1/22/2021 News & Commentary – Korea
News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Duncan Moore.
1. Ex-ambassador to S. Korea Sung Kim appointed acting assistant secretary of state
2. Unification ministry announces guidelines on leafleting ban to clarify ‘scope of application’
3. Bon voyage
4. New virus cases under 400 again; alert in place against potential upticks
5. USFK issues movement restriction order for Kunsan base over virus cases
6. North Korea’s new sub missile is first step toward a new ICBM
7. ‘Outrageous’: North Korea lashes out at Australia’s ‘violations’
8. South Korea remains on guard for provocations from North
9. Moon to accept Britain’s invitation to G-7 summit, official says
10. U.N. Report: more than 45% of North Koreans undernourished
11. North Korea begins human testing of its own COVID-19 vaccine
12. The ins and outs of North Korea’s smartphone security authentications bypass program, Bidulgi
13. Ex-US envoy calls China ‘malign influence,’ urges Seoul to join new alliance
14. No cases? No chance. The truth about North Korea and Covid-19
15. After Trump setbacks, Kim Jong Un starts over with Biden
1. Ex-ambassador to S. Korea Sung Kim appointed acting assistant secretary of state
Yonhap News Agency · 변덕근 · January 22, 2021
A good man.
Now who will be the US Special Representative to North Korea and the US Ambassador for North Korean Human Rights?
2. Unification ministry announces guidelines on leafleting ban to clarify ‘scope of application’
Yonhap News Agency · 이원주 · January 22, 2021
We need a comprehensive sophisticated information and influence activities campaign for the ROK/US alliance.
3. Bon voyage
Korea Joong Ang Daily · NEWS1 · January 22, 2021
4. New virus cases under 400 again; alert in place against potential upticks
Yonhap News Agency · 주경돈 · January 22, 2021
It is only through the implementation of aggressive public health measures that the numbers be reduced.
5. USFK issues movement restriction order for Kunsan base over virus cases
Yonhap News Agency · 오석민 · January 22, 2021
While it appears that South Korea is making improvements in the COVID fight, USFK is experiencing real challenges despite being under a very severe lockdown (shelter in place).
There will be impacts on readiness. Not all work can be done from home. Of course, the only thing that might be worse is the situation in North Korea. Hopefully as long as the North has to deal with COVID measures, it will not be able to execute its campaign plan against the South.
6. North Korea’s New Sub Missile Is First Step Toward a New ICBM
Foreign Policy · Morten Soendergaard Larsen · January 21, 2021
7. ‘Outrageous’: North Korea lashes out at Australia’s ‘violations’
Yahoo News Australia · Olivia Lambert · January 21, 2021
North Korea; admit nothing, deny everything, make counter accusations.
Here are some counter accusations.
8. South Korea remains on guard for provocations from North
UPI · Elizabeth Shim · January 21, 2021
As we all must. But one thing in our favor may be the COVID situation in the North.
9. Moon to accept Britain’s invitation to G-7 summit, official says
Yonhap News Agency · 이치동 · January 22, 2021
South Korea: a strong middle power.
10. U.N. Report: more than 45% of North Koreans undernourished
UPI · Thomas Maresca · January 21, 2021
The buried lede: as bad and as tragic as things are in North Korea, it is only the worst in the Asia-Pacific region, not the world. There are actually others suffering worse than the Koreans living in the North.
11. North Korea begins human testing of its own COVID-19 vaccine
Daily NK · Jang Seul Gi · January 22, 2021
So, to test the vaccine you would think they would have access to COVID. I wonder if they will do “live agent testing” and deliberately directly expose vaccination testers to the virus. I fear they have about 120,00 test “volunteers” from their gulags.
12. The ins and outs of North Korea’s smartphone security authentications bypass program, Bidulgi
Daily NK · Mun Dong Hui · January 22, 2021
My guess this is an intelligence collection tool. Anyone downloading files will likely be able to be tracked.
It could be that the North Koreans are becoming more and more dependent on information technology. As this dependence increases, more vulnerabilities will be created, which will present opportunities for everything – intelligence collection, offensive cyber operations, and penetration of systems to support information and influence activities.
13. Ex-US envoy calls China ‘malign influence,’ urges Seoul to join new alliance
Korea Times · Yi Whan-woo · January 22, 2021
Exit interview for Ambassador Harris.
This last sentence is spoken like a true diplomat. We do need South Korea to join other countries (did not say Quad) to counter Chinese malign influence. South Korea has been one of the chief victims of Chinese malign influence (some would say for about the past 2 or so thousand years).
14. No cases? No chance. The truth about North Korea and Covid-19
Wired · Matt Burgess · January 22, 2021
Two words: “Yeah, right.”
15. After Trump setbacks, Kim Jong Un starts over with Biden
Associated Press · Kim Tong-Hyung · January 22, 2021
It is the last point in the last sentence that we need to make sure Kim understands: if he screws up, he will suffer more.
“We rest our hopes too much upon constitutions, upon laws, and upon courts. These are false hopes; believe me, these are false hopes. Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can save it; no constitution, no law, no court can even do much to help it.”
– Judge Learned Hand
“Science gives us knowledge, but only philosophy can give us wisdom.”
– Will Durant
“The essential thing is action. Action has three stages: the decision born of thought, the order or preparation for execution, and the execution itself. All three stages are governed by the will. The will is rooted in character, and for the man of action character is of more critical importance than intellect. Intellect without will is worthless, will without intellect is dangerous.”
– Hans von Seeckt.
