Trump demands that South Korea pay more for defense from the North

(August 8) In comments yesterday, US President Donald Trump demanded that South Korea pay substantially more to the US for defending them against North Korea. Trump has continually made that demand since he was elected.

South Korea agreed last year to a significant increase

Trump pointed out that last year the South agreed to a substantial increase in payment to the US when the payment was increased to $990 million per year. After crediting himself for obtaining that raise, he is asking even more. Trump believes that the US pays too much of the defense costs of its ally.

A recent article reports: "Trump also said in the tweet that talks have already begun with South Korea on increasing the $990 million it now pays the U.S. for defense. The president said South Korea should pay "substantially more money to the United States" for the country's help defending it from North Korea. 'South Korea is a very wealthy nation that now feels an obligation to contribute to the military defense provided by the United States of America,' Trump wrote."

A larger payment may be a hard sell in South Korea

Not only did South Korea agree to a large increase last year, but it has had to start negotiations again as Trump has become involved and is demanding more. Furthermore, these agreements are meant to be multi-year. Last year happened to be a year the agreement was up for negotiation. Now it looks as if the US is going to try to raise payments annually rather than keeping the present agreement for several years.

South Korea did not immediately respond to Trump's remarks. The issue of payments for South Korean defense will likely be discussed when US Defense Secretary Mike Esper visits South Korea this Wednesday.

Trump's tweet on Wednesday comes just after a missile launch the day before that the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un claimed was a warning about the planned joint military exercises planned between the US and South Korean forces. There is no sign that the launch will cause any change in plans for the exercises.

Previously published in the Digital  Journal

North Korea may be creating its own skilled cadre of hackers to steal and mine cryptocurrencies to gain revenue

North Korea may be producing its own hackers and cryptocurrency miners as a means of collecting much needed revenue, as well as perhaps using cryptocurrency as a means of payment for illegal transactions as the country is subject to severe sanctions.

North Korea accused of stealing cryptocurrencies as a revenue source

A group of North Korean hackers called Anadarei are accused of breaching a server in South Korea and stealing 70 Monero coins during last summer according to an analysis carried out by the South Korean government. The coins were valued in total at about $25,000 US.

Collecting ransoms in bitcoin?

North Korea has also been accused by the U.S. of having orchestrated the Wannacry ransom attacks back in May. The attacks crippled more than 300,000 servers and victims had to pay a ransom in bitcoin to gain access to their files.

The UN, often at the urging of the U.S., has continually increased sanctions on North Korea making it difficult for it to earn money through exports . As a result, the country may think it has to resort to illegal means to raise funds and also no doubt to use cryptocurrencies as a means of payment. North Korea is cut off from using regular financial institutions. However, it can make payments anonymously using cryptocurrencies such as Monero.

South Korean concerns about the use of cryptocurrencies as an economic weapon by North Korea may lead the South Korean government to initiate a crackdown on their use.

Monero

Monero (XMR) is an open source cryptocurrency created back in April of 2014. The coin focuses on privacy and decentralization. Wikipedia says:

Monero aims to improve on existing cryptocurrency design by obscuring sender, recipient and amount of every transaction made as well as making the mining process more egalitarian.[3]The focus on privacy has attracted illicit use by people interested in evading law enforcement.[4][5] The egalitarian mining process made it viable to distribute the mining effort opening new funding avenues for both legitimate online publishers and malicious hackers who covertly embed the mining code into websites and apps.[6]

Kwak Kyoung-Ju head of the Financial Security Institute in South Korea noted that it is much harder to trace Monero than competitors such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. He said that this makes it easier to use to launder money.

Andarei alleged to use stolen computer power for mining Monero

As a recent Digital Journal article reports, the North Korean hacker group Andarei allegedly used computer power from South Korean servers to mine Monero coins without the South Koreans being aware what was happening.

North Korean hackers looking for funds over government secrets

Kwak said: "Andariel is going after anything that generates cash these days. Dust gathered over time builds a mountain."

Lee Dong-geun chief analyst at the government-run Korea Internet Security Center in Seoul said that the main emphasis of North Korean cyber attacks had changed: "North Korean threats meant attacks on the government and national defense, but now they are looming very large over the private sector. They are primarily after information for financial ends.”

While accusations by South Korea and the U.S. against North Korea about cyberattacks may sometimes lack independent verification, it is plausible, given the strict sanctions against the country, that the North developing a skilled cadre of hackers to raise revenue through hacking and mining cryptocurrencies. It could reasonably also use cryptocurrencies such as monero as an alternative payment system to the international banking system.

Previously published in Digital Journal

North Korea may be gathering bitcoins to use for financial transactions

North Korea appears to be intensifying efforts to obtain more bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies as it is banned from the global banking system and subject to new trade restrictions and sanctions promoted by the US and passed by the UN Security Council.

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North Korean hackers are claimed to be increasing their attacks on crypto currency exchanges in South Korea according to a report from the security researcher FireEye Inc. The researcher also claims North Korean hackers breached a bitcoin news website and also collected bitcoin ransom payments from global victims of the WannaCry malware. A recent Digital Journal article also reports on the issue. Luke MacNamara, a Fire-Eye researcher said: “We definitely see sanctions being a big lever driving this sort of activity. They probably see it as a very low-cost solution to bring in hard cash.”

