04/11/2021 News & Commentary – Korea
News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Daniel Riggs.
1. Bolton: North Korea Unlikely to Denuclearize Under Kim
2. Google sees new trick in renewed North Korea cyber attacks
3. COVAX Vaccine Supply to N. Korea before May Unlikely
4. N. Korea marks 9th anniversary of Kim Jong-un’s leadership with call for loyalty
5. S. Korea, U.S. authorities assess N.K. has completed building new 3,000-ton submarine: sources
6. Cheong Wa Dae denies report U.S. requested S. Korea join Quad
7. AstraZeneca vaccine rollout resumed, those under 30 excluded (South Korea)
8. A revolt by the young (South Korea Election)
9. Moon to reshuffle Cabinet as early as this week
10. North Korea’s SLBM threat looms large
11. First Comes Iran, Then Comes North Korea
12. Beware the rise of state-sponsored cyberattacks
13. Kim warns North Korea faces famine horror similar to 90s crisis that left ‘millions’ dead
14. Intelligence Sources: North Korea Nears Completion of New Submarine
1. Bolton: North Korea Unlikely to Denuclearize Under Kim
voanews.com · by William Gallo
Not hyperbole: “Bolton said Pyongyang’s capacity to proliferate its nuclear weaponry is one of the imminent threats Washington must face.
“We do know this,” Bolton said. “If Iran made a wire transfer of a substantial amount of money to North Korea, they could have a North Korean nuclear warhead within a matter of days and so could anybody else with the same financial assets.”
2. Google sees new trick in renewed North Korea cyber attacks
foxnews.com · by Brooke Crothers
Excerpts: “The blog contained analysis of publicly disclosed cyber vulnerabilities and included “guest” posts from “unwitting legitimate security researchers,” in order to “build additional credibility with other security researchers,” Google said.
After reaching out to targeted researchers, the cyber actors offered to collaborate on cybersecurity research, then provided a Microsoft program, Visual Studio Project, that contained malicious code, Google said.
Google also observed several cases where targeted researchers unwittingly installed malware after visiting a blog. “Shortly thereafter, a malicious service was installed on the researcher’s system,” according to Google.
Even sophisticated researchers can fall for ploys by cyber criminals, Brian Martin, vice president of vulnerability Intelligence at Risk Based Security, told Fox News.
3. COVAX Vaccine Supply to N. Korea before May Unlikely
world.kbs.co.kr · April 11, 2021
4. N. Korea marks 9th anniversary of Kim Jong-un’s leadership with call for loyalty
en.yna.co.kr · by 이원주 · April 11, 2021
Even though every Korean in the north knows you do not survive or and certainly cannot thrive without demonstrating personal loyalty to Kim Jong-un and the regime must still call for loyalty. It is all the regime has: forced or fake loyalty.
5. S. Korea, U.S. authorities assess N.K. has completed building new 3,000-ton submarine: sources
en.yna.co.kr · by 이원주 · April 11, 2021
Excerpts: “”Both South Korea and U.S. intelligence authorities made the assessment that North Korea has already finished building the 3,000-ton submarine unveiled in July 2019,” according to sources.
“The authorities assess that North Korea is reviewing the right timing to roll out the submarine for a strategic effect, including maximizing pressure against the United States,” a source said.
The source added that the North could reveal the submarine at a launching ceremony and actually roll out an SLBM, such as the Pukguksong-3.
6. Cheong Wa Dae denies report U.S. requested S. Korea join Quad
en.yna.co.kr · by 이원주 · April 11, 2021
I doubt we did. I believe South Korea knows full well our position and recommendation and there is no reason to make a request. Korea knows it has an open invitation because it is a like minded democracy that supports the rules-based international order. I think the diplomats and national security professionals in the administration know that South Korea has to make the decision without coercion (by the US – the PRC’s action could cause a kind of reverse coercion). As much as we believe it is very much in South Korea’s interests it is a conclusion South Korea leaders must reach on their own.
7. AstraZeneca vaccine rollout resumed, those under 30 excluded (South Korea)
en.yna.co.kr · by 강윤승 · April 11, 2021
8. A revolt by the young (South Korea Election)
koreajoongangdaily.joins.com · Lee Jung-min
Interesting analysis of the recent election.
Excerpt: “That’s an astounding turnaround in Korea’s election history. In the parliamentary elections just a year ago, the young generation voted against the PPP citing its image as an old party of corruption. At the time, 56 percent of voters in their 20s — and 61 percent of those in their 30s — gave overwhelming support to the DP, while only 32 percent of the first group and 30 percent of the second group voted for the United Future Party, the predecessor of the PPP. The younger generation was an ally loyal to the liberal DP since the election of Park Won-soon as Seoul mayor in the 2011 by-election.
After the DP’s sweeping victory in the parliamentary elections last April following the presidential election in May 2017 and local elections in June 2018, however, schisms began to appear in the solid alliance between the 20-30 generation and the liberal party because of all the hypocrisy and arrogance of the DP despite it championed fairness and justice. A revolt by the young generation has spread like magma erupting from a volcano since then. Members of the young group started shifting to Oh’s bandwagon one after another. On April 4, three days before the mayoral by-elections, I went to a rally staged by Oh’s supporters who gathered around the rear gate of Children’s Grand Park in eastern Seoul to share their feelings about the DP and government.
9. Moon to reshuffle Cabinet as early as this week
The Korea Times · April 11, 2021
Suffer an election defeat and fire your unelected cabinet members.
10. North Korea’s SLBM threat looms large
The Korea Times · by Jung Da-min · April 11, 2021
As a reminder the response to this threat is NOT for South Korea to build a nuclear powered submarine.
11. First Comes Iran, Then Comes North Korea
ozy.com · by John McLaughlin · April 8, 2021
Kim Jong-un might like being 2d priority. He could react to this.
Conclusion: “The bottom line: The Biden team is right to give first priority to Iran, because it can still be deterred from the nuclear path that North Korea has already taken. But when the administration turns to North Korea later, it will have to include among its goals measures to guard against Pyongyang diluting or undoing whatever progress it may have made with Iran.”
12. Beware the rise of state-sponsored cyberattacks
The Spectator · by Arieh Kovler · April 8, 2021
Especially from north Korea!
13. Kim warns North Korea faces famine horror similar to 90s crisis that left ‘millions’ dead
Express · by John Varga · April 11, 2021
Just take a step back from the immediate crisis in the north and think about how the Korean people in the north have suffered so much and yet have survived through decades of extreme hardship. The resilience of the Korean people in the north is a testament to the strength of human beings and their will to survive. We should have great respect for the people.
14. Intelligence Sources: North Korea Nears Completion of New Submarine
19fortyfive.com · by ByHarry Kazianis · April 11, 2021
————
“In the moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing to do. The worst thing you can do is nothing.”
– Theodore Roosevelt
“It is high time the ideal of success should be replaced with the ideal of service.”
– Albert Einstein
“True leadership is the art of changing a group from what it is into what it ought to be.”
– Virginia Allan