcasts through loudspeakers near the border in a new propaganda campaign, in response to the North's repeated launches of trash-carrying balloons.
This undated file photo shows the neutral zone of the Han River estuary. (Yonhap)
"An investigation is needed," an official at the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, noting that relevant authorities are conducting a joint probe into the North Korean individual.
"At least three months of monitoring are needed to see whether the loudspeaker broadcasts have had an effect," the official said, without confirming whether news of Thursday's defection will be included in the propaganda broadcasts as it is part of operations.
The military's loudspeaker broadcasts have reportedly included news on the defection of a former North Korean diplomat at Pyongyang's embassy in Cuba, as well as a message urging North Korean soldiers to escape from their "slave-like lives."
The JCS official, meanwhile, said no signs of the North deploying hundreds of new tactical missile launchers at its front-line units have yet been detected and said it would likely take "considerable" time for the North to manufacture missiles for such weapons.
On Monday, the North's state media reported that leader Kim Jong-un attended the ceremony for the transfer of the launchers, which it described as "new pivotal attack" weapons.
A ceremony transferring a new tactical ballistic missile weapon system to front-line units takes place in Pyongyang on Aug. 4, 2024, with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his daughter, Ju-ae, in attendance, 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
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en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · August 9, 2024
2. No sign of North Korean missile launchers arriving on southern border: Seoul
Were reports from the north simply its psychological warfare?
This would have violated the time honored north Korean principle of "creeping normalcy." Perhaps in 4 or 5 years we will wake up and see the 250 launchers along the DMZ.
No sign of North Korean missile launchers arriving on southern border: Seoul
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/north-korea-launcher-border-08092024005815.html
The South’s military said they found no evidence to confirm whether North Korea’s launchers might be mock-ups.
By Taejun Kang for RFA
2024.08.09
Taipei, Taiwan
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends a ceremonial event to mark the delivery of new tactical ballistic missiles to his country's troops at an undisclosed location in North Korea, Aug. 4, 2024.
KCNA via Reuters
There is no sign of North Korea deploying missile launchers toward its border with South Korea, the South’s military said on Friday, casting doubt on a North Korean announcement that it was sending 250 new tactical ballistic missile launchers to the border.
“It was reported as if they were being deployed to the front, but there is currently no sign showing that,” an official from the Joint Chiefs of Staff told a briefing.
“The production of missiles to fill the launchers is also expected to take a considerable time,” the official added.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended a ceremony on Sunday to commemorate the transfer of a new-type tactical ballistic missile weapon system, which showcased the launchers.
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The North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency published photographs on Monday showing what appeared to be vehicle-based missile launchers, with dozens of large green military trucks lined up in rows before Kim.
Asked if the North Korean launchers shown in the pictures could be mock-ups, the South Korean official said that they had found no evidence to support that.
Kim said in a speech on Sunday the new missile launchers were built with North Korean technology, adding that the display was the first stage of work for the planned missile force deployment by border units.
The North Korean leader blamed the U.S. for creating various types of threats that forced his country to enhance its military capabilities.
At that time, South Korea’s military said the new weapons would likely be used to threaten the South, a move that would put pressure on the South and its allies to counter with more advanced missiles and defense systems of their own, according to experts.
Edited by RFA Staff.
3. North Korea threat update released by South
We need to be as concerned with internal instability and its effects (and fallout") as we are with the possibility of a north Korean attack. The two are related.
North Korea threat update released by South
Newsweek · by John Feng · August 8, 2024
Published Aug 08, 2024 at 11:41 AM EDTByContributing Editor, Asia
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Widespread flooding in North Korea has not stopped Kim Jong Un's regime from building fortifications on the country's contested border with the South, lawmakers in Seoul were told on Thursday.
South Korea's Defense Ministry said a large number of the North's soldiers continue to be sent to front-line areas on the North's side of the Demilitarized Zone, the 2.5-mile buffer either side of the 160-mile Military Demarcation Line.
Its report to the National Assembly, South Korea's unicameral parliament, said Kim's forces were installing land mines in the DMZ despite a series of accidents—fatal explosions—in recent weeks.
Barriers suspected to be tank traps have been erected at the inter-Korean border since April, the Yonhap news agency reported the South Korean military as saying.
At the turn of the year, North Korea's 40-year-old supreme leader labeled the South his country's "principal enemy." He has accused the longtime U.S. ally of seeking to wage an American-led nuclear war against his regime.
Pyongyang has repeated the message domestically in recent months to justify its repeated missile tests, flouting multiple U.N. Security Council prohibitions in the process. This week, the North Korean Foreign Ministry said the Korean Peninsula had become "the biggest hotbed in the world."
Analysts say Kim, like any strongman leader, fears regime insecurity. Signs include public discontent and desertion, with Seoul receiving the latest North Korean defector on Thursday at its western sea border.
South Korea's defense report said the North launched 37 ballistic missiles and 11 cruise missiles this year. Seoul said Pyongyang was still preparing to put its second spy satellite into orbit following its abortive attempt in May.
South Korean army soldiers patrol along the barbed-wire fence in South Korea's Paju border city near the North on July 19. The South Korean military said in a report to the national legislature on August... South Korean army soldiers patrol along the barbed-wire fence in South Korea's Paju border city near the North on July 19. The South Korean military said in a report to the national legislature on August 8 that the North was continuing with work to install land mines in the Demilitarized Zone. Ahn Young-joon/AP
"Despite opposition from the international community, North Korea is continuing to advance its nuclear and missile capabilities," South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik told lawmakers.
