08/27/2020 News & Commentary – Korea
News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Ahyoung Shin
1. FASTCash 2.0: North Korea’s BeagleBoyz Robbing Banks
2. U.S. warns of global bank heist campaign by North Korean hackers
3. US government exposes North Korean government ATM cashout hacking campaign
4. Typhoon Bavi approaches North Korea, posing another crisis for Kim Jong Un
5. Kim braces North Korea for typhoon that could wipe out crops
6. Who is Chang Song-min, the man behind the Kim Jong-un death rumors?
7. Kim’s younger sister climbs the despot’s ladder. @DavidMaxwell161, and @GordonGChang
8. How Kim Jong Un is confusing the world with contradictory signals
9. North Korea and coronavirus: Hide-and-seek with the world
10. N.K.’s propaganda outlet slams defector-turned-lawmaker for opposing leafleting ban
11. Gov’t backs off on plan to ease rule on contact with N. Koreans
12. N. Korea’s media report on broken trees, inundated streets as Typhoon Bavi makes landfall
13. Coronavirus Infections Rise to Fresh High (South Korea)
14. Baffling photo emerges after Kim Jong-Un’s rumored coma
15. U.S. continues to pursue complete, verifiable North Korea denuclearisation, says Esper
16. South Korea reports 441 new coronavirus cases, most since March
17. Feminine touch or iron first? What we know about Kim Yo-jong
18. Kim Jong-un’s sister disappears from public view
19. My family’s shrouded history is also a national one for Korea
1. FASTCash 2.0: North Korea’s BeagleBoyz Robbing Banks
My colleague, who is a north Korea cyber expert, says this is one of the best organized reports he has seen. There is certainly a lot of information and data in this. I don’t need to state the obvious again, but we need to be very concerned with the entire spectrum of north Korean cyber activities.
2. U.S. warns of global bank heist campaign by North Korean hackers
WSJ · by Dustin Volz and Ian Talley · August 26, 2020
3. US government exposes North Korean government ATM cashout hacking campaign
cyberscoop.com · by Shannon Vavra · August 26, 2020
4. Typhoon Bavi approaches North Korea, posing another crisis for Kim Jong Un
The Washington Post · by Min Joo Kim · August 26, 2020
North Korea just cannot catch a break. I fear things are going to get real bad for a very long time for the Korean people living in the North.
5. Kim braces North Korea for typhoon that could wipe out crops
nationalpost.com · by Jeong-Ho Lee · August 26, 2020
With all that is happening inside North Korea I fear we could see a food crisis on the scale of the 1994-1996 famine this winter.
6. Who is Chang Song-min, the man behind the Kim Jong-un death rumors?
The National Interest · by Mitchell Blatt · August 26, 2020
He has created quite a firestorm. He will forever be known as the pundit (boy) who cried wolf. Hopefully the media will no longer listen to him.
7. Kim’s younger sister climbs the despot’s ladder. @DavidMaxwell161, and @GordonGChang
My discussion with John Batchelor and Gordon Chang on Kim Yo-Jong.
8. How Kim Jong Un is confusing the world with contradictory signals
theprint.in · August 26, 2020
Kim is dealing with multiple crises while trying to protect himself from the coronavirus. Will he conduct another provocation before the election? It is of course always possible, but we need to ask what would he think he would achieve with some kind of provocation?
9. North Korea and coronavirus: Hide-and-seek with the world
DW · by Deutsche Welle
Although I saw a report that some 2000 people were tested and they were all negative, it does not appear the regime is making strong denials of any outbreak in North. Perhaps that is because they admit to one case with the defector in Kaesong.
But I missed this report in June.
10. N.K.’s propaganda outlet slams defector-turned-lawmaker for opposing leafleting ban
en.yna.co.kr · by 고병준 · August 27, 2020
Thae Young-ho is a threat to the North.
11. Gov’t backs off on plan to ease rule on contact with N. Koreans
en.yna.co.kr · by 고병준 · August 27, 2020
The question is will North Korea be receptive to such engagement? I think not unless they find a way to extort these municipalities for large sums of money. I wonder if some think this might be some kind of process that will circumvent sanctions.
12. N. Korea’s media report on broken trees, inundated streets as Typhoon Bavi makes landfall
en.yna.co.kr · by 고병준 · August 27, 2020
Early reporting.
13. Coronavirus Infections Rise to Fresh High (South Korea)
14. Baffling photo emerges after Kim Jong-Un’s rumored coma
I am not clear what is baffling about this photo unless it is the fact people thought he was incapacitated or dead.
15. U.S. continues to pursue complete, verifiable North Korea denuclearisation, says Esper
Reuters · August 27, 2020
Consistent with SECSTATE’s statement in his Congressional testimony on July 30.
16. South Korea reports 441 new coronavirus cases, most since March
straitstimes.com · August 27, 2020
17. Feminine touch or iron first? What we know about Kim Yo-jong
thenewdaily.com.au · by Samantha Dick Reporter · August 26, 2020
Not too much.
18. Kim Jong-un’s sister disappears from public view
english.chosun.com · August 27, 2020
I guess we need to establish a Kim Yo-jong watch. It is August. Perhaps she is on holiday with her family.
19. My family’s shrouded history is also a national one for Korea
The New York Times · by Alexander Chee · August 27, 2020
This provides some insight into the lasting influence and impact of the Japanese occupation of Korea from 1910-1945.
———–
“The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance.
– Marcus Tullius Cicero”
“We don’t rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training.”
– Archilochos
“Be selective about whom you take on as friends, colleagues, and neighbors. The world is full of agreeable and talented folk. The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best. But remember that our moral influence is a two-way street, and we should thus make sure by our own thoughts, words, and deeds to be a positive influence on those we deal with. The real test of personal excellence lies in the attention we give to the often neglected small details of our conduct. Make it your business to draw out the best in others by being an exemplar yourself.”
– Epictetus
