News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Daniel Riggs.
1. ＜Inside N. Korea＞Kim Jong-un regime orders emergency import of medicines:Medical care collapses due to trade restrictions by COVID-19, causing many deaths.
2. North Korea’s Leader Warns of Famine
3. North Korea Mobilizes Women to Solve Construction Labor Shortage
4. Former Moon advisor says S. Korea can’t secure peace if it stands with US
5. White House set to nominate first woman secretary of the Army
6. The rise of domestic extremism in America
7. Countering the Risks of North Korean Nuclear Weapons
8. China's ex-ambassador to Britain named top envoy on Korean Peninsula affairs
9. South Korea’s leaflet ban draws international condemnation on human rights grounds
10. US hearing on North Korea's human rights expected to anger Pyongyang
11. Moon to Meet Biden in May
12. Even With Seoul Paying More, America Can’t Afford to Defend South Korea
13. Moon orders new Marine Corps chief to protect fishermen near border
14. N. Korea begins construction on new political prisoner camp near uranium production facility
15. World watches North as Day of the Sun approaches, U.S. Congress holds hearing
16. North Korean diplomats expelled from Malaysia likely arrive in Beijing
17. N. Korea holds celebrations for founder's birthday in show of confidence in coronavirus handling
18. Outgoing U.S. Indo-Pacific commander awarded top medal from S. Korea
19. N.K. paper calls for establishing company specialized in coastline protection facilities
1. ＜Inside N. Korea＞Kim Jong-un regime orders emergency import of medicines:Medical care collapses due to trade restrictions by COVID-19, causing many deaths.
More indicators that we must observe and assess.
2. North Korea’s Leader Warns of Famine
hrw.org · by Lina Yoon · April 12, 2021
Conclusion: “Kim’s warning may be yet another attempt to take advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic to further tighten his grip on power. The 1990s famine not only killed multitudes but also undermined the government’s repressive rule, as survivors learned to evade food supply programs and set up their own illicit markets. Kim may be using the pandemic to take the country back to when there was an entirely closed border and very few imports. This allowed the government to completely control the distribution of food and supplies while also prohibiting the population from accessing any information not sanctioned by the government from inside or outside the country.”
That is more than arduous. It is terrifying.
3. North Korea Mobilizes Women to Solve Construction Labor Shortage
rfa.org· by Jeong Yon Park · April 12, 2021
It is the women of north Korea who have proven the most resilient and are responsible for the survival of families through the Arduous March of 1994-1996. But if the regime is going to drag them away from their family responsibilities they are going to create suffering on a scale greater than 1994-1996 and it could lead to internal instability.
4. Former Moon advisor says S. Korea can’t secure peace if it stands with US
Hani · April 12, 2021
Moon Chung-in will put the ROK at grave risk with his advice. These are very dangerous ideas.
5. White House set to nominate first woman secretary of the Army
Defense News · by Jen Judson · April 12, 2021
History.
6. The rise of domestic extremism in America
The Washington Post · by Robert O'Harrow Jr., Andrew Ba Tran, and Derek Hawkins · April 12, 2021
Please go to the link to view the graphics.
7. Countering the Risks of North Korean Nuclear Weapons
RAND · April 13, 2021
I participated in this event last evening and I was a reviewer on this report.
The 120 report can be downloaded here.
I am reminded of Sir Lawrence Freedman: "Deterrence works. Until it doesn't." This reports looks at the way north Korea will likely employ nuclear weapons during armistice and conflict. It makes a number of provocative recommendations and provides some unique analysis that is worthy of study and reflection.
8. China's ex-ambassador to Britain named top envoy on Korean Peninsula affairs
upi.com · Elizabeth Shim · April 12, 2021
As we wait to learn who will be the US Special Representative for north Korea.
What does it mean for China policy toward Korea? After all, personnel is policy.
Excerpts: “In 2017, Liu wrote an editorial published in The Telegraph that claimed China does not hold the "master key" to the "North Korean crisis," after former President Donald Trump threatened "fire and fury" against North Korea.
"China is ready to help, but you cannot put out a fire if someone continues to pour oil over it -- or find fault with or even frustrate firefighting efforts," Liu said at the time.
9. South Korea’s leaflet ban draws international condemnation on human rights grounds
onekoreanetwork.com · April 13, 2021
This will be a very interesting hearing. Details here.
Here are the witnesses:
Panel I
Gordon G. Chang, Author, Losing South Korea and Nuclear Showdown: North Korea Takes on the World
- Hon. Inho Lee, Former Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Russian Federation under President Kim Dae Jung and Professor Emerita of Seoul National University
- John Sifton, Asia Advocacy Director, Human Rights Watch
- Suzanne Scholte, Seoul Peace Prize Laureate and Chair, North Korea Freedom Coalition
- Jessica Lee, Senior Research Fellow for East Asia, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft
10. US hearing on North Korea's human rights expected to anger Pyongyang
The Korea Times · by Nam Hyun-woo · April 13, 2021
Yes I think holding the human rights hearing on April 15 (Kim Il Sung's birthday) is a great way to "honor" the most despotic regime in the modern era that is guilty of crimes against humanity against the Korean people living in the north.