He called the moves "a serious threat" to the region and the world.
The North Korean Embassy in Beijing could not be reached for comment after hours.
U.S. and South Korea forces have held 10 large-scale military exercises this year, double the number of drills over the same period last year.
On Tuesday, North Korea's Foreign Ministry blasted Germany's decision to join the U.N. Command, the now 18-member military force that helps to maintain the 1953 Korean War armistice.
In a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency, Pyongyang called it "an act of wrecking peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and aggravating the situation."
"The present ever-escalating military confrontation on the Korean Peninsula demands the DPRK take more thorough measures for bolstering up its self-defensive capabilities to defend the sovereignty, security and interests of the state," the ministry said, referring to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.
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About the writer
John Feng
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John Feng is Newsweek's contributing editor for Asia based in Taichung, Taiwan. His focus is on East Asian politics. He has covered foreign policy and defense matters, especially in relation to U.S.-China ties and cross-strait relations between China and Taiwan. John joined Newsweek in 2020 after reporting in Central Europe and the United Kingdom. He is a graduate of National Chengchi University in Taipei and SOAS, University of London. Languages: English and Chinese.
You can get in touch with John by emailing j.feng@newsweek.com
John Feng is Newsweek's contributing editor for Asia based in Taichung, Taiwan. His focus is on East Asian politics. He ...
Newsweek · by John Feng · August 8, 2024
4. Tennessee man arrested for allegedly using IT worker scheme to raise money for North Korea’s weapons program
The all purpose sword reaches Tennessee.
Aid and comfort to our enemies?
Excerpts:
Matthew Isaac Knoot, 38, is accused of helping North Korean workers “pose as a US citizen” as part of a scheme to gain employment at American and British tech companies, and of conspiring to launder money earned by the workers to financial accounts tied to North Korean and Chinese individuals, the Justice Department said.
Knoot also allegedly ran a “laptop farm” from his residences in Nashville that granted the North Koreans access to US internet connections to make it appear as if they were logging into work from the US rather than China, where they were based, according to prosecutors.
The scheme defrauded unnamed US media, tech and financial companies, ultimately costing them hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages, the department said.
Tennessee man arrested for allegedly using IT worker scheme to raise money for North Korea’s weapons program | CNN Politics
CNN · by Sean Lyngaas · August 8, 2024
A North Korean flag flies over the propaganda village of Gijungdong in North Korea, on July 19, 2022.
Kim Hong-Ji/Pool/AFPGetty Images
CNN —
A Tennessee man has been arrested for allegedly working to raise money for North Korea’s weapons program, the Justice Department said on Thursday.
Matthew Isaac Knoot, 38, is accused of helping North Korean workers “pose as a US citizen” as part of a scheme to gain employment at American and British tech companies, and of conspiring to launder money earned by the workers to financial accounts tied to North Korean and Chinese individuals, the Justice Department said.
Knoot also allegedly ran a “laptop farm” from his residences in Nashville that granted the North Koreans access to US internet connections to make it appear as if they were logging into work from the US rather than China, where they were based, according to prosecutors.
The scheme defrauded unnamed US media, tech and financial companies, ultimately costing them hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages, the department said.
Knoot’s case is allegedly just the latest example of a phenomenon that US national security officials have been trying to thwart for years: Thousands of North Korean overseas IT workers are trying to subvert sanctions and send hundreds of millions of dollars back to Pyongyang each year.
Some of those IT workers work closely with North Korean hackers, who are also a rich source of revenue for the regime, according to experts. About half of North Korea’s missile program has been funded by cyberattacks and cryptocurrency theft, a White House official said last year.
The IT workers associated with Knoot were paid over $250,000 for their work between about July 2022 and August 2023, much of which was falsely reported to the IRS and the Social Security Administration in the name of another person’s stolen identity, the Justice Department said.
CNN could not immediately identify an attorney for Knoot.
It’s the second time in three months that an American has been charged with allegedly helping facilitate a wide-ranging North Korean fraud scheme. The Justice Department in May charged an Arizona woman with participating in a similar scheme that helped foreign IT workers pose as Americans and earn $6.8 million in revenue that could benefit the North Korean regime.
North Korea’s sanctions-evasion schemes are rampant, according to experts, and thwarting them has become a national security priority for the Biden administration.
A previous CNN investigation found that the founder of a California-based cryptocurrency startup had unwittingly paid tens of thousands of dollars to a North Korean engineer. The entrepreneur was unaware of the situation until the FBI notified him, he said.
And North Korean illustrators and graphic designers appear to have helped produce work for US animation studios unbeknownst to those companies, independent researchers told CNN in April. The researchers discovered a trove of cartoon sketches on an open computer server on the North Korean portion of the internet.
North Korean IT workers play an “important role … in not just revenue generation but also … cyber operations for the North,” Cynthia Kaiser, deputy assistant director of the FBI’s Cyber Division, told CNN in an interview this week.
The FBI continues to see North Korean IT workers applying for jobs at US companies and the bureau is working with job-posting websites to flag suspicious activity that might be tied to the North Koreans, Kaiser said.
She described North Korea as a “semi-criminal state who is also a capable nation-state adversary within cyberspace that … is causing and has the potential to cause greater harm to America.”
