News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Daniel Riggs.
1. FDD | New South Korean National Security Team Has Close Ties to Pyongyang
2. South Koreans Angry at North Korean YouTubers"
3. The Ethical and Strategic Problem of North Korean Workers Abroad
4. New satellite imagery shows activity at suspected North Korean nuclear facility
5. Wollo-ri Nuclear Facility
6. North Korea nuclear programme: Seoul hopes Trump can learn the art of the 'small deal'
7. S. Koreans Have 3rd-Most Powerful Passports in the World
8. U.S. envoy plays down expectations for North Korea meet, but ready to talk
9. North Korea's Terminology Deception Tactics: The Word "Democracy" as Explained by Former Public Security Prosecutor Koh Young-ju
10. New US-North Korea talks still off the table
11. Disruption and Realignment Are Necessary for Peace in Korea
12. How Do Unification Politics Thwart Ending the Korean War?
13. In Seoul, Biegun says U.S. supports inter-Korean efforts: Deputy secretary of state makes clear he doesn't obey North or Bolton
14. U.S. "strongly supports" S. Korea-DPRK cooperation: U.S. nuke envoy
15. U.S. sees importance of North Korea talks despite tension, South says
16. Esper again says N. Korea and Iran are 'rogue states'
17. Source: "Nuclear facility" in Pyongyang is just a school
18. N. Korea increases number of guard posts in Hyesan
19. N. Korean military orders soldiers to "breed more rabbits"
20. S. Korea's virus infections slightly decline, but spread continues beyond capital
21. S. Korea to spend big on development of COVID-19 vaccine, drug
1. FDD | New South Korean National Security Team Has Close Ties to Pyongyang
fdd.org · by David Maxwell Senior Fellow · July 8, 2020
2. South Koreans Angry at North Korean YouTubers"
Note from a journalist friend:
North Korea is using YouTube in its propaganda against the US and South Korea.
North Korean government is allegedly using YouTube to create an impression that life in North Korea is normal despite coronavirus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ce0I3zYH4fM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4g-MMPGNLY&t=36s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ce0I3zYH4fM
I have watched this YouTube channel. Pretty slick videos. north Korea is entering the 21st Century information age. And of course these videos are going to appeal to the younger generations who get their news from YouTube, I had a long discussion with my daughter about the YouTube viewing habits of college students. She showed me a list of news sites where many young people get their news which is filtered through a YouTube personality. (Some of it is way better than Fox and CNN and MSNBC). But young people will go to this north Korean YouTube channel and be influenced to believe north Korea is an okay country that is just misunderstood and treated badly by the outside world.
As I look through the comments section it is obvious there are people watching these videos who have no idea of the evil nature of the Kim family regime and the human rights atrocities that are committed against the Korean people living in the north. Their comments reveal they are getting a positive view of the north without any critical analysis. Again, north Korea is operating in the information age trying to influence external audiences through one of the largest platforms in the cyber domain while at the same time cutting off its own people from all outside information.
This is why the US Agency for Global Media, and Radio Free Asia and Voice of America are so important. The Korean people in the north need the news and information provided by RFA and VOA. But we need a more comprehensive information and influence strategy that goes beyond RFA and VOA (we need them to simply execute their mission within their charter). We need the USAGM's Open Technology Fund to invest in capabilities to break down the north Korean cyber firewall and allow penetration of the north's intranet and as well as the internal cell phone network consisting of some 6.5 million smart phones. We need get technology and software solutions to the Korean people in the north so they can have access to the full range of information and truth about the outside world as well the knowledge of universal human rights and how their own human rights are being violated by the despotic regime that is the mafia-like crime family cult known as the Kim family regime that seeks to dominate the Korean peninsula under the rule of the Guerrilla Dynasty and Gulag State.
We have proposed elements of an information and influence strategy in the final chapter of this report, Maximum Pressure 2.0A Plan for North Korea, at this link.
3. The Ethical and Strategic Problem of North Korean Workers Abroad
HRNK · Haley Noah · July 7, 2020
Little is known about north Korean workers abroad. This essay provides some useful background. Note the loopholes in the UN Security Council resolutions. These workers are an important source of revenue for the Kim family regime. This is an ethical and national security issue as not only are these people virtually slaves for the regime, their work contributes to the survival of the mafia-like crime family cult known as the Kim family regime.
