News and Commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and Published by Riley Murray.
1. Coronavirus appears to be hurting North Korea harder than trade sanctions: report
2. Kim Jong Un 'orders multiple executions' amid Covid-19 battle
3. Asia Today: Speed of viral spread causes concern in S. Korea
4. Former USFK commander says S. Korea may lose allies if nuclear-armed
5. Kim Jong Un, North Korea unsure of Joe Biden’s policies, South Korea says
6. Virus tally exceeds 500 for 3rd day; authorities under pressure to toughen social distancing (South Korea)
7. N. Korea-China trade dips 73 pct this year on pandemic impact
8. Kim Jong Un Doesn’t Want to Pick a Fight With Biden for Now, South Korean Lawmakers Say
9. Over 70 pct of S. Koreans support Seoul's role as 'facilitator' in nuclear talks in Biden administration
10. Kim Jong Un Likely to Let His Missiles Do the Talking With Biden
11. N. Korea builds some 2,300 houses in typhoon-hit mining town
12. N. Korea enforces home classes for kids amid COVID-19 concerns
13. Experts: Revisions to Enterprise Act to have little affect on economic recovery
1. Coronavirus appears to be hurting North Korea harder than trade sanctions: report
https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3111752/coronavirus-appears-be-hurting-north-korea-harder-trade - 28 November 2020
But what hurts Koreans in the north the worst is the policy decisions of Kim Jong-un who denies the human rights of Korea in order to remain in power.
And it is not necessarily the coronavirus that is causing the hurt. It is Kim Jong-un taking advantage of the necessity to defend against the coronavirus to implement draconian population and resource control measures in order to further oppress and control the population.
2. Kim Jong Un 'orders multiple executions' amid Covid-19 battle
We see the true nature of the Kim family regime in these reported actions.
3. Asia Today: Speed of viral spread causes concern in S. Korea
SFGATE · November 28, 2020
4. Former USFK commander says S. Korea may lose allies if nuclear-armed
donga.com – by Jae-Dong Yu – 28 November 2020
South Korea should think twice about the pursuit of nuclear weapons.
5. Kim Jong Un, North Korea unsure of Joe Biden’s policies, South Korea says
New York Post · by Steven Nelson · November 27, 2020
I guess the north is not reading Yonhap. They should read President-Elect Biden's Yonhap OpEd from October 30 for some insights.
6. Virus tally exceeds 500 for 3rd day; authorities under pressure to toughen social distancing (South Korea)
en.yna.co.kr · by 남광식 · November 28, 2020
7. N. Korea-China trade dips 73 pct this year on pandemic impact
en.yna.co.kr · by 곽영섭 · November 27, 2020
Policy decisions by the Kim family regime.
8. Kim Jong Un Doesn’t Want to Pick a Fight With Biden for Now, South Korean Lawmakers Say
WSJ · by Andrew Jeong
I would question this assessment as it fits well within the Moon administration's desire and vision. But is it realistic? While the regime may not want to pick. kinetic fight with the US, we should expect it to continue to conduct its form of political warfare with juche characteristics, blackmail diplomacy, and long con. Show me the evidence that Kim is changing his strategy and objectives (to include domination of the peninsula under his control).
9. Over 70 pct of S. Koreans support Seoul's role as 'facilitator' in nuclear talks in Biden administration
en.yna.co.kr · by 이원주 · November 27, 2020
This number could be 100%. However, there is only one "vote" that matters. That is Kim Jong-un's. As much as the Moon administration and the Korean people in the South would like to serve as a "mediator" it is highly unlikely that it can do so effectively if Kim Jong-un does not embrace the idea. That said we can expect Kim to try to exploit the idea in some way to support his political warfare strategy.
10. Kim Jong Un Likely to Let His Missiles Do the Talking With Biden
Bloomberg · by Jon Herskovitz · November 26, 2020
Let your fingers do the walking and your missiles to the talking. (Yes, the Yellow Pages analogy does not fit but the rhyme is nice).
But the big questions are if, when, and what type of provocation will Kim conduct to welcome the Biden administration? Before or after inauguration? SRBM, IRBM, SLBM, or ICBM test? Nuclear test?
11. N. Korea builds some 2,300 houses in typhoon-hit mining town
en.yna.co.kr · by 고병준 · November 27, 2020
Seems like a relatively impressive statistic but there have been reports of the actual quality being very substandard. You have to appreciate the rhetoric of the Propaganda and Agitation Department:
"Single-, low- and multi-storied dwelling houses for 2,300 households, public buildings and parks have been successfully built to turn misfortune into blessings in the area," the KCNA said.
"The big change in the area is the bright fruition brought about by the passionate loving care and dedication made by Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un," the KCNA added.
Maybe our bumper sticker offer of "make the right strategic decision and you can have a brighter future" is a message received in some way. Kim is adopting the concept of the brighter future (though maybe the "bright fruition" is a little off).
12. N. Korea enforces home classes for kids amid COVID-19 concerns
en.yna.co.kr · by 고병준 · November 27, 2020
Remote classes - teachers come to students' homes. No online classes in the north, at least for the rank and file.
It seems if you add these two together there is no school all year around:
The North had extended winter vacation for students until early June amid the global coronavirus pandemic. The report suggests that the North has extended summer vacation again by delaying the start of autumn semesters.
Note also the report from RFA on the survey for illiteracy among adults which is one of the 2d and 3d order effects of the Arduous march of the great famine of 1994-1996. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/illiteracy-11252020000636.html.
We used to speculate that a unified Korean would bring a relatively well educated and disciplined workforce into a United Republic of Korea. This kind of reporting and anecdotal evidence certainly calls such an assumption into question. Planning for unification must be appropriately adjusted.
13. Experts: Revisions to Enterprise Act to have little affect on economic recovery
dailynk.com · November 27, 2020
Probably because the enterprise act is not focused on economic recovery but on economic and population control.
"A dead soldier who has given his life because of the failure of his leader is a dreadful sight before God. Like all dead soldiers, he was tired before he died, and undoubtedly dirty, and possibly frightened to his soul and there is on top of all that . . . Never again to see his homeland. Don’t be the leader who failed to instruct him properly, who failed to lead him well. Burn the midnight oil, that you may not in later years look at your hands and find his blood still red upon them.'
- James Warner Bellah was a former Army officer who wrote many Western stories and such, to include some of his short stories being turned into movies by John Ford -- like Fort Apache, She Wore A Yellow Ribbon and Rio Grande.
"A political society does not live to conduct foreign policy; it would be more correct to say that it conducts foreign policy in order to live."
- George Kennan
"Our moral strength is in ourselves, in our patience, in our courage, in our decision and in our resolution."
- William J. Donovan