I wonder what the current ROK government would consider to be provocative from Pyongyang?:
This photo taken on May 6, 2019, shows Lee Hye-hoon, a representative of the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party, as she delivers a media briefing at the National Assembly on a National Intelligence Service report on North Korea’s latest launches of several “ground-to-ground” projectiles. (Yonhap)
South Korea’s spy agency said Monday it does not see North Korea’s firing of short-range projectiles last week as provocative as they appear to have been “ground-to-ground” weapons. The National Intelligence Service (NIS) delivered an initial analysis of the North’s projectiles fired into the sea off its east coast on Saturday in a briefing to Lee Hye-hoon, a representative of the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party, at the National Assembly. The NIS didn’t specify the type of the ground-to-ground projectiles, saying the analysis is still underway, according to Rep. Lee. The spy agency said North Korea’s latest move suggests that it will not walk away from the negotiating table, the lawmaker told reporters following the briefing.
You can read more at the link, but the test of the MLRS I think was clearly a measured provocation. They sent a message that Seoul and the major US bases at Camp Humphreys and Osan Airbase can be targeted with their MLRS. This message is intended to remind US negotiators of the threat they pose and thus the need to be taken seriously.
They are starting small and as their impatience increases expect them to increase the range of the weapon system they test. Next up it makes since they would test one of their short range SCUD missile systems.
A #SouthKorean soldier lost his foot to mine. Senior military, trying to please #MoonJaein administration, created a "Foot for Peace" monument. And have the soldier there to celebrate the unveiling. Disgraceful, to say the least.https://t.co/wcVmlBNT3b
So much for the hotline for the two leaders to contact each other, instead President Moon needs a one-on-one meeting with Kim Jong-un:
President Moon Jae-in could deliver a message from U.S. President Donald Trump to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un if a new inter-Korean summit takes place, a presidential official said Sunday. CNN reported earlier, citing unidentified sources, that Moon has a message from Trump to relay to the North’s leader. Moon met with Trump at the White House earlier this month to discuss ways to get the stalled denuclearization talks between Washington and Pyongyang moving again. “If an inter-Korean summit takes place, a related message could be delivered” to the North’s leader, the presidential official told reporters, when asked to comment on the CNN report. The official did not elaborate on the content of the message.
The Moon Jae-in administration is again trying to pull a fast one to avoid North Korean sanctions:
The Korea Customs Service (KCS, 관세청) of South Korea has begun to consider measures to approve a ‘Made in [South] Korea’ label, not just for products made in the Gaeseong Industrial Complex, but also for goods made all over North Korea. There is still a difference of opinions between the government of South Korea and the U.S. Nevertheless, the South Korean government seems to continue to try to evade economic sanctions against North Korea.
In the last summit between the U.S. and South Korea [on April 10, 2019], President Trump made clear that he is against easing the economic sanctions for resuming the Gaeseong industrial complex and Geumgang Mountain tourism.
President Trump said on April 11, “When we’re at the right time, I’d have great support; this isn’t the right time [to soften the sanctions].”
In contrast to the U.S. government’s position, the Korea Customs Service in March prepared the “Comprehensive Aid Roadmap,” which approves North Korean-made products as made in South Korea, and began an internal review. They want products made in all regions of North Korea to be labeled as “Made in Korea.” [Numerous products made in South Korea are labeled “Made in Korea” and most consumers would assume the goods are made in South Korea, not North Korea.]
You can read more at the link, but the Moon administration even wants to allow the Kim regime to export “Made in Korea” items directly from North Korea under the ROK’s FTA agreement. This is absurd I cannot imagine that the Trump administration is going to fall for this scheme.
Arguing that North Korea considers its relationship with the US more important than its relationship with SK is myopic. Why? It would be completely antithetical to its long-term ideological project. NK seeks the ejection of the US & integration with, and slow subjugation of, SK. https://t.co/64jmn6vyPD
Kim Jong-un promised that he would visit Seoul and Moon Jae-in doesn’t seem to eager to force his hand to make that visit:
President Moon Jae-in speaks at a meeting with his senior aides at Cheong Wa Dae on April 15, 2019. (Yonhap)
President Moon Jae-in said Monday that he hopes to meet again with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as early as possible, welcoming Kim’s latest message on denuclearization talks. Moon stressed that the venue and format of his fourth summit with Kim does not matter, as he seeks “concrete and substantive discussions” on ways to produce “fruits” to outdo those of two U.S.-North Korea summit talks. “Now is the time to make preparations and push for South-North summit talks in earnest,” he said in a meeting with senior presidential aides here. He added, “As soon as North Korea’s conditions are created, I hope the two Koreas will have another summit without being restrained by the venue and format.”