North Korean citizens do not appear to be using cryptocurrencies although when Dennis Rodman the former NBA basket ball star made one of his many visits to the country the anonymous Reddit user "BitcoinDPRK" claimed that he had sent a bitcoin transfer to a fellow Reddit user using the very expensive Internet option for foreigners. Some tour guides were also given paper wallets although it is not clear what use they could make of them. DPRK are the initials for the Democratic Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.

In the past, North Korean hacking attempts appear intended to steal classified military or government data, but in recent years the emphasis appears to be on raising revenue through stealing currencies. North Korea is suspected to be behind the hacking group Lazarus that last year's $81 million theft from the Bangladesh central bank and also an attack on Sony's Hollywood Studio in 2014. This article discusses some of the alleged relations between Wannacry and various cyber attacks, with the Lazarus group allegedly related to North Korea.

A Bloomberg article speaks of North Korea's interest in cryptocurrencies happening at a time of rising prices and popularity. While the coins may be increasing in popularity bitcoin dropped in price by several hundred dollars over last weekend, as discussed in a recent Digital Journal article. The move is partly in reaction to China's issuing strict regulations governing cryptocurrencies and contemplating more. A recent article claims: "As of July 2017, it is estimated that almost 70 percent of all Bitcoin mining is located in China."This may be a bit high but bitcoin holders and investors are obviously worried about the possible negative effects on the mining operations. Wikipedia describes bitcoin mining as follows:Mining is the process of adding transaction records to Bitcoin's public ledger of past transactions. This ledger of past transactions is called the block chain as it is a chain of blocks. The block chain serves to confirm transactions to the rest of the network as having taken place. Bitcoin nodes use the block chain to distinguish legitimate Bitcoin transactions from attempts to re-spend coins that have already been spent elsewhere.

Mining is intentionally designed to be resource-intensive and difficult so that the number of blocks found each day by miners remains steady. Individual blocks must contain a proof of work to be considered valid. This proof of work is verified by other Bitcoin nodes each time they receive a block. Bitcoin uses the hashcash proof-of-work function.

The primary purpose of mining is to allow Bitcoin nodes to reach a secure, tamper-resistant consensus. Mining is also the mechanism used to introduce Bitcoins into the system: Miners are paid any transaction fees as well as a "subsidy" of newly created coins. This both serves the purpose of disseminating new coins in a decentralized manner as well as motivating people to provide security for the system.

There is said to be evidence that North Korea is becoming involved in bitcoin mining. While this would earn the country some bitcoins, mining is becoming ever more expensive as it uses a great deal of power. Perhaps the specialized mining equipment is obtained from China.

North Korea's Reconnaisance General Bureau, that handle cyber operations was estimated in a 2016 reports by the Cyber Policy Centre of the Australian Strategic Policiy Institute to have 6,000 officers. South Korea may see more attacks concentrated on it as it becomes one of the world's busiest trading hubs for cybercurrencies during 2017. FireEye's McNamara said: "As more money goes into cryptocurrency exchanges and more people buy bitcoin and ethereum, exchanges become larger targets for this group,>." So far, only South Korean exchanges have been targeted.

North Korea is no doubt already adapting to continue functioning in spite of sanctions and being frozen out of the international banking system. It is highly ironic that an authoritarian highly centralized powerful government should come to rely on a decentralized financial system designed to frustrate the financial activities of governments that rely on centralized financial systems. Their centralized global system has enabled them to ban North Korea from global banking. However, the cryptocurrency system, designed with the help of many who are libertarians, has come to North Korea''s rescue.

China and Russia differ with US on North Korea policies

As Chinese President Xi Jinping visits Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow the two issued a joint statement that called for a simultaneous freeze on North Korean nuclear and missile tests but also on military exercises by the U.S. and South Korea.

The joint document was published after the two leaders met on Tuesday in the Russian capital. The two also condemned the latest North Korean missile test as "unacceptable" but urged against "any statements or actions that could lead to an increase in tensions". The joint declaration said: "The two sides propose that the DPRK (North Korea) as a voluntary political decision declares a moratorium on testing nuclear explosive devices and ballistic rocket launches, and the U.S. and South Korea refrain from carrying out large-scale joint exercises. Parallel to this, the opposing sides should start negotiations and affirm general principles of their relations including the non-use of force, rejection of aggression and peaceful co-existence." Putin also said that a comprehensive resolution of the problems of the Korean peninsula were a mutual priority in order to ensure a lasting peace and stability would be achieved in the area.

China had earlier issued a two-track approach to North Korea of sanctions but also moves to ease up tensions, such as suspensions for suspensions, a position the Russians now also support. There appears to be a growing division between Chinese and Russian views on North Korea versus the United States. A recent visit of the new South Korean president Moon Jae-In to the U.S. to meet with Trump showed him as mostly in agreement with the U.S.

The joint statement spoke against the military presence of "non-regional powers" in the area and its buildup under what it called the pretext of countering the North Korean nuclear and missile programs. Both specifically opposed the THAAD anti-missile defense system the U.S. is deploying in South Korea. Both countries see the systems as potentially being directed at them. The document says that the THAAD deployment "seriously damages strategic security interests of regional powers, including Russia and China' and against peace and stability in the region." The South Korean president has also expressed concerns about the system. The two urged the parties in conflict to sit down for talks, and to agree on principles that would include a refusal to use forces and to pledge to make the Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons. The statement also said that the North had "sensible concerns" that needed to be respected and that countries had an obligation to produce a "peaceful atmosphere of mutual trust" to help launch the talks.