Last month, KnowBe4, a prominent Florida-based cybersecurity company, announced that it had unknowingly hired a North Korean worker who used a stolen identity and an AI-enhanced photo to apply for a software engineering job at the company.
“We sent them their Mac workstation, and the moment it was received, it immediately started to load malware,” KnowBe4 said in a blog post about the incident, which the company said it contained before the North Korean worker was able to do any damage.
CNN · by Sean Lyngaas · August 8, 2024
5. Some US soldiers in South Korea will now serve 2-year tours
We will have to pay attention to the potential second and third order effects of unaccompanied two year tours. What will be the suicide or disciplinary rate be among these "single soldiers?"
I recall plans back in the early 2000's when we discussed "normalizing" Korea tours to a standard 3 year accompanied tour but despite the new Camp Humphreys facilities the infrastructure in Korea could not handle all tours being accompanied.
Excerpts:
The memo calls for “single soldiers without dependents assigned to the Republic of Korea to serve the accompanied tour length” of 24 months versus the typical unaccompanied one-year tour length.
The extension applies to specific occupational specialties and concentration areas, including air traffic control operators (15Q), UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter repairers (15T), working military dog handlers (31K), criminal investigations special agents (31D), counterintelligence agents (35L), signal intelligence analysts (35N) and criminal investigation division special agents (311A).
...
“This affects between 100 to 200 soldiers overall in those military occupational specialties,” said U.S. Army spokesman Christopher Surridge.
Some US soldiers in South Korea will now serve 2-year tours
militarytimes.com · by Riley Ceder · August 8, 2024
Certain soldiers embarking to South Korea will call it home for longer than usual, according to an Aug. 1 Army memo.
The memo calls for “single soldiers without dependents assigned to the Republic of Korea to serve the accompanied tour length” of 24 months versus the typical unaccompanied one-year tour length.
The extension applies to specific occupational specialties and concentration areas, including air traffic control operators (15Q), UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter repairers (15T), working military dog handlers (31K), criminal investigations special agents (31D), counterintelligence agents (35L), signal intelligence analysts (35N) and criminal investigation division special agents (311A).
Soldiers with the listed specialties who have no dependents, are not married to other service members and are on permanent-change-of-station orders to South Korea must serve the 24-month accompanied tour length.
The revision does not apply to soldiers assigned to the defense attaché system or security cooperation organizations or to assignments in Korea without an approved accompanied tour, according to the memo.
The extension also does not affect soldiers who were placed on orders or already in South Korea before Aug. 1, according to a service spokesman.
“This affects between 100 to 200 soldiers overall in those military occupational specialties,” said U.S. Army spokesman Christopher Surridge.
The 24-month requirement, according to the memo, aims to improve readiness in the listed specialties “that require soldiers to undergo extensive training and or certification requirements prior to being fully mission capable.”
“For these seven occupations, it takes an extended amount of time to get them trained and certified to be fully mission capable for the unit,” said Surridge.
The first U.S. troops, including soldiers and Marines, arrived in South Korea on July 1, 1950, in response to North Korea’s capture of Seoul during the Korean War.
The U.S. has maintained its military alliance with South Korea ever since, seeking to deter armed conflict in the region, according to the Department of Defense.
Approximately 28,500 U.S. troops are based in South Korea as of 2023, according to the Congressional Research Service.
About Riley Ceder
Riley Ceder is an editorial fellow at Military Times, where he covers breaking news, criminal justice and human interest stories. He previously worked as an investigative practicum student at The Washington Post, where he contributed to the ongoing Abused by the Badge investigation.
6. Yoon visits military headquarters on last day of summer vacation
A working vacation.
Yoon visits military headquarters on last day of summer vacation | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Eun-jung · August 9, 2024
SEOUL, Aug. 9 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol visited the headquarters of the armed forces in the central city of Gyeryong on Friday to inspect security posture and examine preparations for upcoming joint military drills between South Korea and the United States, his office said.
Yoon's visit to the Gyeryongdae military headquarters, about 160 kilometers south of Seoul, came on the last day of his five-day summer vacation.
During the visit, Yoon met with the top commanders of the Army, Air Force and Navy at a wartime command bunker, and received a briefing on the preparations for the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, which is slated for later this month, presidential spokesperson Jeong Hye-jeon said in a written press briefing.
Yoon stressed the importance of maintaining a robust readiness posture against rising North Korean threats in light of its sending of trash-filled balloons across the border and GPS attacks.
"Security is linked to the economy, and economic prosperity ensures freedom. Only a strong security posture can defend our freedom and prosperity," Yoon was quoted as saying. "We cannot safeguard peace by relying on the goodwill of the enemy."
It marks his third visit to the military headquarters since taking office in May 2022.
President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during his visit to the command post at Gyeryongdae military headquarters in Gyeryong, about 160 kilometers south of Seoul, on Aug. 9, 2024, in this photo provided by his office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
ejkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Eun-jung · August 9, 2024
7. U.S. amphibious assault ship arrives in Busan for replenishment
The Sailors and Marines need their Kimchi too.
I can't wait until this ship can make a port call in Wonsan or Nampo.
U.S. amphibious assault ship arrives in Busan for replenishment | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · August 9, 2024
SEOUL, Aug. 9 (Yonhap) -- A U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship arrived at a major southern naval base Friday to replenish supplies and provide rest for its crew members, South Korea's Navy said.
The 40,500-ton USS Boxer amphibious assault ship, which is capable of carrying attack helicopters and F-35B stealth fighters, entered the base in Busan, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, earlier in the day, according to the Navy.
