Tag: North Korea

It now appears the Chinese are not too eager to assist South Korea on the North Korea issue:

South Korea’s presidential office said the two leaders reaffirmed that peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula — an apparent reference to the denuclearization of North Korea — are shared interests, and confirmed China’s willingness to play a constructive role.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs made no reference to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula in its readout of the summit.

Doo Jin-ho, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, said China’s unresponsiveness on the North Korean issue fell short of South Korea’s expectations.

“Beijing did not appear to roll up its sleeves to the extent Seoul may have hoped, nor did it take a particularly forward-leaning stance on the North Korean nuclear issue,” Doo said.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link, but I did not expect the Chinese to do much of anything on this issue. Right now the North Koreans are having all their needs met by the Russians, which means the Chinese do not have as much influence as they have had in the past over the Kim regime. China also probably looks at pressuring North Korea as a waste of time because they understand that North Korea will engage with South Korea when they want to, not because the ROK demands they do.

It is pretty clear that the North Korean regime was sending a message to the Trump administration with these missile launches to not try to launch an operation against Kim Jong-un like what was done to Maduro. Honestly as long as Kim Jong-un doesn’t threaten America Trump will leave him alone:

The launch of missiles came as President Lee Jae Myung was set to depart for Beijing for summit talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. It also came after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Washington has captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in a large-scale military strike. 

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the missiles launched from near Pyongyang at around 7:50 a.m.

The missiles flew some 900 kilometers, the JCS said, adding the South Korean and U.S. authorities were analyzing the exact details of the launch.

The missiles reportedly landed at sea, according to a JCS official.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Hypocrisy must not be a word used in North Korea, because Japan would not be conducting a nuclear review or expanding its military if it wasn’t for the constant threats from North Korea and China:

North Korea’s state media on Thursday denounced Japan’s reported review of its decades-long three non-nuclear principles. 

The Rodong Sinmun newspaper issued the criticism as Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has reportedly sought to shift the principles that mandate no possessing, producing or introducing nuclear weapons. 

Takaichi is reportedly seeking to review the no-introduction principle, particularly regarding U.S. nuclear-armed assets.

The Rodong Sinmun accused Japan of trying to rearm itself, saying this was “not aimed at seeking national or regional peace and security but, rather, constitutes a vicious challenge to peace.”

The newspaper also accused Japan of trying to justify its drive to become a military powerhouse and of drumming up public opinions in favor of its increased defense spending, a constitutional revision and overseas military expansion.

“This reminds us of Japan’s past history of brainwashing its people to jump into a war of aggression to establish the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere,” the newspaper said, citing Japan’s World War II-era imperial ambitions.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but irony must not be a word used in North Korea either when they are complaining about so called Japanese brainwashing.

NK leader’s wife carrying what looks like Gucci shoulder bag

Ri Sol-ju (R), wife of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, carries what appears to be a Gucci GG Marmont mini shoulder bag (circled in red), as she accompanies Kim with her daughter Ju-ae during his inspection of an industrial complex in Kangdong County on the outskirts of Pyongyang on Dec. 15, 2025, in this photo captured from the North’s official Korean Central Television the next day. (Yonhap)

It looks like Fighters For A Free North Korea will have to secretly as possible launch their propaganda balloons towards North Korea:

 The National Assembly passed Sunday a bill led by the ruling Democratic Party (DP) that would give police legal authority to block attempts to send anti-Pyongyang leaflets near border areas.

The amendment to the Act on the Performance of Duties by Police Officers allows police to intervene in the launch of leaflets near the inter-Korean border, aiming to prevent activities that could heighten tensions between the two Koreas.

The bill was passed at a plenary session, shortly after the main opposition People Power Party (PPP)’s filibuster ended through a vote 24 hours after it began. 

The DP has argued that the legislation is necessary to protect the safety of border residents and to help reduce military tensions, while the PPP opposed the bill, saying it infringes on freedom of expression.

Yonhap

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.

If former President Moon could not get these people back after all the appeasement he did with North Korea, how does President Lee think he can get them released?:

The presidential office on Thursday confirmed that six South Korean nationals have been detained in North Korea and vowed to make efforts to secure the release of them by swiftly resuming talks with Pyongyang. 

The six citizens, including three North Koreans who had defected to South Korea, have been held in the North on charges of espionage and others since between 2013 and 2016.

They include three missionaries arrested by the North Korean authorities from 2013 and 2014, namely Kim Jung-wook, Kim Kook-kie and Choi Chun-gil. The presidential office did not disclose the identities of the three North Korean defectors to protect the safety of their families in the North.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

To restore communications with North Korea will require South Korea to make concessions of some kind. When Lee uses wording such as “shared growth”, that is likely code for whatever monetary concessions the ROK government plans to give to North Korea to restore these communcations:

President Lee Jae Myung proposed restoring communication channels with North Korea on Tuesday, saying it will serve as a starting point for “peaceful coexistence” between Seoul and Pyongyang.

Lee made the remarks during an event to mark the launch of the 22th Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, stressing that unification is a path that must be taken regardless of whether it takes decades or even a millennia.

“The historic task given to us is to end hostility and confrontation between the two Koreas, and to build a new inter-Korean relationship based on peaceful existence,” Lee said, suggesting the Koreas begin by restoring their dialogue channels that have been suspended for seven years.

He stressed the need for “shared growth” that benefits both Seoul and Pyongyang, and called for gradual efforts to start cooperation in areas of global interest, such as climate and environmental issues, disaster, safety, and public health.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.