9/23/2020 News & Commentary – Korea

News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Daniel Riggs

1. Full text of President Moon Jae-in's speech at 75th Session of United Nations General Assembly

2. Trump leaves out N. Korea for first time in U.N. speech

3. Republic of Korea stresses support for developing nations during COVID-19

4. Korean War 'Must End, Completely and for Good,' Moon Tells UN

5. Possible missile carrier spotted at N.Korea parade practice, U.S. think-tank says

6. Fisheries official goes missing in waters near sea border with N. Korea

7. North Korea: Not Another Summit Until Progress at Working-Level Talks

8. What tighter Party membership requirements may say about North Korean society

9. N. Korea plans outdoor fireworks show to celebrate Party Foundation Day

10. Moon says military plays 'safety pin' role in tumultuous peace process

11. Kim Jong-un Insists N.Korea Needs Nuclear Deterrent

12. North Korea prepares for military parade despite pandemic fears

13. UN Experts See North Korean Nuclear Gains | Arms Control Association

14. Moon's offer of declaring end to Korean War aimed at jump-starting peace process, Cheong Wa Dae says

15. Pyongyang General Hospital project hits a snag: defective insulators

16.Kim Jong-un FURY: North Korean faces death by firing squad for petty crime

17. Moon's UN speech falls flat

18. Defense minister to take Air Force tanker plane to U.S. for Opcon talks

 

1. Full text of President Moon Jae-in's speech at 75th Session of United Nations General Assembly

en.yna.co.kr · by 이치동 · September 23, 2020

A lot of Korean media reporting (and some UN reporting) on President Moon's speech.

President Moon delivered two speeches at the UN this week, one representing MIKTA (Mexico, Indonesia, Korea, Turkey, and Australia), and one to the UN General Assembly.  Both speeches show that President Moon acted as an international statesman.  He offered sound analysis of key international issues and made superb recommendations to the international community.

However, his remarks on north Korea will likely fall on deaf ears.  While South Korea represents a responsible member of the international community, north Korea does not act in any way like a responsible member.

 Kim Jong-un does not share Moon Jae-in's vision for peace on the peninsula.   The only peace that will satisfy him is one in which the north dominates the entire peninsula and the South ceases to exist. Kim interprets Moon's call for peace as a subversive effort to undermine the regime.  In fact, Kim is mirror-imaging because his real strategy remains based on subversion, coercion/extortion (blackmail diplomacy) and, when necessary and possible, the use of force to dominate the peninsula under the rule of the Guerrilla Dynasty and Gulag State to ensure survival of the Kim family regime.

The ROK, the US, and the international community must re-examine their assumptions about north Korea and develop new policies and strategies that recognize that as long as Kim Jong-un is in power the north will never act as a responsible member of the international community.

 

2. Trump leaves out N. Korea for first time in U.N. speech

en.yna.co.kr · by 변덕근 · September 23, 2020

I wonder if Kim Jong-un will feel slighted?  He will make up for it with his parade on October 10.  That will show the world!  

On a more serious note, I think both the PRC and the US left out north Korea because they do not want to publicly engage on the issue for their own strategic reasons.  The PRC knows the regime is facing significant internal challenges and wants to ensure stability so it does not want to cause the north to react.  The US also does not want to cause a reaction in the north so POTUS can tout his foreign policy "success" with no nuclear testing and no ICBM test launches.  He does not want an October Surprise that would jeopardize what he describes as a success.

 

3. Republic of Korea stresses support for developing nations during COVID-19

news.un.org · September 22, 2020

Report from the UN news on President  Moon's speech.

 

4. Korean War 'Must End, Completely and for Good,' Moon Tells UN

Bloomberg · by Jeong-Ho Lee · September 22, 2020

President Moon is doubling down on a peace process.  What is Kim Jong-un going to have to do to make us understand that our assumption that he wants peace and peaceful co-existence is false?  

That said it would be interesting if the south could generate a peace process and bring Kim to the table.  The emphasis would be on the word "process" which would take a long time.  It took more than two years just to negotiate an Armistice.  But if Kim was willing to come to the table it would be. to support his strategy of subversion and he would conduct his political warfare with Juche characteristics to support his long con and achieve his objectives to dominate the peninsula.

 

5. Possible missile carrier spotted at N.Korea parade practice, U.S. think-tank says

Reuters · by Josh Smith · September 23, 2020

A TEL possibly spotted while President Moon is calling for peace and an end of the war.

 

6. Fisheries official goes missing in waters near sea border with N. Korea

en.yna.co.kr · by 고병준 · September 23, 2020

The north conducting another kidnapping operation?  But finding only his shoes aboard is not a good sign.