"On the occasion of the USS Boxer's arrival, the Navy plans to enhance exchange and cooperation with the U.S. Navy, and further solidify the combined defense posture," it said in a statement.
The USS Boxer amphibious assault ship in this undated photo provided by the U.S. Navy (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Chae Yun-hwan · August 9, 2024
8. IOC: North Korean athletes never received sanctions-violating smartphones
We sometimes cut off our nose to spite our face. We should provide Samsung Smartphones to the Korean athletes from the north. They could have had two weeks of connectivity to the entire world.
IOC: North Korean athletes never received sanctions-violating smartphones
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/north-korea-samsung-smartphone-paris-olympics-sanctions-08082024183443.html
The Olympic organizer previously said it distributed Samsung phones to the North Korean delegation.
By Cho Jinwoo for RFA Korean
2024.08.08
South Korea's Lim Jonghoon, right, takes a selfie with North Korea's Ri Jong Sik, left, and Kim Kum Yong, second left, China's Wang Chuqin, background, and Sun Yingsha, center, and his teammate Shin Yubin, right, during the medal ceremony at the 2024 Summer Olympics, July 30, 2024, in Paris, France.
Petros Giannakouris/AP
The 14 North Korean Olympic athletes in Paris have not received the smartphones that were gifts to all athletes, the games’ authority told Radio Free Asia in a revised statement after it was questioned whether such gifts would be a sanctions violation.
The International Olympic Committee previously told RFA Korean on Wednesday that the phones – manufactured by South Korean maker Samsung – were picked up by the North Korean delegation, but said on Thursday that “We can confirm that the athletes of the NOC of DPRK have not received the Samsung phones.”
The DPRK, or Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, is the official name of North Korea.
If the phones were to be brought back from Paris into North Korea, they would violate sanctions that prohibit import of industrial machinery, Lee Jaewoong, spokesperson for the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told a news conference.
A participant films Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Z Flip 6 during the Galaxy unpacked products media preview in Seoul, South Korea, July 8, 2024. (Lee Jin-man/AP)
“In accordance with Paragraph 7 of Resolution 2397, the UN Security Council prohibits the direct or indirect supply, sale, or transfer of all industrial machinery to North Korea,” he said. “Smartphones are prohibited goods under this resolution.”
The IOC did not respond to an additional RFA inquiry as to whether the phones were simply not distributed to the athletes by the North Korean Olympic Committee or if they were returned.
IOC spokesman Mark Adams also did not clearly answer related questions at the press conference on Thursday, saying that he would have to find out more information about the subject.
Ashley Hess, a former member of the UN Security Council's North Korea Sanctions Committee panel of experts, pointed out to RFA Thursday that the smartphones could also violate sanctions on luxury goods.
“It could fall under the luxury goods ban (UNSCR 1718) – a list of which is up to Member States to define for their own implementation purposes, but my reading of the EU luxury goods list is that smartphones are explicitly included, so if the Samsung phones are smartphones, as is reported by the media, then they would likely fall under the luxury goods ban, given that the Olympics are in France,” she said.
There has been controversy in the past regarding North Korean athletes receiving Samsung smartphones at the Olympics.
At the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, the Olympic organizing committee was concerned about violating sanctions and offered to provide North Korean athletes with Samsung phones under the condition that they return them before returning home. The North Korean delegation refused to receive them.
Translated by Claire S. Lee. Edited by Eugene Whong.
9. Railways Stopped in Northern Region, Continued Power Outages Food Shortages Lead to Increase in Robberies
Failed economy. No power. Food shortages. Corruption. Crime. We must be observant for internal instability,
Video at the link: https://www.asiapress.org/rimjin-gang/2024/08/news/flood-2/
Railways Stopped in Northern Region, Continued Power Outages Food Shortages Lead to Increase in Robberies
asiapress.org
◆ Infrastructure Paralyzed, Public Order Rapidly Deteriorating
North Korean authorities have acknowledged massive damage in the northwestern regions of Sinuiju and Jagang Province due to heavy rains at the end of July. According to ASIAPRESS investigations, there are also casualties in the northern Ryanggang and North Hamgyong provinces. On August 5, a reporting partner living in Ryanggang Province reported on the situation after the heavy rains, including infrastructure paralysis such as railway suspensions and power outages, as well as rapidly deteriorating security due to difficulties in securing food. The authorities seem unable to take effective measures. (HONG Mari / KANG Ji-won)
◆ Railways Stopped, Muddy Water from Taps, Power Outages...
-- Please tell us specifically about the damage situation in Hyesan city.
It's not as severe as places like Jagang Province (where the damage was serious), but muddy water is coming out of the taps and there's no electricity. Train operations have been suspended due to damaged tracks. As a result, logistics have stopped and prices are rising. There are no people coming out to do business in the markets, and everyone is just worried about how to make a living.
The city of Sinuiju in North Pyongan Province was extensively flooded due to heavy rains at the end of July. (Rodong Sinmun on July 29, 2024)
◆ Public Unrest Leads to Frequent Robberies
-- How are people behaving?
People driven to desperation due to lack of food are stealing whatever they can, almost like robbers. The police are armed and detaining people carrying luggage for investigation, suspecting them of being thieves.
In Wiyeon District, the roof of a rowhouse collapsed. When the homeowner was cleaning up, two men came and tried to take things. When the owner shouted at them, they beat him with wooden sticks and ran away without being caught.