Actions of the U.S. are drawing China and Russia closer together. The U.S. recently angered China with a large $1.42 billion arms sale to Taiwan. The U.S. also sailed within what China claims are its territorial waters of a Chinese-claimed island in the South China Sea. Finally, the U.S. has recently sanctioned a Chinese bank, a Chinese company, and several individuals as part of putting pressure on North Korea. This has angered China. Xi said that Russia-China relations are the best ever.

Neither North Korea nor the U.S. is likely to agree to the program suggested by China and Russia, even though on the surface it appears to be a sensible way out of the situation. The North Koreans appear to take the view that there own safety will come from developing defenses that even a nation as powerful as the U.S. will not want to challenge. The U.S. on the other hand appears ready to take action before such a situation comes into existence.

North Korea claims it has successfully tested its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and said that it was capable of hitting anywhere in the world. The Hwasong-14 missile was said to have reached an altitude of 2,802 km and hit its target after flying for 39 minutes according the DPRK state television. Whether the statement is true or not it will provide more ammunition for those in the U.S. demanding stronger action against the North.

President Trump's response was rather dismissive as he tweeted: "North Korea has just launched another missile. Does this guy have anything better to do with his life? Hard to believe that South Korea.....7:19 PM - 3 Jul 2017". No doubt Kim Jong-Un thinks the tests make North Korea safe — just as Trump's actions, such as a ban on immigration from certain Muslim countries, are alleged to make America safe. While Kim may have an interest in watching U.S. basketball, perhaps he does not share Trump's emphasis upon spending his time playing golf. Trump also tweeted that perhaps China would put a heavy move on North Korea and "end this nonsense once and for all". There is no sign of that.

On Tuesday both Republican and Democratic politicians urged Trump to take a harder line against North Korea. Senator Edward Markey a top Democrat in the East Asia Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said: "Instead of vague Twitter bluster, President Trump should answer North Korea’s dangerous test with a coherent strategy of direct diplomacy with Pyongyang and increased economic sanctions pressure from China. Each additional test will bring North Korea closer to the capability of delivering a nuclear weapon to American cities.” Republicans also demanded that Trump take stronger measures.

Some experts, such as Adam Mount, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress are puzzled by a seeming lack of any concrete settled U.S. policy on North Korea: “There really is a value to communicating resolve and unity with our allies.The Trump administration has blustered at times, and at other times they’ve appeared to take the military option off the table. If they have a strategy, I’ve seen no evidence of it. They’ve been contradictory on nearly every plank of their stated strategy..” It may be that Trump deliberately remains unclear about his policies so that when he acts the opposition is off guard. Trump has said a number of times that the Obama policy of "strategic patience" did not work but it remains unclear exactly what policy is to replace it although in his meeting with the South Korean president he did seem to support some mixture of punishment and perhaps diplomacy along the lines suggested by Moon. However, it is difficult to filter out the reality from Trump's rhetoric! Some actual military action against the North appears increasingly likely unless US or North Korea change their policies.

NBA basketball star makes fourth visit to North Korea

(June 14) The former NBA star Dennis Rodman claims he was "just trying to open the door" as he visits North Korea for the fourth time. He said he would not raise the issue of Americans detained in the country.

However, Otto Wambier 22 , a US student who had been detained for a year and a half has been evacuated from the country for medical reasons. He has been in a coma for more than a year after falling ill shortly after his trial in Pyongyang in March of last year.

Rodman has called his visits "basketball diplomacy". On his last visit he sang "Happy Birthday" to Kim Jong Un at a stadium in the capital Pyongyang. Kim is a great basketball fan. He is one of the few Americans meeting with North Korean officials at this time of escalating tensions between North Korea the US and South Korea. Kim has been firing missiles regularly and also continues his nuclear program. Although there are four Americans being held now by North Korea, Rodman said he would not discuss them. Rodman said: "That is not my purpose right now. My purpose is to try and go over there and keep bringing sports to North Korea. That's the main thing. I'm pretty sure that I can do something that is positive." Rodman has called Kim a friend for life.

That Rodman is going back is a bit surprising as he kept getting intoxicated on the 2014 trip and it was reported at the end Kim refused to meet with him because of his condition. Rodman endorsed Donald Trump for president. Rodman shares Trump's anger at bad press. At the 2014 visit he said to CNN: “I don't give a s‑‑‑ what … I don't give a rat's a‑‑ what the hell you think. I'm saying to you look at these guys here,” he barked at CNN's Chris Cuomo. “Look at them. They're down here for one thing. They came here... We are the guys here to do one thing. We have to go back to America and take the abuse. Do you have to take the abuse that we're going to take? Do you, sir?” At the time, Charles Smith, another NBA player who accompanied Rodman said: "Dennis is a great guy, but how he articulates what goes on — he gets emotional and he says things that he’ll apologize for later." Shortly after he came back Rodman went into rehab. His agent, Darren Prince said that Rodman was "embarrassed, saddened, and remorseful for the anger and hurt his words caused." It seems that Kim Jong Un still considers him a friend.

