Category: Inter-Korean Issues

The North Koreans have done it again where they have released water from their Imjim Dam without letting the ROK know:

Authorities on Tuesday upgraded a flood alert to a full warning for the Imjin River near the border with North Korea as water levels rose sharply due to heavy downpours and the North’s release of water.

The Han River Flood Control Office upgraded the alert from an advisory at 3:30 p.m. shortly after the water level at Imjin Bridge in Yeoncheon County, about 60 kilometers northeast of Seoul, reached 10.3 meters, rising 0.1 to 0.2 meters every 10 minutes. (…….)

The bridge’s water level has been on a sharp rise as heavy rainfall pounded the county and North Korea appeared to have released water from a dam near the inter-Korean border without giving prior notice.

The environment ministry said late Monday that satellite imagery confirmed the release of water from the Hwanggang Dam on the upper reaches of the Imjin River. (…..)

In 2009, North Korea agreed to notify South Korea in advance when it plans to discharge water from the Hwanggang Dam, following an accident that killed six South Koreans after the North discharged water from the dam without notice.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

I just don’t understand why people like President Lee continue to push this fairy tale that North Korea can be denuclearized. I have yet to hear one good argument on how this can be done:

South Korea seeks phased denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula as it also seeks to normalize ties with North Korea, President Lee Jae Myung has said ahead of his state visit to Mongolia, which he called a “trusted partner” in such efforts.

In an interview with Mongolia’s state-run Montsame news agency released Thursday, the South Korean president highlighted Mongolia’s potential role in bridging the divided Koreas.

“I hope that Mongolia … will contribute even more to peace and stability, not only on the Korean Peninsula but across Northeast Asia as a whole.” the president said. “I believe that the power to create peace comes not from military force, but from mutual trust and dialogue.”

“Mongolia has maintained balanced relations not only with China and Russia, but with other key countries of the region … I believe this diplomatic capacity of Mongolia is more important now than at any time before,” he added.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

The June 2000 summit was bought and paid for by the Korean government via Hyundai in what became known as the Cash for Summit Scandal. At the time North Korea was desperate for cash and agreed to the summit. This is not the case now since the Kim regime is having their cash and resource needs met currently by the Russians and thus have no incentive to cut a deal with the South Koreans:

President Lee Jae Myung (L) attends a special Mass at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, celebrated by Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik (R) on June 14, 2026. (Yonhap)

President Lee Jae Myung said Sunday he believes the “ember of hope” for reviving dialogue and cooperation with North Korea still exists, reaffirming his commitment to making the utmost efforts to establish peace with Pyongyang. (……)

Lee referred to the inter-Korean joint statement adopted June 15, 2000, calling it a “historic turning point” that, he said, signaled the possibility of overcoming inter-Korean tensions and opening up dialogue and cooperation. 

The president noted the first inter-Korean joint statement had led to reunions of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War, as well as humanitarian cooperation and other exchanges, opening the door to new hopes for building peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

I am sure the Lee administration will probably use these comments to increase North Korea appeasement attempts:

The file photo taken Feb. 10, 2018, shows Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. (Yonhap)

Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said Monday the leader Kim described President Lee Jae Myung as “frank and broad-minded” following Lee’s expression of regret over unauthorized drone flights into the North.

Earlier in the day, Lee expressed regret over the incident at a Cabinet meeting, saying “Although this was not an act by our government, I express regret to the North Korean side over the unnecessary military tension caused by such reckless behavior.”

In a statement released by the North’s state media under her name, Kim, who serves as department director of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party, said Pyongyang “appreciated it as a very fortunate and wise behavior.”

“Our head of state commented on it as a manifestation of a frank and broad-minded man’s attitude,” the statement read.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Notice how this is currently one sided appeasement because the North Koreans have not indicated whether they will comply with the no fly zone that South Korea is implementing. Additionally I am still waiting for the North Koreans to apologize for their drone incursions into South Korea which will likely never happen:

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young speaks to reporters at a press briefing on Feb. 18, 2026. (Yonhap)

South Korea will seek to reinstate a no-fly zone over the border with North Korea under the suspended 2018 inter-Korean military pact aimed at easing tensions, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Wednesday. 