In Bocheon County, three men entered a house in broad daylight asking, "Do you have any food to sell?" and then stole the cooking pot - it's just robbery. Everything is in chaos.
◆ Authorities are Rushing to Conduct Recovery Efforts, but...
-- What measures are the authorities taking?
No food has been distributed yet. We heard that the state-run grain shops would distribute rice, but it hasn't happened yet. At Hyesan Mine, they're supposedly distributing three kilograms of corn to each worker, but how are they supposed to live on just that?
※ Grain shops: State-run food stores. They had long become moribund, but resumed operations around 2019. As food trading in markets was banned, dependence on the shops has increased given they are places where people can legally buy food.
-- How are the recovery efforts going?
There were orders to strengthen flood recovery support efforts, and officials, as well as regulatory agencies, are all mobilized to focus on recovery work. Especially in rural areas, the people's committee (local government) seems so busy to directly report all field damage situations to the central government. They're taking photos and tallying up the damage.
Separately, officials are demanding that each household in the people's units voluntarily contribute 3,000 won each. But no one is paying. Employees at enterprises are being mobilized for levee repair work, but without cement, they're just piling up stones. It's obvious they will collapse again after being done this way.
※ 1,000 North Korean won is about 102 South Korean won.
※ ASIAPRESS communicates with its reporting partners through Chinese cell phones smuggled into North Korea
asiapress.org
10. Kim Jong Un BULLDOZES mansion that belonged to his hated step-grandmother whose bloodline was seen as a threat to his rule
Another sensational article. Images and video are at the link. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13722569/Kim-Jong-bulldozes-mansion-hated-step-grandmother-threat-rule.html
Is this a north Korean Game of Thrones?
Kim Jong Un BULLDOZES mansion that belonged to his hated step-grandmother whose bloodline was seen as a threat to his rule
Published: 03:53 EDT, 8 August 2024 | Updated: 04:49 EDT, 8 August 2024
Daily Mail · by Michael Havis · August 8, 2024
Kim Jong-un has wiped his hated step-grandmother's mansion off the map, amid speculation that he's too broke to maintain her royal residence.
After the death of the dictator's grandmother, his grandfather and predecessor, Kim Il-sung, remarried and started another family.
But relations between the rival royal lines were fraught, with the new wife, Kim Song-ae, accused of trying to install her own son on the throne.
So Kim Jong-il, the current leader's father, had her placed under house arrest, and her son, Kim Pyong-il, was sent into exile as a career diplomat.
But Kim Jong-il could not harm his stepmother, and after the death of her husband in 1994, she was allowed to live out her days in a mansion.
Now satellite photos have revealed that Kim Jong-un has bulldozed his step-grandmother's home, leaving no visible trace of it after her death.
BEFORE: Photo shows Kim Song-ae's mansion as it was when she died in 2014
AFTER: Photo shows all that remains of the mansion after it was bulldozed by Kim Jong-un
Kim Song-ae (pictured) was the new wife of Kim Jong-un's grandfather after his grandmother died
North Korea expert Jacob Bogle said: 'Her power and authority was all tied to her marriage to the semi-divine Kim Il-sung.
'As stepmother to the eventual heir, Kim Jong-il, her relationship with him would be critical to her future.
'Unfortunately, their relationship was fraught with difficulties.
'Kim Jong-il worried that she would band together with her biological children to try and block his succession.
'This played out in 1994 with Song-ae being placed under house arrest until an agreement was made.'
He added: 'Her public role as 'First Lady of North Korea', meant that her physical safety was basically inviolable.
'But, she could still be sidelined and sent to what was effectively exile in a gilded cage.'
Mr Bogle – who has built a comprehensive map of North Korea from satellite images – said the Hapjang mansion was near to Pyongyang, but not too close.
He said: 'The location of the villa is semi-remote, in a mountainous area between Pyongyang and Pyongsong.
'It would be a prime setting for one's retirement – close enough to be watched, but out of the way and in a quiet spot without other elite neighbors.'
Kim Jong Un speaks during a ceremony to mark the delivery of 250 nuclear-capable missile launchers to frontline military units on August 4
‹ Slide me ›
Sliding picture shows the villa site before and after it was demolished by the North Korean dictator
Kim Song-ae (right) at Pyongyang International Airport in 1980 during a state visit
In terms of space, its ground-floor footprint was 1,400 sq metres – about a third of what Kim Jong-un enjoys, but vastly above the national average, which is less than 100 sq metres.
Jacob continued: 'It sat on a small hill next to an artificial lake on the Hapjang River, surrounded by 11 hectares of woodland.
'It was also protected by a security fence and had its own on-site facilities for guards and other workers.'
Read More
Kim Jong Un moves hundreds of 'treasured sword' ballistic missile launchers to South Korean border
In satellite photos, the security perimeter at the site appears to have grown, but all traces of the mansion have gone.
Mr Bogle said: 'The only signs that something was there is an open field where the villa sat, the driveway, and the enlarged perimeter fence.'
Kim Song-ae died in 2014, so the timing of the demolition is curious.
But Jacob believes the answer could be simple: that money is tight.
'There's no directly obvious answer to why the villa was demolished,' he said.
'There is a history of villas belonging to purged officials being torn down, and even the villa where Kim Il-sung died was demolished back in 2010-11.
'Recently, Kim Jong-un also tore down the much larger Ryokpo Winter Residence complex.