When Rodman was asked if he had spoken to Trump about the trip he said: "I'm pretty sure he's pretty much happy of the fact that I'm over here trying to accomplish something that we both need." Rodman's last trip had caused outrage in the US. Senator John McCain said at the time: "I think he is an idiot". Many claim that the visit provides positive propaganda for Kim and criticise Rodman for not bringing up Kim's human rights violations. The Rodman trip is being sponsored by PotCoin , a cybercurrency for legal marijuana according to the New Zealand Herald.

It remains to be seen what positive results if any come from the meeting. Rodman said he would discuss the results when he returned home.

Given the dismal level of relations between the United States and North Korea at least Rodman's visit, although not official, may at least help to ease tensions. It could even lead to some move by Kim to ease tensions. As another Digital Journal article notes Rodman gave Kim a copy of Trump's the Art of the Deal. No doubt some in America will see this as providing aid for the enemy!

US sanctions more companies and individuals for dealing with North Korea

On Thursday the U.S. blacklisted nine companies and government institutions for alleged support of North Korean weapons programs. The list includes two Russian firms.

The announcement comes from the U.S. Treasury as diplomats from the U.S. and China were expected to propose blacklisting more North Korean individuals and entities due to the country's constant tests of ballistic missiles. The U.S. is struggling to slow the North Korean nuclear and missile programs. Each time the U.S. increases its involvement in South Korea with ever increasing shows of force, the North Koreans take this as evidence that they must develop their weapons systems more quickly to deter any attempt by the U.S. and South Korean to use military action to stop them. So far the U.S. attempt to cut off funds and supplies to the North has failed to stop the North from further developing its weapons systems.

The U.S. Treasury sanctioned Ardis Bearings Lic. based in Moscow and also its director IgorAleksandrovich Michurin for providing supplies to a North Korean trading company involved in the country's missile and weapons programs. Another Russian firm Independent Petroleum Company (IPC) and one of its subsidiaries were blacklisted because they had a contract to provide oil to North Korea. The firm already shipped over one million dollars worth of petroleum products to North Korea.

The head of IPC Edward Khudainatov had been CEO of the largest Russian oil company Rosnest before being replaced by Putin's chief aide in 2012. After serving as vice-president for a time he left to take over the IPC producing about 40,000 barrels a day compared with Rosnest's 4 million.

A North Korean zinc company, Korea Zinc Industrial Group and the Korea Computer Center a state-run information technology research center were also black-listed. The center creates foreign currency for the North and is thought to have offices in Germany China, India, Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East. Kim Su-Kwang an intelligence official was also sanctioned. The Treasury claims he worked undercover in both the UN and Europe. The sanctions will freeze any funds the individuals or companies may have in the U.S. and bar U.S. companies from dealing with them. Sanctions against Russia probably already bar US companies from dealing with them.

The U.S. has also drafted a resolution that has been circulated to the UN Security Council. It would add 15 North Korean individuals and four "entities" to a blacklist for being linked to the country's nuclear and missile programs. However there would be no new sanctions related to recent North Korean missile tests as China opposes any. A final vote on the draft could come as early as this afternoon.

The sanctions would impose a global travel ban and asset freeze on a number of North Koreans, from a man believed to oversea foreign espionage and intelligence gathering, to officials who control media and key government and military appointments. The Vietnamese representative of a bank and heads of two companies also face sanctions. A bank, two trading companies, and the Strategic Rocket Force of the People's Army which is in charge of the ballistic missile program are also sanctioned. Six rounds of sanctions by the UN Security Council have failed to stop the North's weapons programs. While the draft does not call for new sanctions it adds significantly to the list of individuals and companies sanctioned. There are currently 39 individuals and 42 entities and groups blacklisted.

Russia is puzzled and alarmed by a decision by the United States to sanction a Russian citizen and multiple companies over alleged connections to North Korea, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov. The new South Korean president is in favor of improving relationships with North Korea. The US, on the other hand, is pursuing a policy of increasing punishment and attempting to isolate the north even more. Tensions between President Moon and the US have already developed over the THAAD anti-missile system.

Ferry service starts between Russia and North Korea

(May 18) Just as the United States is trying to isolate North Korea and imposes more sanctions, Russia and North Korea have initiated ferry services between Rajin on the east coast of North Korea and Vladivostok on Russia's east coast.

This is the first sea service between the two nations. There is a rail service all the way from Pyongyang to Moscow and air service but no land connection at the narrow border between Russia and North Korea in the east. The trip took about nine hours. The plan is to transport Chinese tourists to Russia every week. On the way back Russian tourists will travel to Rajin. North Korean workers will also travel back and forth from Vladivostock starting May 25. Russian journalist Khrolenko said:"

The Man Gyong Bong has three dry cargo holds with a total capacity of 1,500 tons, which will probably not be empty on voyages. The ice-free port of Rajin is located in the North-Korean city of Rason which enjoys the status of a special economic zone with free business allowed. The free port of Vladivostok is also a zone of special customs, tax, investment and related regulation."