Chung disclosed the plan at a press briefing after expressing regret earlier this month over drones sent into North Korea by South Korean civilians, which the North denounced as a violation of its sovereignty.

“In cooperation with our military authorities, (the government) will preemptively review and seek to reinstate the September 19 inter-Korean military pact, including the designation of a no-fly zone,” Chung said. 

The minister said the action is aimed at preventing any unintended military clash and building trust between the two militaries.

The no-fly zone under the 2018 pact prohibits the operation of planes and drones within 15 kilometers of the Demilitarized Zone in eastern areas and 10 km in western parts.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

So when is North Korea going to apologize for their drone and balloon incursions into South Korea?:

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young on Tuesday expressed regret over a recent alleged drone incursion into North Korea by a South Korean civilian, marking the first expression of regret regarding the incident by a senior government official.

“I express deep regret to North Korea over the reckless drone intrusion that occurred recently,” Chung said during a congratulatory message delivered at a Mass for national reconciliation and unity at Seoul’s Myeongdong Cathedral.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

No matter how many times the Kim regime tells the Korean left no to engagement they will never believe they really mean it:

North Korea’s Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong-un, late Tuesday dismissed prospects for improving inter-Korean relations, rejecting the South Korean government’s assessment that her earlier remarks left room for engagement and calling such expectations a “daydream.” 
  
“As far as Seoul’s various hope-filled wild dreams called ‘repair of DPRK-ROK relations’ are concerned, they all can never come true,” Kim said in an English-language statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). “The present address of the DPRK-ROK relations can never change.” 
  
DPRK refers to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, North Korea’s official name, while ROK stands for the Republic of Korea, South Korea’s official designation.  
  
Her remarks were widely seen as a reiteration of Pyongyang’s stance to maintain a severance of inter-Korean ties based on Kim Jong-un’s doctrine of “two hostile states,” which frames the two Koreas as separate and adversarial countries rather than counterparts in a divided nation.

Joong Ang Ilbo

You can read more at the link, but the Kim regime only seeks engagement to extract concessions which they don’t need right now because the Russians are providing for all their needs.

I doubt the Lee administration flew these drones so it is likely civilians that flew them. Even if they are civilian drones, this shows North Korea has poor defenses against drones:

 Cheong Wa Dae on Sunday reaffirmed that South Korea has no intention of provoking or irritating North Korea, after Pyongyang again blamed the South for drone incursions into the North and demanded an explanation. 

In a statement, the Office of National Security at Cheong Wa Dae said, “The government once again confirms that it has no intention of provoking or irritating the North side.”

“The government will look into the latest drone incident through a joint military-police probe and promptly disclose its results,” the office said, also pledging continued efforts to ease inter-Korean tension and build trust. 

On Sunday, Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, called on Seoul to provide a detailed explanation, a day after the North Korean military claimed that the South violated the North’s sovereignty by sending drones in September and on Jan. 4. 

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

It will be interesting to see what they end up talking about when North Korea is currently having all their needs provided by the Russians:

President Lee Jae Myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday shared the view on the importance of resuming dialogue with North Korea and agreed to explore measures for peace on the Korean Peninsula, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said.

During their summit in Beijing, Lee underscored the importance of bilateral cooperation for peace as North Korea ratcheted up tensions by launching ballistic missiles on Sunday morning just hours before his arrival in the Chinese capital for a state visit.

“The two leaders underscored the importance of resuming dialogue with North Korea,” Wi told reporters, adding that Lee and Xi would continue to seek “creative measures to establish peace” on the Korean Peninsula.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

Notice that the ROK government did not completely rule out the possibility that indirect talks may be going on with North Korea which is using the joint drills as leverage:

South Korea is not considering adjusting its joint military drills with the United States as part of efforts to resume stalled talks with North Korea, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said Sunday.

Wi made the remarks when asked whether Seoul might review the regular exercises with Washington to help revive inter-Korean dialogue, as Pyongyang has dismissed Seoul’s overtures since President Lee Jae Myung’s first six months in office.

“If we are to resume dialogue, we need to consider what cards we can use. While there are many possible options, we are not directly considering using the Korea-U.S. joint exercises as a card,” Wi said during a press briefing.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.