'So there is certainly precedent to raze villas for a range of reasons.
'There doesn't seem to be any obvious reason, like using the land for something else, but it could be a sign that money is tight.'
North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un pictured holding an emergency meeting to discuss flood restoration measures in North Korea
Kim Jong Un attends a ceremonial event to mark the delivery of new tactical ballistic missiles on August 4
Kim Jong Un during the ceremony to mark the delivery of new tactical ballistic missiles at an undisclosed location on August 4
He noted that buildings directly across from Kim Jong-un's main home, the Ryongsong Residence, had rusted roofs.
While the Tongpy'ongyang Residence – former home of the dictator's half brother, Kim Jong-nam, who was assassinated in 2017 – is visibly deteriorating.
Mr Bogle said: 'My personal opinion is that Kim Jong-un is focusing on getting rid of redundant and outdated villas.
'Or that funds are being redirected to furnish Kim's own palaces, leaving those lesser elites and family members to fund maintenance with their own resources.'
But the analyst is in no doubt that the Kim Jong-un will continue to live like a king, however tight money gets.
He said: 'Kim Jong-un continues to spend lavishly on himself and on those closest to him.
'From illegally importing luxury cars to renovating his favorite residences, Kim spends hundreds of millions of dollars each year on extravagance.
'He does this while 150,000 of his citizens languish in prison camps and millions of others struggle to feed themselves.'
Daily Mail · by Michael Havis · August 8, 2024
11. Police to refer Korean American pastor to prosecutors over alleged illegal electioneering
Police to refer Korean American pastor to prosecutors over alleged illegal electioneering | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Hyun-soo · August 9, 2024
SUWON, South Korea, Aug. 9 (Yonhap) -- Police decided Friday to refer a Korean American pastor at the center of a luxury bag scandal involving first lady Kim Keon Hee to the prosecution on charges of illegal electioneering ahead of April's general elections.
The pastor, named Choi Jae-young, was accused of engaging in election campaigns for Choi Jae-kwan, a main opposition Democratic Party (DP) candidate for the Gyeonggi Province constituency of Yeoju and Yangpyeong, during a lecture in February.
Choi also allegedly defamed Rep. Lee Chul-gyu of the ruling People Power Party by claiming that the first lady had helped Lee get the party's election nomination during a lecture in March.
The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police said it will refer Choi to the prosecution later Friday on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act and defamation.
In June, police questioned Choi as a suspect in the case for some nine hours.
Choi denied both charges, saying he had only said the DP candidate would be the person most fit to look into suspicions surrounding an expressway construction project in the county of Yangpyeong as someone who has lived for years in the area.
The allegation centers on claims that the route of the envisioned expressway connecting Seoul and Yangpyeong, 52 kilometers east of Seoul, has been changed to eventually increase the prices of land owned by the first lady's family.
Choi also claimed he had only briefly mentioned the allegations involving Rep. Lee in the public sphere after receiving a tip-off on the matter.
Meanwhile, the pastor is also under investigation on charges, including trespassing and stalking, in connection with the luxury bag scandal involving the first lady.
American pastor Choi Jae-young speaks to reporters in front of the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency in this file photo taken June 24, 2024. (Yonhap)
sookim@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Kim Hyun-soo · August 9, 2024
12. N. Korea hacking groups hack S. Korea defense contractors
Because the South Korean defense industry is so superior to the north.
N. Korea hacking groups hack S. Korea defense contractors
donga.com
Posted August. 09, 2024 07:41,
Updated August. 09, 2024 07:41
N. Korea hacking groups hack S. Korea defense contractors. August. 09, 2024 07:41. by Kyu-Jin Shin newjin@donga.com.
A subcontractor for a major South Korean defense technology company has been hacked, resulting in the leak of sensitive materials related to the South Korean military's aerial surveillance aircraft. The South Korean government suspects North Korea is behind the breach. The hacked company is responsible for producing operation and maintenance manuals for military equipment, raising concerns that not only technical data related to the Baekdu and Kumgang surveillance aircraft have been compromised, but also their operational and maintenance protocols may have been leaked to North Korea. According to South Korean intelligence sources, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reportedly ordered an intensified effort to secure and enhance the performance of surveillance assets, including surveillance aircraft and military satellites, which are crucial for monitoring South Korea. It appears that North Korea aims to bolster its own surveillance capabilities by stealing technology, while simultaneously seeking to evade detection by South Korean forces.
Several officials from the defense industry and police confirmed on Thursday that investigations are underway into recent hacking attempts targeting other small and medium-sized subsidiaries of major defense companies. “Due to the alleged hacking attempt by a group suspected to be led by North Korea, technical data related to the Baekdu and Kumgang aircraft has been compromised,” said a defense company representative. The police have launched field investigations, including IP tracing, to track down the source of the cyberattacks. There are also concerns that critical technologies, such as specific aircraft components, may have been leaked.
한국어
donga.com
13. Footage of Kim Yo-jong bowing signals NK leader's daughter as heir
I remain skeptical. I think Kim Jong Un reads these assessments and has a chuckle about how well he is manipulating us.
With all the effort we put into trying to figure out if Kim Ju Ae will be succeeding her father, I have to wonder what we are missing? What are we not focusing on while we fall for the distraction Kim is providing us? What does Kim not want us to see?
All warfare is based on deception.