The U.S. Congress has just endorsed more sanctions on North Korea ships and employees. U.S. sanctions bar vessels owned by the North or by countries involved in trade with Pyongyang from operating in U.S. waters or docking at U.S. ports. Khrolenko said that the U.S. Congress went as far as maintaining special control over Russsia's far eastern ports of Vladivostok, Nakhoda, and Vanino as part of its measures. At the UN, U.S. ambassador Nikki Haley is urging other countries to put more pressure on North Korea saying: "You either support North Korea or you support us, you are either with North Korea or not." Khrolenko noted that Vladivostock has already acted quite contrary to the sanctions. He also claimed that Russia was complying with UN Security Council Resolution 2270 placing restrictions on North Korea that Putin agreed to last December. However, he said this does not mean that the U.S. can impose its own police controls over sovereign states. Khrolenko said: "No country and no international organization have authorized the U.S. to monitor the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions by police or 'cowboy' methods," He said the motion passed by the U.S. Congress contradicted the principle of national sovereignty and called international economic activity into question. Khrolenko noted that the U.S. wanted to track ships coming to Russia from some other countries and also inspect cargo transported to certain ports in North Korea.

Konstantiin Kosachev, who heads the Russian Federation Council's Foreign Affairs Committee said that the U.S. Congress bill would allow "forced inspection of all vessels" by U.S. warship. He said that such a declaration was tantamount to a declaration of war. Rather it means that the US has given itself the power of global policeman, a role that it has often played already. But Khrolenko noted:"It is impossible to control the ports and economic activities of independent states from Washington. As for the Far Eastern ports of Russia, the Americans may only conduct remote monitoring [of the region]. The U.S. can also obtain information by using space reconnaissance means, remote hacking of the ports databases or agents in the field. Or they can simply inspect any vessel in neutral waters… Everything is possible, but taking into account the total volume of shipping and the capabilities of the Navy of the aforementioned countries [Russia, China, Iran, Syria], such control appears to be too dangerous,"

The recent ballistic missile test that landed not far from the Russia east coast created concern that the North was further along in missile development than was thought and for the U.S. to pass stricter sanctions but to some Russian entrepreneurs opportunities are being created for developing tourism with the North as a ferry service was established between the two countries. The ferry, the Man Gyong Bong is actually owned by a Russian company InvestStroyTrest, was carrying Russians and representatives of Chinese tourist companies on its maiden voyage, The company hopes that Russian and Chinese tourists will use the service as well as North Koreans working in Vladivostok.

The ferry can hold 200 cabins. It has 40 cabins, a restaurant and two bars. The company says the bars are to allow all passengers to engage in merrymaking. There are also slot machines, a shop, a sauna, and a karaoke room. The ship also has room for up to 1,500 tonnes of cargo, as mentioned earlier. To take goods to Rajin by land would take 22 hours according to the ferry company rather than nine hours by ferry.

Maria Zakharova, Russian foreign ministry spokesperson said that she did not see any connection between the new ferry service and political issues. Others may see the situation differently. There are growing political and economic ties between Russia and North Korea. They have an agreement to increase bilateral trade to one billion by 2020. There are also extradition treaties between the two countries. The treaty has been criticized by human rights organizations of what they say is an existing problem deporting North Korean asylum seekers back to the North where they will be severely punished. It may also discourage North Koreans from seeking asylum in Russia. No doubt the United States will not be pleased by the new ferry service and Russia's increasing economic links with a country the U.S. is trying its best to isolate. A recent Digital Journal article also describes the service.

China wants US to withdraw THAAD missile system from South Korea

While Trump claims that China is cooperating with the U.S. in attempts to force North Korea to rein in North Korea the Chinese have urged the US and South Korea to withdraw the THAAD anti-missile system.

The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system is being deployed by the U.S. in South Korea ostensibly to defend against any North Korean attacks. However, both Russia and China objected to the deployment on the grounds that it could be easily modified so as to be directed at them. Indeed it would give the U.S. first strike capacity on either country as discussed in a recent Digital Journal article.

The US is hastening the deployment of the system in South Korea moving parts to a deployment site at a former golf course about 230 kilometers south of Seoul the capital. The South Korean Foreign Ministry said: "South Korea and the United States have been working to secure an early operational capability of the THAAD system in response to North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile threat." At a daily news briefing Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Geng Shuang urged the U.S. and China to withdraw the system saying:"China strongly urges the United States and South Korea to stop actions that worsen regional tensions and harm China's strategic security interests and cancel the deployment of the THAAD system and withdraw the equipment. China will resolutely take necessary steps to defend its interests."

However, the US may be anxious to have THAAD in place before the coming South Korean election on May 9. The front-runner is opposed to the early deployment. Moon Jae-in said there should be a delay in deployment, suggesting that the new administration should make a decision and only after ascertaining public opinion on the issue and after more talks with Washington. A spokesperson for Moon said that moving the parts into place "ignored public opinion and due process" and he demanded the work be suspended. Both front-runners in the South Korean election favor a less confrontational approach than the present government. The winner is quite likely to raise questions about the THAAD system especially as it is also objected to by China and Russia. The U.S. may be trying to have the process as much completed as possible before a new government takes power.

The move to put THAAD parts in place was met by protesters who shouted and hurled water bottles at the transport vehicles. There were lines of police holding them back. According to the Yonhap news agency the parts included two or three launchers, intercept missiles and at least one radar. There were about 8,000 police officers mobilized to keep the road open, as the main road to the site had been blocked earlier. A video showing part of the demonstration is appended.

On Wednesday the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged that the US and South Korea end their joint exercises and that North Korea stop their nuclear program as a means of easing tensions. Yi said that North Korea's nuclear tests violated UN resolutions but that the joint U.S. South Korean military maneuvers were not in the spirit of the resolutions either. At a news conference Wang said: “Security and stability are very fragile at the moment and the danger is great of a new conflict breaking out at any time. We can’t risk even a one percent possibility of war,” he said, warning that a conflict would have “unimaginable consequences.Therefore, we call on all sides to be prudent and refrain from any actions or words that could lead to new provocations."

