News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Riley Murray.
1. Legal Opinion: Whether the Republic of Korea (ROK)’s Amendment to the Development of Inter-Korean Relations Act (“Anti-Leaflet Law”) violates ROK domestic or international legal obligations
2. Int'l human rights group voices concerns over Seoul's ban on sending of anti-N.K. leaflets
3. FDD | North Korean Hackers Could Ramp Up Cyberattacks on COVID-19 Targets in Near Future
4.
5. N.K. paper stresses 'economic principles' and 'scientific analysis' in economic policy
6. Joint efforts of S. Korea, Japan critical to denuclearization of N. Korea: State Dept.
7. N. Korea appoints former trade minister as ambassador to China
8. Gov’t plans to establish offices in N. Korea for inter-Korean exchanges
9. Japanese maps define Dokdo as Korean territory
10. North Korea’s Yongbyon Nuclear Center: Working Through Winter
11.. The U.S. Has Released the Most Comprehensive Catalog of North Korean Cybercrimes Ever Made Public
12. Report: North Korean who crossed DMZ likely not a civilian
13. 'Sincere apology' from Japan required on 'comfort women,' Moon says
14. North Korea: Sitting on $3 Trillion in Natural Resources?
15. Is South Korea on Verge of a Demographics Crisis?
1. Legal Opinion: Whether the Republic of Korea (ROK)’s Amendment to the Development of Inter-Korean Relations Act (“Anti-Leaflet Law”) violates ROK domestic or international legal obligations
hrnkinsider.org · by Committee for Human Rights in North Korea
Thank you to professional human rights attorneys, Bro Bono and Amanda Mortwedt Oh, for this important legal analysis as summarized here:
Summary:
South Korea’s Amendment to the Development of Inter-Korean Relations Act (the “Amendment”) violates ROK domestic and international legal obligations, namely the Constitution of the Republic of Korea and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The Amendment to the law is flawed in its statutory construction, poses jurisdictional considerations, infringes on fundamental rights, is excessively punitive, and has implications on existing inter-Korean agreements. The Amendment also infringes on international human rights, including the freedoms of expression, thought, conscience and religion, and assembly and association. Ultimately, the Amendment unnecessarily targets North Korean escapee groups working to send information, goods, and remittances to their fellow people and families in the North. If entered into force on March 30, 2021, this Amendment will also create second-order effects on the already vulnerable and oppressed North Korean people under the totalitarian rule of Kim Jong-un.
2. Int'l human rights group voices concerns over Seoul's ban on sending of anti-N.K. leaflets
en.yna.co.kr · by 고병준 · February 20, 2021
Here is the link to the Human Rights Watch letter: https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/02/18/human-rights-watch-submission-ministry-unification
I think the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK) analysis is more comprehensive (truth in advertising, I am a member of the HRNK board of directors so I am biased) but there is strength in numbers as all the human rights organizations as well as like-minded democracies need to point out to their fellow democracy the error they have made in passing the anti-leaflet amendment." Here is the link to the HRNK analysis: https://www.hrnkinsider.org/2021/02/legal-opinion-whether-republic-of-korea.html
As an aside it is interesting how Human RIghts Watch describes South Korea:
The Republic of Korea (South Korea) is a democracy that generally respects most civil, political, and socio-economic liberties, although significant human rights concerns remain. Discrimination against women is pervasive, as is discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people, racial and ethnic minorities, and people with disabilities. The government has also maintained or imposed several excessive restrictions on freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly. In 2020, South Korea implemented important public health measures to protect against the spread of Covid-19, but aspects of its response raised serious privacy rights concerns.
https://www.hrw.org/asia/south-korea#
3. FDD | North Korean Hackers Could Ramp Up Cyberattacks on COVID-19 Targets in Near Future
fdd.org · by Mathew Ha · February 19, 2021
From my colleague Mathew Ha.
4. FDD | DOJ Charges Reveal North Korean Cybercrime and Money Laundering Schemes
fdd.org · by Mathew Ha · February 19, 2021
A useful explanation of the recent DOJ indictment from my colleague Mathew Ha.