Footage of Kim Yo-jong bowing signals NK leader's daughter as heir
The Korea Times · August 9, 2024
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, attends a ceremony alongside his daughter, Ju-ae, to mark the completion of a new street in Pyongyang, May 14, 2024, in this photo carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. Yonhap
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Recent footage of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's young daughter being escorted to the podium by her aunt, Kim Yo-jong, at a ceremony in Pyongyang has sparked speculation that the child may be considered her father's potential successor.
The North's state-run Korean Central News Agency broadcast footage, Monday, of Kim Yo-jong bowing to her niece, Kim Jong-un’s daughter Ju-ae, during a ceremony on Sunday. At the event, where 250 new tactical ballistic transporter erector launchers were unveiled, Kim Yo-jong guided Ju-ae to her seat. Ju-ae stood upright, glanced at her aunt, and then confidently walked up to the podium.
Experts said this rare scene indicates that Ju-ae is her father's potential successor
“Kim Yo-jong’s notable reverence toward Ju-ae, North Korea’s chief propagandist, suggests that the Kim family may be positioning Ju-ae as the country's next leader,” Cheong Seong-chang, director of the Center for Korean Peninsula Strategy at the Sejong Institute, said.
“Although there is no official announcement yet given that Ju-ae is still young, it seems like the North Korean leader has already begun planning his succession. He seems to have told his close aides and family that Ju-ae will be his heir.”
Although her age hasn’t been revealed, Ju-ae is believed to be around 10 years old.
Ironically, Ju-ae was not identified by state media at Sunday’s ceremony, where Kim Jong-un praised the new weaponry as a deterrent against U.S. nuclear threats.
“Since North Korean residents continue to suffer from severe flooding, there could be a strong backlash if state media bestows praise on Ju-ae. There have been several cases when she was not mentioned, although she accompanied her father to important state events,” Cheong said.
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) said in a report to the parliamentary intelligence committee on July 29 that Ju-ae appears to be the favorite to take the place of her father in light of her frequent public appearances with him.
The NIS said around 60 percent of Ju-ae’s past public activities involved accompanying her father to military events, while some others were economy-related. It said North Korea’s use of the term "hyangdo," which means guidance and is used only to refer to top leaders or successors, suggests that she is on the path to becoming the next leader.
The Ministry of Unification said the government still believes that Ju-ae is deemed the most likely heir to Kim Jong-un. “Kim Ju-ae made her first public appearance in about three months on Sunday. Only photos were released without any remarks. For now, we will refrain from speculating on the implications and continue to monitor her activities closely,” a unification ministry official said.
Ju-ae made her first public appearance in late 2022 when she accompanied her father to the launch of a new intercontinental ballistic missile. Since then, she has been spotted at many of her father's public activities, including military drills. Her title had been changed over time, from “beloved child” to “respected child” and to “morning star general.”
The Korea Times · August 9, 2024
14. N. Korea's frequent mine collapses due to production push, wood shortages
Failed economy. Lack of resources (wood). Dangerous conditions. Slave labor. Will we see indications of instability and resistance?
N. Korea's frequent mine collapses due to production push, wood shortages - Daily NK English
“As recently as last year, there were one or two collapses annually, but this year, there are collapses every two months," a source said
By Seulkee Jang - August 8, 2024
dailynk.com · by Seulkee Jang · August 8, 2024
North Korean miners at the Dokchon Area Mining Cooperative in South Pyongan Province. (Rodong Sinmin-News1)
Mine collapses have been common in North Korea recently, blamed on increased mineral extraction and insufficient mine supports due to a shortage of timber.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a Daily NK source in Jagang province said Tuesday that a mine collapse in the province’s Jinchon county in late June left one miner dead and six injured. The six barely survived and were so severely injured that they had to be hospitalized for two months.
A cave-in at the same mine in May injured several people. Fortunately, no one was killed.
“Apart from Jinchon county, there have been a series of mine shaft collapses all over the country this year,” the source said. “Only last year there were one or two collapses a year, but this year there are collapses every two months.”
The direct cause of the near tripling of mine collapses is the failure to properly erect mine supports to stabilize shafts.
North Korean mines still use wooden pit posts, but obtaining wood for them is a challenge. In the past, wood from mountains near the mines could be used, but now the military or munitions factories have taken all those trees for their own use, leaving none for mine pit posts.
As a result, mines today place pit posts at 40-centimeter (15.7-inch) intervals when they should be at 20- to 30-centimeter (7.9- to 11.8-inch) intervals. Mine shafts have increased significantly due to this inability to densely place these pillars that support the tunnels.
In addition, as North Korean authorities pressure mining regions to increase coal and metal ore production, miners are working faster and extracting more, another cause of mine collapses.
North Korean authorities have recently ordered increased mineral production in order to earn foreign currency from coal or metal ore exports. Daily NK recently reported that major trading companies received a Cabinet order last month instructing them to expand exports of key mineral resources.
Mine workers fail to receive rations on time
Meanwhile, miners are increasingly unhappy over recent delays in rations, with supplies going two or three months into arrears.
In the case of mining districts in Jagang province, no rations were provided for three months, from April to June. Only in early July did miners receive rations. Because miners receive fewer rations than they were supposed to receive the longer they are delayed, they are quite unhappy.
The miners received the delayed three months of rations in early July, but they only received 70% of what they were supposed to, the source said.
However, miners are criticized and sent to a reeducation camp if they are absent without leave for three or more days due to the danger of the work or the lack of rations. Despite complaints about their environment and treatment, they have no choice but to continue to work.
