News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Duncan Moore.
1. Suspending U.S.-ROK military exercises will not facilitate peace negotiations
2. Kim Jong Un’s family tree: what you need to know about North Korea’s dynasty
3. FM nominee cautious on large-scale S. Korea-U.S. exercises, notes need for 'proper level' of drills
4. U.S. will closely consult with S. Korea on N. Korea: Sullivan
5. U.N. grants sanctions waiver to S. Korean group for improving drinking water in N.K.
6. N. Korea replaces heads of key farmer and labor groups amid economic drive
7. How are North Korea's markets doing following the closure of the Sino-North Korean border?
8. Kim Jong Un is directly handling results of new COVID-19 hacking organization's work
9. Vice minister of foreign affairs punished for disregarding government's disease control measures
10. South Korea is preparing for a lonelier, scarier future
11. Biden administration to hold North accountable, emphasize human rights
12. Kia seeks partners to build Apple car in Georgia
13. N. Korea fears internal unrest more than foreign attacks: U.S. intelligence official
14. Brother of official killed by Pyongyang asks unification ministry to deliver letter to N.K. leader
15. Yoo withdraws from contest for WTO director general spot
16. North Korea cracks down on car window tinting to stop ‘capitalist influence’
1. Suspending U.S.-ROK military exercises will not facilitate peace negotiations
National Interest · Matthew Ha · February 4, 2021
From my colleague Mathew Ha.
2. Kim Jong Un’s family tree: what you need to know about North Korea’s dynasty
Wall Street Journal · Andrew Jeong · February 5, 2021
The questions I will always ask: what will we do if we learn today that Kim Jong-Un is dead? What actions are we ready to take? Or are we just going to wait and see what happens?
3. FM nominee cautious on large-scale S. Korea-U.S. exercises, notes need for ‘proper level’ of drills
Yonhap News Agency · 송상호 · February 5, 2021
I hope the Foreign Minister nominee will pay attention to the professionals in MOFA and MND regarding exercises. The Moon administration has to learn that making exercise concessions to Kim Jong-Un will not achieve the results it desires.
Setting aside the erroneous statement of "retaking wartime operations control from Washington"(more of the myth of OPCON transition), the problem is not a binary one—OPCON transition versus diplomacy with North Korea. It leaves out the fact that readiness is critically important when you face an existential threat, which North Korea represents. We have become too complacent over the last 70 years, because deterrence has been so successful. But there are catastrophic events that could take place—from the worst case of a North Korean attack to all the complexities of internal instability and regime collapse. The combined ROK/US military must be able to deter war, defend the ROK, defeat the NKPA, conduct post conflict/post-collapse stability operations, counter the likely resistance and insurgency that will develop, and provide military support to the political process of unification. Failure to conduct sufficient combined ROK/US training puts all of these missions at risk.
4. U.S. will closely consult with S. Korea on N. Korea: Sullivan
Yonhap News Agency · 변덕근 · February 5, 2021
Yes, I am confident we will. But consultation goes both ways., and I would urge the ROK to closely consult with the US.
5. N.K. paper stresses central leadership to achieve new economic objectives
Yonhap News Agency · 이원주 · February 5, 2021
I am reminded of the one thing I remember from economics in college in the 1970s: no centrally planned and controlled economy can be successful over time.
" ....to understand why socialism must fail, you need to understand Hayek’s argument (which he drew from Ludwig von Mises and elaborated on) that the information that’s most valuable is information held in the hands of millions of individual actors. A central planner simply cannot have the information needed to plan an economy well." - Hayek and Central Planning by David Henderson
But in North Korea's case, the idea of central control is to control the adherence to the ideology and loyalty to the Kim family regime. That is what takes priority—even over effective economic activity.
6. U.N. grants sanctions waiver to S. Korean group for improving drinking water in N.K.
Yonhap News Agency · 이원주 · February 5, 2021
7. N. Korea replaces heads of key farmer and labor groups amid economic drive
Yonhap News Agency · 이원주 · February 5, 2021
The buried lede: a generational shift (or blame the old guys).
8. How are North Korea’s markets doing following the closure of the Sino-North Korean border?
Daily NK · Jang Seul Gi · February 5, 2021
Some interesting information about what is happening in the midst of the COVID lockdown.
9. Kim Jong Un is directly handling results of new COVID-19 hacking organization's work
Daily NK · Jang Seul Gi · February 5, 2021
Kim himself is wielding the "all purpose sword." This illustrates that it is truly all purpose and useful for many tasks.
10. Vice minister of foreign affairs punished for disregarding government's disease control measures
Daily NK · Jong So Yong · February 5, 2021
Beware the "stern warning."
11. South Korea is preparing for a lonelier, scarier future
Economist · February 5, 2021
A bleak assessment of South Korean national security.
But here are some more erroneous statements. We really need a better information plan to inform and educate people (and the press, pundits, and politicos) about the alliance. South Korea has equal say in the alliance. Prove otherwise. All Korean forces are not "handed over" to an American.
12. Biden administration to hold North accountable, emphasize human rights
Korea Joong Ang Daily · Sarah Kim · February 5, 2021
Good news. Who will be the administrations' special envoy for North Korean human rights? South Korea also needs to appoint a human rights ambassador. We have not had human rights ambassadors since Robert King and Lee Jung-hoon.
As a side note, this article is partly based on a VOA report. We should consider the long reach of VOA and how it gets the US news to the world directly and indirectly.
13. Kia seeks partners to build Apple car in Georgia
Wall Street Journal · Tim Higgins, Elizabeth Koh, & Cameron McWhirter · February 5, 2021
An often-overlooked positive aspect of the ROK/US alliance.
14. N. Korea fears internal unrest more than foreign attacks: U.S. intelligence official
Yonhap News Agency · 변덕근 · February 5, 2021
Beware the potential for North Korean instability and regime collapse. We need to pay attention to the indicators and prepare our contingency plans even if it is most likely the regime will continue to muddle through for the foreseeable future (at the expense of 25 million Koreans suffering in the North).
15. Brother of official killed by Pyongyang asks unification ministry to deliver letter to N.K. leader
Yonhap News Agency · 이원주 · February 4, 2021
This is something the MOU should do. Will it?
This is another incident in which the Kim family regime must be held accountable.
16. Yoo withdraws from contest for WTO director general spot
Korea Joong Ang Daily · Lee Ho-Jeong · February 4, 2021
This means the Chinese choice will end up heading the WTO.
17. North Korea cracks down on car window tinting to stop ‘capitalist influence’
Radio Free Asia · Hyemin Son, Leejin Jun, & Eugene Whong · February 4, 2021
Car window tinting? Who would have thought this would be a method to protect the consumption of foreign media.
"Where men are the most sure and arrogant, they are commonly the most mistaken.”
-David Hume
"A person may cause evil to others not only by his actions but by his inaction, and in either case he is justly accountable to them for the injury."
- John Stuart Mill
"Great thoughts speak only to the thoughtful mind, but great actions speak to all mankind."
- Theodore Roosevelt