After an unusual and short White House briefing of U.S. Senators on the Korean situation, the Trump administration said that it aimed to push North Korea into dismantling its nuclear program through tougher sanctions and diplomatic pressure and remained open to negotiations. The U.S. has never engaged in direct negotiations on the issues with North Korea. It tells China what to do and then gets angry if this does not work. The Trump administration at least appears to be going through the motions of seeking a diplomatic solution before taking military action although no doubt all options are still on the table. The U.S. may decide to take military action before a new government is sworn in which might not be supportive of any military option. The U.S. is concerned that by some time after 2020 North Korea will have the capacity to hit the U.S. with a nuclear missile according to some experts.

A meeting of the UN Security Council on Friday chaired by Rex Tillerson is expected to discuss tougher sanctions, which according to the U.S. could include an oil embargo, banning North Korea's one airline, intercepting cargo ships and punishing any Chinese and other foreign banks doing business with North Korea. While China would like to restart international talks the U.S. thinks talks are useless until North Korea shows it is serious about denuclearization. While China may be angry that North Korea causes it such trouble, both it and Russia object to THAAD and the U.S. appears bound and determined to go ahead with its agenda anyway even though there is little sign that North Korea will be deterred by such an action.

North Korea celebrates 85th anniversary of Korean People's Army

(April 21)South Korea says it is on heightened alert ahead of the 85th anniversary of the Korean People's Army in North Korea. They are also concerned about a possible new nuclear test by Kim Jong-un.

The celebration comes as major military drills in the North end according to South Korea's Unification spokesperson KLee Duk-haeng. There have also been joint military exercises in the south with the United States. The North regularly criticizes these as a prelude to invasion. The exercises this year actually do mimic such an invasion. Duk-haeng said: "It is a situation where a lot of exercise equipment is amassed in North Korea and also a lot of strategic assets are situated on the Korean peninsula because of the South Korea-US military drills. We are closely watching the situation and will not be letting our guards down."

North Korea is on "maximum alert" after recent threats by the U.S. to take unilateral action if China is unable to reign in the North. U.S. officials claim there is a higher-than-usual level of activity by Chinese bombers in the border area. However, the Chinese Foreign Ministry denied that bombers were on any heightened state of alert. A Kremlin spokesperson declined to make any comments on reports that Russia is rushing both troops and military hardware to its narrow border with North Korea in the extreme north-east of the country. US and South Korean officials are worried that Kim Jong-un will understake another nuclear test even after being warned not to by the US and China. The top envoys from the U.S., South Korea, and Japan are to meet tomorrow to "discuss plans to rein in North Korea's high-strength provocation, to maximize pressure on the North, and to ensure China's constructive role in resolving the North Korea nuclear issue." Notice that there is never any talk of the U.S. having direct talks with the North. US President Trump said that if China wants to solve the North Korean problem it will. North Korea may not be that easy to convince without moves that could be risky for the Chinese. Trump said that China is the economic lifeline to the North. This may be true but it is not clear what the North Korean response might be if the lifeline is cut. It is not clear that China wants to find out either.

An official Chinese newspaper expressed optimism about persuading the North to cease its nuclear programme diplomatically now that even Donald Trump said he wanted a peaceful solution. However, he also said that if China did not succeed he would act unilaterally to deal with the situation. A China Daily editorial said: "Beijing has demonstrated due enthusiasm for Washington's new-found interest in a diplomatic solution and willingness to work more closely with it." Last year, North Korea carried out two nuclear weapons tests. It has carried out numerous tests of ballistic missiles.

Cheong Seong-chang a senior research fellow at the Sejong Instituted near Seoul said: "Without crossing the red line such as a nuclear test or a test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, until the April 25 anniversary of the Korean People's Army, North Korea is expected to continue to launch mid-range missiles." The joint U.S. South Korean military exercises are to finish the end of this month.

The UN Security Council strongly condemned North Korea's latest missile test which is reported to have failed. The Council threatened to impose new sanctions against North Korea for its "highly destabilizing behavior". Notice that U.S. actions such as the war games, deploying the THAAD missile system and an aircraft carrier armada are not destabilising behavior. The Council unanimously demanded that the North conduct no further nuclear tests and claimed that its "illegal missile activities" greatly increased tension in the region and beyond. The South Koreans appear more relaxed about the situation than those in the US. They are no doubt hoping that the new president to be elected soon will take a less confrontational approach to relations with the North and bring back some degree of normalization in relations between the two countries.

Tension increases between US and North Korea as egos clash

North Korea and the U.S. trade threats and provocations as tension between the leaders of the two countries increases creating the danger of disastrous clashes.

In the west, the press emphasis is on North Korean actions such as nuclear and missile tests. The North Koreans take these actions as defensive responses to U.S. and South Korean actions. The U.S. and others consider them as provocations. Such actions as a U.S. aircraft carrier steaming toward North Korea and joint war games with the South Koreans that involve a simulated attack on North Korea, nor the installation of the THAAD anit-missile system are not regarded as provocations but legitimate responses to the threat of North Korea in the western press.