“Complaints are skyrocketing because you often wake up and learn that a coworker died in a work accident, and rations are often delayed despite the heavy workload,” the source said. “Once you become a miner, you have to work at least 10 years, and people say you’re lucky if you work a decade without an accident.”
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 · August 8, 2024
15. Prosecutors inspect market offices in S. Pyongan Province
Along with information, markets are a threat to the regime. But despite his best efforts, Kim cannot put the market genie back in the bottle.
Prosecutors inspect market offices in S. Pyongan Province - Daily NK English
Merchants scoff at the investigation, expecting corruption to persist regardless of who's in charge of collecting market taxes
By Eun Seol - August 9, 2024
dailynk.com · by Eun Seol · August 9, 2024
FILE PHOTO: A market official on patrol in Sunchon, South Pyongan Province. (Daily NK)
Since mid-July, prosecutors in South Pyongan Province have been inspecting local market management offices. The provincial prosecutors’ office has vowed to expose all corruption and punish offending officials. However, merchants remain skeptical, saying “nothing will change.”
A Daily NK source in South Hamgyong Province, speaking anonymously, revealed that on July 19, the provincial prosecutors’ office formed inspection teams of six to seven people. These teams began investigating market management offices in several areas, including Sinpo and Riwon, Hochon, and Kowon counties.
This investigation stems from an order by the provincial party committee, following North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s criticism of economic irregularities in South Hamgyong Province during his July 15 visit to Sinpo’s Pungo-dong area.
“South Hamgyong Province has about 50 state-recognized markets,” the source explained. “Management offices collect daily taxes from merchants. These taxes vary based on booth size and location, and also on the merchant’s relationship with office officials.”
While official standards exist for tax collection, market officials often favor certain merchants, offering them larger spaces at lower tax rates. This practice has created a subtle power dynamic between officials and merchants, which prosecutors are now scrutinizing for potential corruption.
Merchants shaken down for bribes to give to inspectors
In response to the investigation, some market officials are soliciting “flattery bribes” from friendly merchants to give to the inspectors. These bribes range from cigarettes to cash, depending on the merchant’s means.
Merchants who have benefited from officials’ favoritism are complying with these requests. They fear that if current officials are replaced, they’ll need to build new relationships and might lose their prime locations amid increased competition.
As news of these selective bribe requests spread, other merchants expressed discontent. “Those not asked for bribes are complaining about the officials’ unfair approach,” the source reported. “They say it would be better if bribes were demanded from everyone equally. The selective nature of these requests is creating tension.”
Despite the ongoing investigation, most merchants doubt its effectiveness. They believe that even if current officials are replaced, similar practices will continue under new management, 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 Eun Seol · August 9, 2024
16. N. Korea prioritizes Kim portraits over flood victims
We have read these reports many times before. You must save the portraits even if you have to die trying. Or others die because portraits are prioritized.
N. Korea prioritizes Kim portraits over flood victims - Daily NK English
Local officials ordered to inspect Kim portraits amid flood damage
By Seon Hwa - August 8, 2024
dailynk.com · by Seon Hwa · August 8, 2024
Rodong Sinmun published a photo of Kim Jong Un's portrait juxtaposed with those of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il in a report on May 22 saying that the North Korean leader had attended a ceremony to dedicate the Central Cadres Training School on May 21, 2024. (Rodong Sinmun-News1)
Following heavy rains that caused flood damage across North Korea, residents of Pyoktong county, in North Pyongan province, are frustrated with party and youth organizations for prioritizing portraits of former North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il over relief for flood victims.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a source in the province told Daily NK on Tuesday that the county’s party committee and the local chapter of the Socialist Patriotic Youth League quickly set up teams to check whether the portraits of the former leaders at various organizations and homes were being properly cared for after the flooding.
In North Korea, great importance is placed on taking care of portraits and statues of the Kim family and monuments to their on-the-spot guidance.
Community-level organizations are acting on orders from the county’s party committee and youth league to check for leaks at revolutionary historical sites and study centers and to make sure that portraits of the former leaders at various organizations, schools and homes were not damaged by moisture or flooding.
“Officials from local party committees in Yonpung and Songi villages in Pyoktong county and low-level officials from farm chapters of the youth league have been making the rounds of homes to check on the condition of the portraits there. Most of the families are being told to replace their charcoal pouches,” the source said.
Charcoal is known to be highly effective at removing moisture and smell from the air. In North Korea, pouches holding this natural moisture remover are placed behind Kim family portraits. Families are supposed to take care of the charcoal pouches and dry out or replace the charcoal when it gets too wet.
“Middle and high schools in Pyoktong county are also inspecting and replacing charcoal pouches attached to the portraits there. The whole county is a disaster zone after the flood, but the priority is on caring for the portraits in accordance with the orders received,” the source said.
“The authorities have stressed the importance of checking on the charcoal pouches, which they say are an indicator of how well people are caring for the portraits. Local chapters of the youth league even held a meeting about replacing charcoal pouches and youth league members are currently being mobilized to make new pouches.”
But residents of Pyoktong county are upset that portrait inspections are being prioritized over rebuilding after the flood.
“How are people supposed to come up with new charcoal when they can’t even find any kindling after the flood? People are fed up with officials who don’t seem to care about the public and are focusing on portrait inspections as they seek to curry favor with their superiors,” 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 Seon Hwa · August 8, 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
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