03/21/2021 News & Commentary – Korea
News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Daniel Riggs.
1. Does North Korea Keep Lloyd Austin Up at Night?
2. North’s diplomats expelled from Malaysia
3. Washington stresses Seoul’s ‘input’ in NK policy review
4. [Contribution] The Korea-US alliance: A bona fide comprehensive partnership (from South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister)
5. Uncertain future ahead for US-North Korea dialogue
6. North Korean defectors talk about escape, new life in South in English
7. ‘I Am the Man’ (Korea and refugees and academics)
8. Costa Rica aims to become the Korea of South America
9. U.S. calls on China to play ‘critical’ role in nuke talks
10. North Korean move a decade in the making (Malaysia)
1. Does North Korea Keep Lloyd Austin Up at Night?
The National Interest · by Doug Bandow · March 20, 2021
So much to address in this address essay but I will focus on this excerpt:
“Of course, America’s vast arsenal ensures that North Korea will not sua sponte initiate a nuclear exchange—Kim Jong-un is not suicidal and has demonstrated no desire to die in a radioactive funeral pyre in Pyongyang. Indeed, the North never had any interest in attacking the United States. The ruling Kims simply wanted the United States to stay out of any new round in what amounts to a continuing Korean civil war.”
First, while I cannot prove Kim has any interest in attacking north Korea, I do not think the author can make the definitive statement that the north never had any interest in attacking the north. It is dangerous to build a national security strategy on the assumption the enemy will not attack (Sun Tzu said, “Never assume the enemy will not attack, make yourself invincible”). The author goes on to argue about trading a US city for Seoul and implicitly provides his basic thesis that we should simply abandon South Korea because of the second part of the excerpt above – renewed hostilities would simply be a resumption of the Korean Civil War that began in June 1059 (or perhaps 1948 or even 1945. I agree with the author that the situation on the Korean peninsula is a civil war and that the UN Security Council recognized that its resolution 82-85 when it identified the north as the hostile aggressor and called on member states to come to the aid of South Korea to maintain its freedom. That remains the fundamental conflict – the authoritarian, totalitarian family dynastic dictatorship of the north against the free and democratic South. This is why Para 60 of the 1953 Armistice is so important. We must find a solution to the “Korea question,” the unnatural division of the peninsula. The bottomline is the only way we are going to see an end to the nuclear program and threats as well as the human rights abuses and crimes against humanity being committed against the Korean people living in the north by the mafia-like crime family cult known as the Kim family regime is through achievement of unification and the establishment of a United Republic of Korea that is secure and stable, non-nuclear, economically vibrant, and unified under a liberal constitutional form of government based on individual liberty, rule of law, and human rights as determined by the Korean people. In short, a United Republic of Korea (UROK).
2. North’s diplomats expelled from Malaysia
koreajoongangdaily.joins.com · by Sarah Kim
I wonder what is going to happen to all the Malaysia-north Korean joint venture businesses (with Office 39 of north Korea)
3. Washington stresses Seoul’s ‘input’ in NK policy review
koreaherald.com · by Ahn Sung-mi · March 19, 2021
This is key to a strong alliance partnership. But differences in views and input will need to be resolved, the most difficult one is ensuring sufficient alignment of strategic assumptions about the nature and objectives of the Kim family regime.
4. [Contribution] The Korea-US alliance: A bona fide comprehensive partnership
koreaherald.com · by Choi Jong Kun · March 18, 2021
I wonder if this was published in the Korean language for the Korean public.
No specific mention of north Korea and its threats to the South, the region, and the US except for the allusion to the peace process that the Moon administration desires.
5. Uncertain future ahead for US-North Korea dialogue
The Korea Times · by Kang Seung-woo · March 21, 2021
It is only uncertain because Kim Jong-un is executing a political warfare strategy and is currently refusing to engage. I am sure Kim is trying to shape the environment to try to create the conditions so that the only way for there to be talks is if the US agrees to lift sanctions. The US should not give concessions solely for the possibility of having talks. The US and the ROK/US alliance need to execute a superior form of political warfare to successfully compete with north Korea.
6. North Korean defectors talk about escape, new life in South in English
The Korea Times · March 21, 2021
Excerpts:
“I believed the threat of crocodiles, I had even come to believe that I had seen them. I had been delivering these fabricated memories to many people,” Pak said, concluding the speech by challenging audience members to think about myths that they might believe are true.
The first prize winner, who identified herself as Gloria, was repatriated back to North Korea twice before she settled in South Korea in 2007. She gave an inspiring speech on how she overcame hardships as a disabled woman who defected from North Korea.
The second prize went to a man who wished to be known as Dave, who entertained the audience with anecdotes about traveling to more than 50 countries since 2015.
Prior to the contest, the refugees were invited to apply through a meeting with FSI co-founders Lartigue and Lee, and then they submitted a draft of their speeches in either Korean or English.”
7. ‘I Am the Man’ (Korea and refugees and academics)
The Korea Times · Casey Lartigue Jr. · March 18, 2021
An interesting perspective on academics and think tanks.
Excerpts:
“My education about academics began in 2002 when I was working as an education policy analyst at the Cato Institute in Washington, D.C. I had noticed that university professors were declining my invitation to speak at a conference I was organizing to mark the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education ruling.
Finally, one professor told me directly: Most university professors look down on think tank scholars, activists, and public speakers. Academics with long careers wouldn’t respect that I suddenly appeared and seemed to be on TV a few minutes later.
Almost two decades later, I still believe his words, and see them as an explanation about the treatment of North Korean refugee speakers and authors in academic circles.”
8. Costa Rica aims to become the Korea of South America
koreajoongangdaily.joins.com · Esther Chung
But it cannot be like South Korea unless it is divided, fights a civil war and has an existential threat to its north.
Okay, my snarky comments aside, it is interesting that Costa Rica chose South Korea as a role model.
9. U.S. calls on China to play ‘critical’ role in nuke talks
koreajoongangdaily.joins.com · by Sarah Kim
But what incentive does China have to cooperate on north Korea? What is the quid pro quo for Chinese cooperation?
10. North Korean move a decade in the making (Malaysia)
NST · by Shazelina Zainul Abidin · March 20, 2021
———–
“When evil men plot, good men must plan. When evil men burn and bomb, good men must build and bind. When evil men shout ugly words of hatred, good men must commit themselves to the glories of love. Where evil men would seek to perpetuate an unjust status quo, good men must seek to bring into being a real order of justice.”
– Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
“I think the important thing about my appointment is not that I will decide cases as a woman, but that I am a woman who will get to decide cases.”
– Sandra Day O’Connor
“Nothing is more false than the notion that the triumph of Communism is inevitable or that the Communists are steadily pushing the free world into a corner.”
– Robert F.Kennedy