North Korean rhetoric does not help the situation, as Kim Jong-un threatens nuclear attacks in response to any military action against it. However, many people are concerned that after the US strike in Syria, the U.S. may take unilateral military action against North Korea. Russian officials have voiced their concern. However, Defense Secretary James Mattis tried to downplay these concerns and insists that the carrier strike group is just in the western Pacific and is not going to South Korea for any particular reason and is not intending to do anything when it arrives. However, it is clearly a show of force. The Mattis explanation contradicts what President Trump told Fox Business news that the armada was full of powerful warships, that North Korea was looking for trouble, and the U.S. intended to solve the problem. The tabloid press jumped into the competing narratives and reports that the Navy Seals who killed Bin Laden are now training to take out Kim Jong-Un!

China appears to have agreed with Donald Trump that North Korea is a threat but wants to deal with the situation through non-military means. China has already acted to ban coal shipments from North Korea:A fleet of North Korean cargo ships is heading home to the port of Nampo, the majority of it fully laden, after China ordered its trading companies to return coal from the isolated country, shipping data shows, China banned all imports of North Korean coal on Feb. 26, cutting off the country's most important export product. China's customs department issued an official order on April 7 telling trading companies to return their North Korean coal cargoes, said three trading sources with direct knowledge of the order.There are also reports that China is preparing for trouble on its 1420 kilometer border with North Korea.

China is said to be deploying about 150,000 Chinese troops to the area according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency. However, China's Xinhua news agency has not reported this deployment. Russia also has a short border area with North Korea in the far north-west of the country. There is no land crossing except for a railway. There is actually a railway car that goes from Pyongyang the North Korean capital to Moscow a distance of 10,272 kilometers or 6,383 miles, the longest direct, one-seat ride, passenger rail service in the world.

Trump and others claim that everything has been tried to get North Korea to stop its nuclear program but nothing has worked. Nothing has worked permanently but as Noam Chomsky points out:1994, Clinton made—established what was called the Framework Agreement with North Korea. North Korea would terminate its efforts to develop nuclear weapons. The U.S. would reduce hostile acts. It more or less worked, and neither side lived up to it totally, but, by 2000, North Korea had not proceeded with its nuclear weapons programs. George W. Bush came in and immediately launched an assault on North Korea—you know, "axis of evil," sanctions and so on. North Korea turned to producing nuclear weapons.Bush tore up another sensible proposal in 2005. What we have now is threats not suggestions for diplomatic solutions, as in the recent flurry of tweets by Donald Trump threatening North Korea.

We are faced with two leaders often characterized as mad with huge egos confronting one another. It is not a situation conducive to global security. Sorry, I forgo Trump is now "presidential", after attacking a Syrian air base with Tomahawk missiles, according to CNN's Farad Zakaria and many others. An attack on North Korea against a mad leader will no doubt be even more presidential.

Some experts still doubt that North Korea was behind Sony hack

While FBI director James Comey presented new evidence to show that North Korea was responsible for the recent hacking of Sony Corporation many experts still doubt that North Korea is the culprit.

Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper even went so far as to say that North Korean General Kim Youn Choi was directly responsible for ordering the attack. Of course the evidence for this will not be made public. What is in the public domain however is clear evidence that Clapper lied to the American congress under oath. Nothing ever happened to him as a result. It is probably part of his job. Dianne Feinstein said that there is no more direct and honest person than Jim Clapper. Press Secretary Jay Carney said that president Obama believes that Clapper has been "aggressive in providing as much information as possible to the American people." The Snowden leaks show that the intelligence community was keeping information about what was going on from American citizens.

 The new evidence, presented by FBI director James Comey relies upon one believing that the Korean hackers are incredibly sloppy. The detailed evidence is as follows:" ".. a new detail from Comey that the attackers failed to use proxy servers through which to route some of their activity and mask their real IP addresses. As a result, Comey said, they unintentionally revealed that they were using addresses known to be “exclusively” used by North Korea. The new claim builds upon previous evidence cited by the FBI that components used in the Sony hack are similar or identical to components used in the so-called DarkSeoul attacks that struck South Korea last year and another claim that an IP address “associated with known North Korean infrastructure” contacted one of the command-and-control servers used in the Sony hack. " "

Of course there may be further intelligence that experts are not allowed to examine since it is classified, but even if that is so, the new explanations ignore features of the hack that are difficult to explain and are left unexplained. The initial communication between hackers and Sony made no mention of the film The Interview but asked only for money or they would release damaging information--which they did.

The new evidence claims that the hackers several times failed to use proxy servers including logging into a Facebook account and sending emails to Sony executives without masking their IP addresses. The time at which these mistakes were made is crucial but not revealed since they might support an alternative explanation of what happened. Within days of the hack, there were stories about North Korea's possible role. This provided a golden opportunity for the hackers to lead the FBI astray:" ".. if the hackers knew investigators were looking for North Korean links, they may have decided to provide them by using North Korean IP addresses. But that’s assuming the IP addresses the FBI cites are indeed North Korea IP addresses.""