Belowis a message from my friend and colleague who is the Executive Directive of HRNK. I will continue to send these essays from our young professionals.
Please remember Kathy Chi.
Dear Colleague,
These are trying times. Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), including HRNK, are fighting hard to stay afloat. And there is always opportunity in crisis. This summer, HRNK has seen a record number of highly qualified candidates apply for our internship program. Our intern team is larger than usual. Our interns bring unmatched enthusiasm and desire for positive change to the field of North Korean human rights.
This summer, HRNK has initiated a Young Professionals' Writing Program (YPWP). Articles authored by young scholars who have offered to volunteer for HRNK are being published under the HRNK YPWP program, on HRNK's NKHiddenGulag blog.
We look forward to receiving your feedback and critique as well as working together on developing these young, bright, and enthusiastic young professionals into North Korean human rights defenders.
HRNK staff members and interns wish to dedicate this program to our colleague Katty Chi. A native of Chile and graduate of the London School of Economics, Katty became a North Korean human rights defender in her early 20s. Katty was chief of international affairs with the North Korea Strategy Center (NKSC) in Seoul from 2010 to 2014 and worked with the Seoul Office of Liberty in North Korea (LinK) from 2019 to 2020. A remarkable member of our small North Korean human rights community, Katty brought inspiration and good humor to all. Katty passed away in Seoul this past May, at the young age of 32. She is survived by her parents and brother living in Chile. With the YPWP series, we endeavor to honor Katty's life and work.
Greg Scarlatoiu
Executive Director
Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK)
4. New satellite imagery shows activity at suspected North Korean nuclear facility
CNN · by Zachary Cohen
Images at the link. I look forward to the assessments by north Korea nuclear experts.
We should always remember that north Korea is masterful at denial and deception. They know our satellites (intelligence and commercial) are watching. We should consider that they are showing us something for a deliberate purpose. We may be seeing what they want us to see. The question is what do they not want us to see? What are we missing?
5 Wollo-ri Nuclear Facility
armscontrolwonk.com · by Jeffrey Lewis
Additional analysis on the suspected nuclear site. Again are they deliberate showing us what they want us to see and the question is what do they not want us to see? What are we missing?
6. North Korea nuclear programme: Seoul hopes Trump can learn the art of the 'small deal'
english.chosun.com· by John Power · July 9, 2020
A small deal is a bad deal. A small deal means Kim is successfully executing his "long con" to get sanctions relief while keeping his nuclear program. A small deal confirms to Kim that blackmail diplomacy continues to work for the regime and we should expect more of it.
7. S.Koreans Have 3rd-Most Powerful Passports in the World
The buried lead is that north Korea is allowed visa-free travel to 39 countries. I wonder what are those countries? And can we get any of them to revoke the north's visa free access? And since north is also ranked 103 why is it ahead of some 88 other countries?
8. U.S. envoy plays down expectations for North Korea meet, but ready to talk
Reuters · by Hyonhee Shin, Josh Smith· July 8, 2020
Mr. Biegun makes it absolutely clear we did not request a meeting with north Korea.
And he rebuked both Choe Son-hui and John Bolton for their "old thinking."
9. North Korea's Terminology Deception Tactics: The Word "Democracy" as Explained by Former Public Security Prosecutor Koh Young-ju
eastasiaresearch.org · July 8, 2020
Excellent analysis from Dr. Tara O and Koh Young-ju. It is imperative we understand this form of psychological operations. Some of the key phrases: 'even communism is a kind of democracy.' 'Communism is proletariat democracy, where the proletariat are the masters, so communism is also a kind of democracy.' 'National Liberation Democratic Revolution' "I am also a democracy," and then "I am the real democracy."
10. New US-North Korea talks still off the table
asiatimes.com · by Mitch Shin · July 8, 2020
Note the criticisms of the new national security team just appointed in the Moon administration.
I would also take excerpts from Bolton's book with a grain of salt.
11. Disruption and Realignment Are Necessary for Peace in Korea
The National Interest · by Scott A. Snyder · July 8, 2020
Scott Snyder provides a very succinct history of the Korean peninsula from post WWII to the present. with an assessment of the current conditions. He argues the "disruptor in chief" is Kim Jong-un but his goal is not peace but instead survival and power. I would argue the way he believes he will survive and maintain power is to dominate the peninsula thus he does not seek a peace with South Korea - he seeks unification on his terms and his terms only which means there will no longer be a South Korea.