You can read more at the link, but Kim Jong-un I think will not visit Seoul unless he receive a huge payoff. His dad needed $500 million to host a summit in Pyongyang, so I am sure Kim Jong-un’s price to go to Seoul will be much higher.
It is truly amazing how eager the Korean left is to fund North Korea’s military and nuclear weapons program that can be used against them:
Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said Friday that conditions must be fostered to carry out inter-Korean economic projects and that Seoul will make internal preparations to do so.
Hong spoke to reporters at the International Monetary Fund headquarters in Washington during his visit to the U.S. capital to attend a meeting of the Group of 20 finance ministers and central bank governors.
He said he believes that sanctions on North Korea need to be eased or lifted in order for inter-Korean economic projects to begin in earnest.
You can read more at the link, but the last time the cross border projects were operating the money was not used to better the lives of ordinary citizens, instead the Kim regime made extensive advances in their nuclear and ICBM programs.
What evidence does anyone have that this time will be any different if sanctions are eased and the cross border projects are allowed to restart?
#KimJongUn to regional Party officials & military late-March: "The unification of the fatherland is the greatest task of our ethnic nation, which cannot be delayed any further. The unification of the fatherland shall be completed by 2020 no matter what." https://t.co/vQTlF8sArZ
Moon Jae-in has chosen as his new Unification Minister someone that does not believe in sanctions on North Korea:
South Korea’s new point man on North Korea pledged Monday to try to use inter-Korean economic cooperation as a catalyst to move the hard-won peace process with the communist neighbor forward. Kim Yeon-chul, newly sworn in as unification minister, made the remarks in his inauguration speech Monday. He replaced Cho Myoung-gyon, who had served as unification minister handling inter-Korea affairs under the Moon Jae-in government since July 2017. “It is time for us to reap the fruits of peace that we have sown so far,” Kim said. “We need to seize the opportunity for co-prosperity of the South and the North. We never know when such a chance will come again if we miss it.
“I will work hard to strengthen a virtuous circle in which we strengthen peace by using business as a link and strengthen economic cooperation (with North Korea) again based on the peace,” he added. Kim did not mention any particular economic cooperation with North Korea, but he has supported the reopening of suspended cross-border projects, such as an industrial complex in the North’s border town of Kaesong and tours to Mount Kumgang on the North’s east coast
Here is Kim Yeon-chul’s background, as expected he is a North Korea appeaser:
Kim, an expert on North Korean affairs and former head of a Seoul-based think tank, is known for his strong support for more active inter-Korean economic cooperation and criticism of sanctions imposed on North Korea. He has said that such restrictions have not been effective in forcing North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program.
Neither has appeasement and cross border projects caused North Korea to denuclearize either. In fact if anything the past appeasement strategy by South Korea is what gave the Kim regime the funding to advanced their nuclear and ICBM capabilities.
This just makes me wonder how many other South Korean ships have been violating sanctions that have not been caught yet?:
A South Korean cargo vessel suspected of illicitly transferring oil to a North Korean ship is impounded at a shipyard in Busan Harbor. [YONHAP]
A South Korean cargo vessel has been impounded in Busan Harbor since last October on suspicions of violating international sanctions on North Korea, a Foreign Ministry official said Tuesday.
This is the first time a ship flying the South Korean flag has been accused of breaking United Nations Security Council sanctions imposed on the North for its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
According to the official, the ship, named Lunis, was one of four held in South Korean ports since October for having allegedly transferred banned petroleum products or coal to or from North Korean ships. The other three vessels are reportedly registered in Togo, Hong Kong and Panama.
The shipping company working with the South Korean vessel has admitted to a transfer of refined oil to a tanker from the North through a ship-to-ship operation, the official said.
All four ships, including the Lunis, were among dozens of foreign vessels named in a U.S. Treasury Department report released March 21 for allegedly having engaged in such illicit transfers of oil or coal to or from North Korean vessels.