5. N.K. paper stresses 'economic principles' and 'scientific analysis' in economic policy
en.yna.co.kr · by 고병준 · February 20, 2021
Except in north Korea science is based on the juche ideology. Juche ideology takes precedence over science or we might say in north Korea it is juche based science.
6. Joint efforts of S. Korea, Japan critical to denuclearization of N. Korea: State Dept.
en.yna.co.kr · by 변덕근 · February 20, 2021
We cannot emphasize this enough. There will be NO success for any of the three nations in Northeast Asia without sufficient trilateral cooperation.
7. N. Korea appoints former trade minister as ambassador to China
en.yna.co.kr · by 고병준 · February 19, 2021
It goes without saying how important China is in every area but especially trade and economic activity. Of course, the regime is going to have to lift its extreme restrictions on trade with China imposed due to COVID and perhaps this appointment is an indication that it will do so in the near future. Personnel is policy.
8. Gov’t plans to establish offices in N. Korea for inter-Korean exchanges
Of course, if north Korea approves this it will place these offices on its target list for blackmail diplomacy.
9. Japanese maps define Dokdo as Korean territory
The Korea Times · February 19, 2021
Ahhh... Just another point of Japan-Korea friction. As an aside there are many maps in the US Library of Congress that define Dokdo as Korean territory.
10. North Korea’s Yongbyon Nuclear Center: Working Through Winter
38north.org · by Peter Makowsky · February 19, 2021
What if?? What if there had been an agreement to dismantle Yongbyon (for the nth time) at Hanoi? What we would be seeing and writing about now? My guess - how the regime cheated and we would be seeing much the same as we are seeing now.
11. The U.S. Has Released the Most Comprehensive Catalog of North Korean Cybercrimes Ever Made Public
Slate · by Josephine Wolff · February 19, 2021
The indictment can be accessed here: https://www.justice.gov/opa/press-release/file/1367701/download
12. Report: North Korean who crossed DMZ likely not a civilian
upi.com – by Elizabeth Shim
Well trained with a will to survive? Was this an infiltration attempt or an escape?
13. 'Sincere apology' from Japan required on 'comfort women,' Moon says
upi.com – by Elizabeth Shim
As some Koreans have told me it is not a sincere apology that is necessary, it is the admission of crimes and a public acceptance of responsibility for those crimes.
14. North Korea: Sitting on $3 Trillion in Natural Resources?
19fortyfive.com · by Ethen Kim Lieser · February 19, 2021
This is not new (though the $3 trillion headline is an attention getter). In 1989 the UN Tumen River Area Development program estimated some of the largest untapped mineral deposits in the world are in the tri border area of northeast north Korea. I wrote about it here in 1996:
“The Catastrophic Collapse of North Korea: Implications for the U.S. Military”
https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a314274.pdf
This is also why the Chinese have been negotiating 50 and 100 year leases of mineral rights in north Korea. Some day they will have access to and potentially control these deposits.
15. Is South Korea on Verge of a Demographics Crisis?
The National Interest · by Ethen Kim Lieser · February 19, 2021
Dr. Bruce Bennett has done some important research and analysis on this issue and its implications for the ROK military and security of the ROK.
It may seem like a reach but this is one of the conditions that should drive Korean recognition of the importance of the UN Command as a force provider to the ROK/US Combined Forces Command. A resumption of hostilities on the Korean peninsula will be manpower intensive and South Korea's defense and military success may be dependent on the support of an international coalition that will bring much needed manpower.
"A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices."
- William James
“Simply put, the [Kim family] regime has become a criminal syndicate with a flag, which harnesses its state resources to steal hundreds of millions of dollars.”
- John C. Demers, the head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, on North Korea
"The essential thing is action. Action has three stages: the decision born of thought, the order or preparation for execution, and the execution itself. All three stages are governed by the will. The will is rooted in character, and for the man of action character is of more critical importance than intellect. Intellect without will is worthless, will without intellect is dangerous."
- Hans von Seeckt