12. How Do Unification Politics Thwart Ending the Korean War?
The National Interest · by Darcie Draudt · July 8,
In my opinion there is only one major impediment to unification, it is the existence of the Kim Family regime with Kim Jong-un in power. For Kim it is a zero sum relationship - the north dominates the South.
Darcie Draudt points out some key challenges with a negotiated peaceful unification to include both sides claiming sovereignty over the entire peninsula. She also assesses the time for German style unification has passed and argues there must be changes in thinking as well as substantial and sustained political will if peaceful unification is to ever happen.
13. In Seoul, Biegun says U.S. supports inter-Korean efforts: Deputy secretary of state makes clear he doesn't obey North or Bolton
koreajoongangdaily.joins.com · by Sarah Kim
You have to love this sub headline but it is an apparently accurate description of Mr. Biegun's statement: "I also want to be very clear on one point," said Biegun. "I do not take my direction from Vice Minister Choe Son-hui and nor, for that matter, do I take it from Ambassador John Bolton."
14. U.S. "strongly supports" S. Korea-DPRK cooperation: U.S. nuke envoy
A Chinese report on the DEPSECSTATE's visit to Seoul that is simply a rehash of official statements and reports. But China really wants to emphasize the north-South cooperation because to China (and north Korea) that implies sanctions relief. Note sanctions relief seems to be carefully omitted in all reports from both the US and South Korean side.
15. U.S. sees importance of North Korea talks despite tension, South says
Reuters · by Hyonhee Shin, Josh Smith2 Min Read · July 9, 2020
Again, no mention of sanctions relief by the US and South Korea though it acknowledges that is what north Korea wants and is apparently frustrated there is no sign of possible relief. (nor should there be any sanctions relief until substantive agreements are negotiated and concrete denuclearization actions take place).
16. Esper again says N. Korea and Iran are 'rogue states'
en.yna.co.kr · by 이해아 · July 9, 2020
He is reiterating what our National Security and National Defense Strategies say. The US faces competition and conflict with two revisionist powers (China and Russia) and two rogue powers (who also describe themselves as revolutionary - Iran and north Korea) as well as the continued threat from violent extremist organizations.
17. Source: "Nuclear facility" in Pyongyang is just a school
dailynk.com · July 9, 2020
Hmm...This is where you question Daily NK "sources" and wonder about the agenda of Daily NK and who might be exerting influence over it.
18. N. Korea increases number of guard posts in Hyesan
dailynk.com · July 9, 2020
The regime is really taking advantage of the coronavirus crisis to be able to crack down on the necessary economic activity and smuggling by the Korea people as well as escape attempts. This severe border closure is going to have long term implications. The regime will have greater control while the people's resilience is being eroded.
19. N. Korean military orders soldiers to "breed more rabbits"
dailynk.com · July 9, 2020
Sounds like a chant they would make us say at SERE school - "work harder, work faster, work more "quicklier" - and add to it "breed more rabbits." One of the things I recall from SERE school three decades ago is that rabbits are not a sufficient source of calories versus the amount of energy it takes to try to trap/catch/kill/prepare a rabbit. Of course a "rabbit breeding craze" might make it more efficient since you do not have to capture the rabbits in the wild.
20. S. Korea's virus infections slightly decline, but spread continues beyond capital
en.yna.co.kr · by 강윤승 · July 9, 2020
South Korea is able to manage this through screening upon entry into the country and then effective testing with contact tracing, quarantine, and treatment. We could learn a thing or two. Note the reason for the numbers - foreign travel coming into the country and cluster outbreaks such as noted with large gatherings such as aat churches. It should be a warning for all of us.
21. S. Korea to spend big on development of COVID-19 vaccine, drug
en.yna.co.kr · by 이준승 · July 9, 2020
I hope this helps to achieve a breakthrough.
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"I've spent the last 25 years studying genocide. I've learned that the belief that human society is perfectible through the zealous application of ideology tends not to end well."
- Alex Bellamy
"When proven wrong, the wise man will correct himself and the ignorant will keep arguing."
- Ali ibn Abi Talib
"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, design a building, conn a ship, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve an equation, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."
- Robert Heinlein