News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Ahyoung Shin.
1. World war 3: Kim Jong-un boasts of ability to launch immediate nuclear attacks
2. N. Korea's nuclear weapons are immediately launchable, experts say
3. Bureau 39 - Kim's cash machine | This week on FOUR CORNERS
4. S. Korea 'well aware' of concerns over tensions amid Sino-U.S. rift: minister
5. Kim Yo Jong is reviewing North Korea's public bonds program
6. N. Korea's collective farms face difficulties obtaining needed supplies
7. Hong Kong national security law heightens South Korea's painful choice: US or China?
8. S. Korea, U.S. to hold videoconference on election day anti-virus measures
9. UNC joins S. Korean training against illegal entry into Han River estuary
10. U.N. group asks N. Korea to determine whereabouts of 34 missing persons
11. South Korea spooked as new clusters discovered
12. Tim Shorrock spreads disinformation about biological warfare in Korea. That makes him a disinformant.
1. World war 3: Kim Jong-un boasts of ability to launch immediate nuclear attacks
Express · by John Varga · May 28, 2020
A provocative headline for sure. Mathew Ha and I will have an analysis piece published later today explaining our thoughts on the internal and external message from the CMC.
2. N. Korea's nuclear weapons are immediately launchable, experts say
donga.com · by Na-Ri Shin, Kyu-Jin Shin · Updated May 28, 2020 07:45
The experts are reading a lot into the statements. "Launch on warning?" That said I am not about to discount the regime's capabilities as we have a habit of underestimating them.
3. Bureau 39 - Kim's cash machine | This week on FOUR CORNERS
tvblackbox.com.au · by Kevin Perry
Bureau (Office, Department, Room) 39 is arguably the most important organization for Kim Jong-un to generate funding for his royal court economy. There is a 30 second teaser video at the link. I am going to have to see if this Australian TV show can be found on the inter webs. https://tvblackbox.com.au/page/2020/05/28/bureau-39-kims-cash-machine-this-week-on-four-corners/?feed_id=3595
If I were King for a day, I would be tracking this organization round the world for a number of reasons (and hopefully our IC and others are doing so). Obviously, we want to interdict the flow of cash back to the regime. Members of this organization may also be susceptible to defection. Or rather than defect I would attempt to turn them though these are among some of the most loyal members of the regime. If some could be turned it could be very useful for us to be able to work on interdiction (especially as they must constantly change TTPS to get around sanctions enforcement and international and local laws). Lastly, even if we did not of the above, we must have complete knowledge of this entire network because in times of regime instability and regime collapse this network would likely be able to broker deals for proliferation of WMD for profit (and survival). At the first confirmation regime collapse we need to work aggressively with our friends, partners, and allies to shut down this network completely.
4. S. Korea 'well aware' of concerns over tensions amid Sino-U.S. rift: minister
en.yna.co.kr · by 김승연 · May 28, 2020
You cannot change geography. Korea will always be a shrimp among whales. (though I suppose it could increase its size by taking back Koguryo).
5. Kim Yo Jong is reviewing North Korea's public bonds program
dailynk.com · by Jang Seul Gi · May 28, 2020
Is Kim Yo-jong taking on increased responsibilities? Is she being groomed for succession?
The rise of the donju class and the 400+ markets throughout the north could become one of the destabilizing elements in Korea. I think the regime believes it has to gain control of the economy through control of the currency. But the people seem to have little trust in the regime if only around 8% of the bonds have been sold. The people are not going to relinquish their foreign currency.
6. N. Korea's collective farms face difficulties obtaining needed supplies
dailynk.com · by Kang Mi Jin · May 28, 2020
Again, note that the coronavirus crisis and the self-imposed border closing with China has been more damaging to the population than sanctions. The question is, has there been an outbreak in the North that is not being reported?
7. Hong Kong national security law heightens South Korea's painful choice: US or China?
SCMP · by Park Chan-kyong · May 27, 2020
This provides some analysis of the state of the ROK/US alliance which has already been complicated by the SMA/Burdensharing friction and perceived differences in approaches to north Korea. The "choice" for Korea between the PRC and the US further complicates things.
And here is the dilemma (I am not the only to cite the Korean proverb about shrimps and whales or the tightrope analogy). "We're caught in the middle like a shrimp between two fighting whales," said economist Choi Yang-oh at the Hyundai Economic Research Institute "We have to walk a tightrope between the US and China fighting for global hegemony. We can't afford to alienate either one of the two."
8. S. Korea, U.S. to hold videoconference on election day anti-virus measures
en.yna.co.kr · by 송상호 · May 28, 2020
Can we learn from South Korea? I hope so: "Ahead of the U.S. election, NASS showed interest in South Korea's early voting process, social distancing protocols at polling stations and other anti-virus efforts, including fever checks, before voters cast ballots, according to the ministry." I do hope our election system is not penetrated by the Chinese. There are allegations that some South Korea systems had been penetrated and there are photos being passed around the internet with screen shots for voting software that say "follow the party" which is believed to be evidence of Chinese intrusion. (Though if I were the PRC/CCP I would demand more discipline from my hackers and not all them to do such things. Which leads to the question, if not the Chinese then who?
9. UNC joins S. Korean training against illegal entry into Han River estuary
en.yna.co.kr · by 오석민 · May 28, 2020
10. U.N. group asks N. Korea to determine whereabouts of 34 missing persons
en.yna.co.kr · by 이원주 · May 28, 2020
Just imagine if any of these abductees were still alive. What suffering they must have endured.
11. South Korea spooked as new clusters discovered
asiatimes.com · by Andrew Salmon · May 28, 2020
12. Tim Shorrock spreads disinformation about biological warfare in Korea. That makes him a disinformant.
freekorea.us · by Joshua · May 27, 2020
From the always provocative Josh Stanton. He analyzes the latest conspiracy theories from Tim Shorrock.
You have to ask yourself, why would the US military conduct biological warfare testing at Camp Humphreys. I suppose the coronavirus is a biological hazard and it makes sense to conduct bio-surveillance to prevent the outbreak and spread of the virus. And I suppose that includes testing people for symptoms. So the leap of Shorrock's logic is we must be conducting biological warfare testing? (I have often written that we do need to treat the coronavirus as a rehearsal for a biological attack against us and we have to learn to. "fight through it." But Shorrock's analysis is from fantasy land.
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