News & commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and published by Daniel Riggs.
1. S. Korea's coronavirus cases above 50 for 2nd day
2. North Korea Clamps Down On Potential 'Disorder' In Military with Harsh New Punishments
3. Kim Jong-un U-turn: How dictator FORGAVE insider who exposed North Korean regime
4. North Korea building case for further provocation: experts
5. Moon Jae-in Holds on to His Dream of North Korea Diplomacy
6. U.S. Coast Guard "stepping up our game in the Pacific" and against DPRK: Admiral
7. The Limited Power of Indictments and Sanctions Pressure on North Korea
8. Seoul committed to inter-Korean agreement despite harsh rhetoric from North
9. 2 Koreans convicted in U.S. cultural office attack case acquitted posthumously
10. Head of shelter for S. Korean 'comfort women' found dead: police
11. Book Review: "Becoming Kim Jong Un: A Former CIA Officer's Insights into North Korea's Enigmatic Young Dictator"
1. S. Korea's coronavirus cases above 50 for 2nd day
en.yna.co.kr · by 최경애 · June 7, 2020
Again, South Korea is worried but should not panic. Koreans can deal with this. I think we can all learn from this. Social distancing works and if people do not abide by the guidance there will be outbreaks.
2. North Korea Clamps Down On Potential 'Disorder' In Military with Harsh New Punishments
inquisitr.com · by Anna Harnes · June 6, 2020
This bears watching. If there is "disorder" in the North Korean People's Army it does not bode well for the Kim family regime if it cannot be suppressed.
3. Kim Jong-un U-turn: How dictator FORGAVE insider who exposed North Korean regime
Express · by Josh Saunders · June 6, 2020
Kenji Fujimoto. People still refer to his biography of Kim Jong-un for insights as this author did in his story below. But I wonder how he is really doing in Pyongyang these days.
4. North Korea building case for further provocation: experts
koreaherald.com · by Ahn Sung-mi · June 7, 2020
There is likely one reason for this. Kim believes his blackmail diplomacy works. He uses increased tensions threats, and provocations to gain political and economic concessions. We just saw this happen this week. Within 5 hours of Kim Yo-jong making threats against the South's Ministry of Unification put out a statement calling for an end to balloon launches by escapees. And this is the buried lead: Quote: "The UFD stated Yo-jong ordered officials to look into implementing a series of measures against South Korea, and that she is in charge of the inter-Korean affairs," Has Kim Jong-un really put his sister in charge of intra-Korean affairs?
5. Moon Jae-in Holds on to His Dream of North Korea Diplomacy
thediplomat.com · June 2, 2020
North Korea is exploiting President Moon's vision. We saw it play out this week in Kim Yo-Jong's demand for an end to the balloon launches. President Moon wants diplomacy much more than Kim Jong-un. Kim is unlikely to respond favorably to President Moon's initiatives unless they include direct transfers of cash to the regime as his father demanded and received. And even if that were to happen now (which I doubt will happen) it would not change Kim's behavior in any way that President Moon envisions.
6. U.S. Coast Guard "stepping up our game in the Pacific" and against DPRK: Admiral
nknews.org · by Min Chao Choy · June 5, 2020
Very interesting to hear this from the Coast Guard. Are we really depending on our most underfunded and under resourced service to address this threat in a more significant way?
I am pleased to see the Coast Guard efforts but they are really small fish in a large pond. We need more capabilities like this.
7. The Limited Power of Indictments and Sanctions Pressure on North Korea
38north.org · by Richard Nephew · June 5, 2020
Yes more could be done. A lot more. As experts such as Dr. Bruce Becthol and my colleague Mathew Ha have pointed out these indictments are only the tip of the iceberg. This author offers some reasons why we are not going far enough in targeting the north's illicit activities and North Korean sanctions' enablers (e.g., China and Russia).
8. Seoul committed to inter-Korean agreement despite harsh rhetoric from North
en.yna.co.kr · by 장동우 · June 7, 2020
This is why North Korea exploits South Korea. North Korea does not view agreements in the same way as South Korea (which acts as a responsible member of the international community and horrors agreements made). What agreement has the north lived up since 1992? The North South Agreement on Denuclearization? The Agreement ON Non-aggression Reconciliation and Exchanges? The Agreed Framework? The September 2005 Agreement? The Leap Day Agreement? And now the 2018 Pyongyang declaration and the Comprehensive Military Agreement?
9. 2 Koreans convicted in U.S. cultural office attack case acquitted posthumously
en.yna.co.kr · by 장동우 · June 5, 2020
This illustrates the Moon Administration's focus on the Kwangju narrative as the centerpiece for the democracy movement. If there was a technicality on the trial and a constitutional violation in the trial I can accept that. That is the basis for this acquittal. But this appears purely political and these criminals are given status for bombing an American diplomatic facility, killing one and injuring four, as a protest against US support for President Chun at Kwangju in 1980. Within the Kwangju narrative this is a "heroic" rather than an attack on an ally.
10. Head of shelter for S. Korean 'comfort women' found dead: police
en.yna.co.kr · by 주경돈 · June 7, 2020
11. Book Review: "Becoming Kim Jong Un: A Former CIA Officer's Insights into North Korea's Enigmatic Young Dictator"
38north.org · by Robert Carlin · June 5, 2020
This book review is not really a book review of Dr. Pak's excellent book. This negative review is written to not only criticize the book but to advance Robert Carlin's views on North Korea and US-north Korean negotiations. Carlin does not believe in the North Korean "playbook" or its long term strategy to dominate the Korean peninsula. The subtle implication is that if the last 3 administrations had listened to his analysis we would have solved the Korea problem. All we would need to do is give security guarantees, lift sanctions, withdraw troops and allow North Korea to live in peace, the regime would end its nuclear program and not be a threat to the South, the region, or the US.
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-Peggy Noonan
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-George Carlin
"To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards out of men."
- Abraham Lincoln