 

7. North Korea: Not Another Summit Until Progress at Working-Level Talks

heritage.org · by Bruce Klingner

Excellent run down from Bruce Klingner.  A wise conclusion: The United States should remain open to a negotiated diplomatic resolution to the long-standing North Korean nuclear problem. But Washington should avoid being over-eager to grab at a tempting diplomatic agreement that does not reduce North Korea's military threat but could lead to reduced U.S. pressure or military deterrence in South Korea. As the United States continues pressing for a well-crafted comprehensive agreement, it should maintain current force levels in South Korea and Japan.

But the $64,000 questions is will Kim ever allow substantive working level talks?

 

8. What tighter Party membership requirements may say about North Korean society

nkeconwatch.com · by Benjamin Katzeff Silberstein · September 22, 2020

Key point: "The Party is still, perhaps now more because of the money-making opportunities it gives in the (semi-)private sector, an extremely important institution for social and political advancement, marketization or none."

 

9. N. Korea plans outdoor fireworks show to celebrate Party Foundation Day

dailynk.com · September 22, 2020

Recall Kim Yo Jong asking for a DVD of the US Independence Day celebration.  I am sure she is trying to outdo the US show.

 

10. Moon says military plays 'safety pin' role in tumultuous peace process

en.yna.co.kr · by 이치동 · September 23, 2020

I hope this is some kind of mistranslation.  I think the analogy of the military as a safety pin will create all kinds of satirical memes.  I am sure the military uniform will have a new badge added to it - the order of the safety pin.

But seriously, I think his intent is correct.  The military provides the foundation for a peace process and provides the bulwark to deter war.  It is the strength of the military that can support peace.

 

11. Kim Jong-un Insists N.Korea Needs Nuclear Deterrent

english.chosun.com · September 23, 2020

Kim Jong-un provides his almost completely honest assessment.  He left out that his nuclear program supports blackmail diplomacy as well as provides a critical warfighting capability should Kim judge he can either win a war or he is forced to go to war by internal conditions that threaten the existence of the regime.

Key quote: "Continued strengthening of self-defense capabilities based on nuclear weapons guarantees our autonomy and right to live as well as the prosperity of our nation," he was quoted as saying."

 

12. North Korea prepares for military parade despite pandemic fears

The Telegraph · by Nicola Smith

Because everyone loves a parade and it is the antidote for 3 natural disasters, a failed economy, and a pandemic.  This is an example of Kim Jong-un's benevolence and how much he cares for the Korean people who are suffering in the north.

 

13. UN Experts See North Korean Nuclear Gains | Arms Control Association

armscontrol.org · by Julia Masterson · September 2020

No surprise here.  But north Korea is not an arms control problem.  For those who advocate establishing an arms control negotiations regime you will be giving Kim exactly what he wants which is to be recognized as a nuclear power and keep his nuclear program.  And to agree to enter into the process he will demand the lifting of sanctions.  Victory for the long con.

 

14. Moon's offer of declaring end to Korean War aimed at jump-starting peace process, Cheong Wa Dae says

en.yna.co.kr · by 이치동 · September 23, 2020

How does a declaration of the end of the war work? Do both north and South Korea agree to it? DO they sign an agreement? Does the UN Command and the Chinese People's Volunteers also agree to it? What happens to UN Security Council Resolutions 82-85 which are still in effect? We should not forget that the UNSCrs designated the north as the aggressor who attacked the South and called on member states to come to the defense of South Korea's freedom.

 

15. Pyongyang General Hospital project hits a snag: defective insulators

dailynk.com · by Jim Yoo Jin ·  September 22, 2020

This is a problem for the regime as it wants this hospital open by October.

This will be another Kim Jong-un failure though we will probably see him blame others and punish them.  But this is an interesting situation and shows the desperation of the regime: " North Korean authorities seemed to view the incident as serious enough to warrant punishment of the factory's management. The source explained, however, that the authorities were so concerned about finishing the hospital's construction on time that they left the factory management in place for the time being so that the facility's insulator production remained undisrupted."

 

16. Kim Jong-un FURY: North Korean faces death by firing squad for petty crime

Express · by Rebecca Perring · September 21, 2020

It may seem like a petty crime to us but information is a deadly threat to the legitimacy and survival of the Kim family regime.

 

17. Moon's UN speech falls flat

koreajoongangdaily.joins.com · by  Ser Myo-Ja

Joongang Ilbo's criticism of the President's speech.

 

18. Defense minister to take Air Force tanker plane to U.S. for Opcon talks

koreajoongangdaily.joins.com · by  Kim Sang-Jin

 

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