News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Ahyoung Shin
1. S. Korea, US set to launch combined summertime exercise next week
2. What Sort of Deal Would North Korea Strike with Donald Trump?
3. OECD sees South Korea growth to outperform all others this year
4. N. Korea's border dam remains partially open amid heavy rains: JCS
5. US Forces Korea reports five more coronavirus cases as it eases restrictions
6. South Korea is developing its own Iron Dome-type defense system
7. China Inside Out: A wake up call from a South Korean perspective (3)
8. Defense Ministry plans to build enhanced ballistic missile submarines
9. N.Korea Suffers Devastating Floods
10. South Korean Enlisted Soldiers to Get Steep Pay Rise
11. South Korea: Will Soldiers' Pay Rise Do Any Good?
12. Soldier arrested after sneaking past Pyongyang's tight security
13. Teetering towards Armageddon: North Korea triggers alarm bells as warning issued to Trump
14. North Korea prostitution conspiracy: Kim Jong-un EXECUTES officials as war on sex erupts
1. S. Korea, US set to launch combined summertime exercise next week
koreaherald.com · August 11, 2020
OPCON Transition - political leaders (e.g., Moon) focus on time-based transition (before end of his term). Military professionals focus on conditions-based transition.
2. What Sort of Deal Would North Korea Strike with Donald Trump?
The National Interest · by Doug Bandow · August 10, 2020
Please do not show this to President Trump (not because of the insults from Mr. Bandow but because of the danger of his blueprint coming true).
But seriously, this satire does in a humorous way describe Kim Jong-un's political warfare strategy in support of his long con which is to get sanctions relief while keeping his nuclear weapons. But most importantly, this supports the ultimate strategy of the regime: the intermediate objective of getting US forces off the peninsula so the Guerrilla Dynasty and Gulag State can finally dominate the Korean peninsula.
So I very rarely agree with Mr. Bandow, but this satire is spot on because it so accurately describes the thinking and nature of Kim Jong-un and his regime. Mr. Bandow is to be commended.
3. OECD sees South Korea growth to outperform all others this year
Reuters · by Cynthia Kim · August 11, 2020
A left-handed compliment? South Korea is doing better than most because it is doing "less bad."
4. N. Korea's border dam remains partially open amid heavy rains: JCS
en.yna.co.kr · by 이원주 · August 11, 2020
But has the North done any coordination or information exchange with the South? Apparently not.
5. US Forces Korea reports five more coronavirus cases as it eases restrictions
Stars and Stripes · by Kim Gamel · August 10, 2020
6. South Korea is developing its own Iron Dome-type defense system
jpost.com · by Celia Jean · August 11, 2020
I hope South Korea can make this work. I suppose if any country can develop a technical solution it could be the ROK. But what about a defense against the 6000 or so systems that can mass artillery fire that North Korea can bring to bear on the greater Seoul Metropolitan Area?
7. China Inside Out: A wake up call from a South Korean perspective (3)
From a Korean conservative perspective. Advice for the US on communist United Front tactics. I do not intend this to be a partisan statement against one political party. But I think it is useful to examine United front Tactics from a South Korean perspective and for application in the US.
8. Defense Ministry plans to build enhanced ballistic missile submarines
m.koreaherald.com · August 10, 2020
I think nuclear powered submarines may be unhelpful and a waste of resources for South Korea. It appears to be a vanity project to me.
9. N.Korea Suffers Devastating Floods
english.chosun.com · August 10, 2020
Surely the Korean people in the North are suffering terribly under these conditions which is made worse by the incompetence of the Kim family regime.
10. South Korean Enlisted Soldiers to Get Steep Pay Rise
I commend the South Korean modernization program that includes a focus on the soldier even if it is only due to a campaign promise. Note the criticism.
11. South Korea: Will Soldiers' Pay Rise Do Any Good?
english.chosun.com · August 11, 2020
Note the comments about dwindling manpower (the low birth rate in Korea is reducing the number of military age males available for conscription).
Although I have only read what has been reported in the press about the 2021-2025 modernization plan, what I have not read about is a way to mitigate the manpower challenge. The theory is a more high tech and lethal military can be more effective with fewer soldiers and therefore soldiers can be paid more. We should be under no illusion, modern war on the Korean peninsula (or instability and regime collapse in the north) will be just as manpower intensive as in the past. The way to sustain a larger manpower pool is through the development and sustainment of a large well trained (or at least adequately trained) reserve force. The South should be focusing on sustaining a pool of trained reservists for 10 years from age 25 through 35 they should receive sufficient pay to train one weekend a month and two weeks in the year rather than a short mobilization period once per year. But this will be expensive and require a significant paradigm shift for the ROK military (and citizens).
12. Soldier arrested after sneaking past Pyongyang's tight security
dailynk.com · by Jeong Tae Joo · August 11, 2020
So I guess there is adequate testing capability in Pyongyang. But if the first step with a captured deserter is to test him for the coronavirus then it seems likely there is some kind of outbreak and the regime is sacred. Note the priority is on Pyongyang and keeping it isolated from the virus that might come from the provinces.
13. Teetering towards Armageddon: North Korea triggers alarm bells as warning issued to Trump
Express · by Ciaran McGrath · August 10, 2020
I am unfamiliar with Ruth-Ann Monti and her book North Korea in 100 Facts. She does make some good points about Kim not giving up his nuclear weapons.
On sanctions she has the views of many in that leaders are rarely affected by sanctions. However, like many, she misses the point. Yes, Kim is circumventing some of the effects of sanctions due to his illicit activities as well as the support of China and Russia. But Kim is affected by the sanctions in that he has failed to get lifted after he raised expectations among his elite and the military that he could successfully "play" Trump and Moon. This failure is more important than the loss of funds and resources due to the sanctions. It is what is ultimately going to cause him to reassess his strategy or will cause the elite and the military to do so. This is why we have to stay the course and cannot go wobbly on sanctions relief.
14. North Korea prostitution conspiracy: Kim Jong-un EXECUTES officials as war on sex erupts
Express · by Ciaran McGrath · August 10, 2020
No one can have sex but Kim Jong-un I guess. But the young student women are treated horribly. I do not understand how anyone can support or make excuses for the evil Kim family regime.
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“The world has achieved brilliance without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants.”
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