News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Duncan Moore.
1. South Korean military preparedness in the shadow of the pandemic
2. N. Korea says no confirmed cases of coronavirus as of early Dec.: WHO
3. USFK service members may be first in Korea vaccinated for COVID-19
4. S. Korea 'very encouraged' by signs from Biden administration: Kang
5. Commentary: North Korea braces itself for one of its toughest winters ever
6. Trump's North Korea envoy says Pyongyang 'squandered' chance for historic nuclear deal
7. U.S. sanctions companies helping North Korea export illegal coal
8. Yongsan military base back in Korean hands in 138 years
9. Dismantlement of Yongbyon complex should not be underrated: US expert
10. N. Korea is planning an event to glorify the Eighth Party Congress in January
11. The dangerous dance of dealing with a nuclear North Korea
12. South Korea accelerates deployment of unmanned systems
13. U.S. spy plane flies from South Korea into Taiwanese air space
14. 'Korea's democracy in crisis'
15. The Biden Administration and North Korea
16. Kim Yo Jong: what we know about Kim Jong Un’s sister and her role in North Korea
17. ‘Is this Seoul, or Pyongyang?’: in Moon’s Korea, defectors from North face jail for propaganda fliers
18. Left behind: North Korean coalmines fueled by South's POWs
19. Experts weigh in on how Biden should approach North Korea
20. Careless talk costs lives: a North Korean execution
21. 'Assassins': traitor or innocent? A look at the mysterious deaths in North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un's family
1. South Korean military preparedness in the shadow of the pandemic
Institute for Securty & Development Policy · In-bum Chun · December 2020
From our good friend, LTG (RET) Chun In-bum.
2. N. Korea says no confirmed cases of coronavirus as of early Dec.: WHO
Yonhap News Agency · 이원주 · December 11, 2020
The WHO has no way to verify these numbers and can only report what North Korea tells it.
3. USFK service members may be first in Korea vaccinated for COVID-19
Korea Times · Do Je-hae · December 10, 2020
4. S. Korea ‘very encouraged’ by signs from Biden administration: Kang
Yonhap News Agency · 변덕근 · December 11, 2020
I think Minister Kang might be mistaken if she believes the Biden administration will provide sanctions relief and concessions to the North and support the South's naive engagement plans. Yes, there will be good coordination and collaboration, but I am hoping the first thing the Biden administration will do with South Korea is conduct an alliance policy and strategy assessment and make sure ROK and US assumptions about the nature and objectives of the Kim family regime are sufficiently aligned.
5. Commentary: North Korea braces itself for one of its toughest winters ever
Channel News Asia · Gabriela Bernal · December 11, 2020
Sadly, bad times are coming for the Korean people living in the North. It could be worse than the. Arduous march of the great famine of 1994-1996.
6. Trump’s North Korea envoy says Pyongyang ‘squandered’ chance for historic nuclear deal
Washington Times · Guy Taylor · December 10, 2020
Yes, the responsibility lies entirely with Kim Jong-Un. Squandering is an apt description.
7. U.S. sanctions companies helping North Korea export illegal coal
FDD · Mathew Ha · December 10, 2020
My colleague, Mathew Ha, explains the latest sanctions enforcement action.
8. Yongsan military base back in Korean hands in 138 years
Korea Times · Yi Whan-woo · December 11, 2020
The headline is a little misleading. Part of Yongsan Garrison has been returned - 2 sports fields. There is still a way to go for the entire installation.
9. Dismantlement of Yongbyon complex should not be underrated: US expert
Korea Herald · Yonhap · December 11, 2020
Yes, but... There is much more to the regime's nuclear program than Yongbyon. We can be sure that when the regime really does dismantle Yongbyon it will be because it is no longer needed, and they have other facilities that can do what is done there.
10. N. Korea is planning an event to glorify the Eighth Party Congress in January
Daily NK · Ha Yoon Ah · December 11, 2020
The regime's strength lies in parades, parties, events, and celebrations. To riff on Murphy's laws - no parade ready force has ever passed combat and no combat ready force has ever passed parades!
11. The dangerous dance of dealing with a nuclear North Korea
Hill · Joseph R. DeTrani · December 10, 2020
But is it a two-step, waltz, or polka?
12. South Korea accelerates deployment of unmanned systems
Defense News · Brian Kim · December 10, 2020
Some interesting innovation here.
13. U.S. spy plane flies from South Korea into Taiwanese air space
UPI · Elizabeth Shim · December 10, 2020
Strategic flexibility of Korea-based US assets?
14. 'Korea's democracy in crisis'
Korea Times · Jung Da-min · December 10, 2020
Growing public criticism of Korean domestic politics.
15. The Biden Administration and North Korea
Diplomat · Isozaki Atsuhito · December 10, 2020
A view from Japan.
16. Kim Yo Jong: what we know about Kim Jong Un’s sister and her role in North Korea
Wall Street Journal · Andrew Jeong · December 9, 2020
This was my Twitter comment to someone who said, "Let's not forget who she is:"
She is part of the evilest regime in the modern era, which is responsible for some of the most horrendous crimes against humanity and human rights abuses against the Korean people living in the North. Pure evil. Let us never forget that.
17. ‘Is this Seoul, or Pyongyang?’: in Moon’s Korea, defectors from North face jail for propaganda fliers
South China Morning Post · John Power · December 11, 2020
The ROK government is making a huge mistake. I hope the Moon administration will reconsider this.
18. Left behind: North Korean coalmines fueled by South's POWs
Barron's · Sunghee Hwang · December 10, 2020
Another sad story illustrating the evil nature of the Kim family regime.
19. Experts weigh in on how Biden should approach North Korea
UPI · Thomas Maresca · December 10, 2020
20. Careless talk costs lives: a North Korean execution
24 Matins · Sunghee Hwang · December 11, 2020
I cannot emphasize this enough: the root of all problems in Korea is the existence of the mafia-like, crime family cult known as the Kim family regime that has the objective of dominating the Korean Peninsula under the rule of the Guerrilla Dynasty and Gulag State.
21. 'Assassins': traitor or innocent? A look at the mysterious deaths in North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un's family
MEAWW · Priyanka Sundar · December 10, 2020
I still have not seen any information on when and where this film will be shown in the US.
“Manners are of more importance than laws. Upon them, in a great measure, the laws depend.”
- Edmund Burke, First Letter on a Regicide Peace (1796)
"It was indicative of the U.S. Army's basic misunderstanding of what Special Forces really are, that the official Lineage of Special Forces is traced back to the First Special Service Force. The OSS was a much more legitimate ancestor of today's Green Berets but the problem with U.S. Army recognition of that fact is a syndrome that has wide implications. OSS was a hybrid with a strong political and intelligence flavor."
- LTG (USA-ret.) William P. Yarborough, Southern Pines, NC, December 1982
"An opinion can be argued with; a conviction is best shot."
- T.E. Lawrence