11. Moon to Meet Biden in May
english.chosun.com · April 13, 2021
Note: Biden meets Suga in Washington this Friday.
12. Even With Seoul Paying More, America Can’t Afford to Defend South Korea
Foreign Policy · by Doug Bandow · April 12, 2021
Dangerous words from Mr. Bandow: “Washington officials constantly talk of North Korea as a threat to the United States. It is not. North Korea is a threat to South Korea and the U.S.-South Korean alliance, which is very different. That can be easily remedied by the United States—by leaving the ever-stronger South to take over its own defense.”
Following his advice will lead to conflict in Northeast Asia and that will have a direct impact on the American people.
13. Moon orders new Marine Corps chief to protect fishermen near border
m-en.yna.co.kr · by 이치동 · April 13, 2021
This is not a new threat.
14. N. Korea begins construction on new political prisoner camp near uranium production facility - Daily NK
dailynk.com · Seulkee Jang · April 13, 2021
For all those who criticize me for saying human rights is a national security issue - this is one reason why. The north uses its slave labor (prisoners) for uranium mining to support its nuclear program and other illicit activities.
Excerpts: “The authorities plan to send the prisoners to uranium mines and processing facilities to produce uranium concentrate immediately after they enter the camp, based on the source’s account.
According to the source, the Pyongsan Uranium Concentrate Plant needs more manpower to expand uranium-related production, so the authorities decided to mobilize prisoners to supplement the labor shortage.”
And note this: “There are also rumors of North Korea smuggling concentrated uranium produced in Pyongsan to Iran, Syria, Qatar, and Egypt, which lend weight to claims that North Korean authorities are expanding the production of concentrated uranium.
In fact, Daily NK’s source claimed that North Korea is smuggling uranium ore in addition to concentrated uranium.
“As far as I know, China requested uranium ore, not concentrated uranium,” the source explained. “It’s not just that China doesn’t trust North Korea’s refinement capabilities. This way, they can also get uranium ore for a lower price.”
15. World watches North as Day of the Sun approaches, U.S. Congress holds hearing
Koreajoongdaily · by Yoo Jee-Hye, Park Hyun-Ju, and Sarah Kim · April 13, 2021
Will this result in a north Korean provocation? I will not predict one but I would not rule one out.
16. North Korean diplomats expelled from Malaysia likely arrive in Beijing
thejakartapost.com · by The Jakarta Post · April 13, 2021
The question is will north Korea and Malaysia eventually return to the status quo? It is in both their financial interests to do so.
Excerpts: “North Korea had apparently used Malaysia as a hub to raise money for leader Kim Jong Un and his government in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions, as its citizens had been allowed to enter the Southeast Asian nation without visa.
Before leaving the embassy in Kuala Lumpur, North Korean Charge d'Affaires Kim Yu Song read out a statement in which he slammed Malaysia for being "subservient" to the United States and laid all responsibility at the country's feet.”
17. N. Korea holds celebrations for founder's birthday in show of confidence in coronavirus handling
en.yna.co.kr · by 고병준 · April 13, 2021
The only thing we can really have confidence is that the regime continues to be able to control the narrative about COVID.
18. Outgoing U.S. Indo-Pacific commander awarded top medal from S. Korea
en.yna.co.kr · by 오석민 · April 13, 2021
19. N.K. paper calls for establishing company specialized in coastline protection facilities
en.yna.co.kr · by 고병준 · April 13, 2021
A major threat to the north is mother nature.
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Just a reminder:
George F. Kennan defined political warfare as “the logical application of Clausewitz’s doctrine in time of peace.” While stopping short of the direct kinetic confrontation between two countries’ armed forces, “political warfare is the employment of all the means at a nation's command… to achieve its national objectives.” A country embracing Political Warfare conducts “both overt and covert” operations in the absence of declared war or overt force-on-force hostilities. Efforts “range from such overt actions as political alliances, economic measures…, and ‘white’ propaganda to such covert operations as clandestine support of ‘friendly’ foreign elements, ‘black’ psychological warfare and even encouragement of underground resistance in hostile states.” See George Kennan, "Policy Planning Memorandum." May 4, 1948.
http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/history/johnson/65ciafounding3.htm
Political warfare is the use of political means to compel an opponent to do one's will, based on hostile intent. The term political describes the calculated interaction between a government and a target audience to include another state's government, military, and/or general population. Governments use a variety of techniques to coerce certain actions, thereby gaining relative advantage over an opponent. The techniques include propaganda and psychological operations (PSYOP), which service national and military objectives respectively. Propaganda has many aspects and a hostile and coercive political purpose. Psychological operations are for strategic and tactical military objectives and may be intended for hostile military and civilian populations. Smith, Paul A., On Political War (Washington: National Defense University Press, 1989)
https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a233501.pdf
"No one understood better than Stalin that the true object of propaganda is neither to convince nor even to persuade, but to produce a uniform pattern of public utterance in which the first trace of unorthodox thought immediately reveals itself as a jarring dissonance."
- Alan Bullock, British historian