 The new evidence actually raises more questions rather than actually giving any proof that the attack was launched from North Korea. There is no indication as to where the exact IP addresses are, or why officials were able to conclude that the addresses are used exclusively by North Korea. One FBI critic, Marc Rogers point out that IP addresses are quite fallible as proof of origin, and the claim that addresses are used exclusively by North Korea is also fallible. He also questions whether an experienced government hacker would make the mistake of not using a proxy server not just once but several times. Rogers said: " “These guys literally burnt Sony down to hide their tracks and they staged everything pretty methodically. It would surprise me that somebody like that would make such a huge mistake to forget to use a proxy.” "

The FBI has noted the similarity between the DarkSeoul attacks and the Sony attacks as a ground for pinning the blame on North Korea as noted by Jeffery Carr, a security consultant and CEO of Taia Global. Some of the same tools were used and there was also a revelation of an IP address. Carr also disputes the DarkSeoul attribution. Many critics of the FBI position note that the North Korean IP addresses they have identified could themselves be proxies, systems hijacked by the hackers to conduct their own activity and to throw investigators off track.

The FBI notes that the hackers "shut it off very quickly once they saw their mistake" and returned to using known proxies. However, Robert Graham, CEO of Errate Security says that this is just one of many possible interpretations of what happened and noted:" “It would surprise me that somebody like that would make such a huge mistake to forget to use a proxy.That can mean so many different things. It sounds like that’s the interpretation [the FBI] put on things, but not necessarily what happened.”. It could very well be a manufactured event with the hacker knowing exactly what interpretation would be taken of what they did. "

Marc Rogers says that if the FBI drew on NSA signals intelligence as evidence that North Korea was responsible for the hacking they should indicate that rather than relying upon the evidence they have presented so far. Robert Lee, a digital forensic specialist, also criticized the FBI for not revealing unclassified information used by Mandiant the cybersecurity firm hired by Sony to investigate the hack.

The NSA has now actually claimed a part in pointing to North Korea as the hacker. Admiral Michael Rogers NSA director said when asked of the agency's role in the investigation of the hack: "We partner with the Department of Homeland Security and FBI in various areas and this is one such area. We specifically did—we were asked to provide our technical expertise. We were asked to take a look at the malware, we were asked to take a look at not just the data that was being generated from Sony but also what data could we bring to the table—here’s other activity and patterns leading up to it, what is this act really about? We were part of a broad interagency effort, not in the lead role–the Federal Bureau of Investigation was the overall lead. Yes, we were part of a broad government attempt to understand exactly what happened.”"

 Just as all this is happening lo and behold an old zombie is arising and will come before US Congress again CISPA. The bill would give spy agencies such as NSA much more power and has long been opposed by privacy advocates. An editorial at antiwar.com draws connections between the renewed pressure to advance the powers of NSA and attributing the Sony attack to North Korea: "It is the eagerness for government agencies to get these new powers and access to information that is likely informing their decision to blame North Korea for the Sony hack, as a foreign attack would be a far better sell for granting them new powers than the likely facts, that Sony was attacked by a disgruntled former employee and a handful of other hackers. "

After North Korean officials visit South high level talks set to resume

After senior North Korean officials made a surprise visit to South Korea to attend the closing ceremonies of the Asian Games, Hwang Pyong-so, regarded as the second most powerful person in the North, met with South Korea's Reunification Minister.Reports from South Korea now claim that the two sides have agreed to resume high level talks that had been suspended since last February followed by increased tensions between the two countries.
 In the North, Kim Jong-un appears to have serious health problems, and is suffering from gout. The disease runs in the family and is exacerbated by eating rich foods. The chubby North Korean leader is said to be "addicted" to Swiss Emmental cheese. Recent video footage has shown Kim walking with a limp but he has not appeared in public since Sept.3. He was not at a recent meeting of the parliament. A source told Yonhap news: "Kim Jong-un is suffering from gout, which is why he is limping on both legs. I understand that he is suffering from gout along with hyperuricemia, hyperlipidemia, obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure."
 A think-tank based in Seoul South Korea North Korea Intellectuals Solidarity (NKIS) suggests that Kim Yo-jong, Kim Jong-un's younger sister, could be leading the country during the illness of her brother. A source told NKIS that the Political Bureau of the ruling party decided to give Kim extended medical treatment at a recent meeting. They also decided that officials should carry out Kim's previous orders and that both the party and army should be on war time alert while Kim is unable to perform his duties due to his medical condition. Finally, the party decided that important matters of government administration should be reported to Kim Yo-jong to allow Kim to concentrate on improving his health. One senior North Korean official has denied that Kim has any health problem.
 The first official mention of Yo-jong was March 9 this year as she accompanied Kim Jong-un as they voted for the Supreme People's Assembly. She was described then as a senior official of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea. The head of NKIS Kim Heung-gwang claims: “Some say Hwang Byong-so, director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People’s Army, may have assumed new No. 2 status, but given what has been confirmed this time, we can say Hwang is just a shadow, and Kim Yo-jong is the second-in-command of North Korea,”
 Whoever is in charge, North Korea seems to be making moves to improve relations with the South. So Se Pyong, the North Korean ambassador to the UN, said on Friday that the North was also ready to resume talks on its nuclear program and that there were no plans for any missile or nuclear tests.

Nuclear weapons worldwide data

This BBC article lists countries with nuclear weapons and how many they have.

Total world nuclear warheads are estimated be 20,000. Many however are not operational.

Only about one quarter or 5,000 of the total are operational. Countries are secretive about how many nuclear weapons they have. Israel officially does not even admit it has any.

The Federation of American Scientists has made estimates of stockpiles of each nuclear country based on information that is available.

Russia has the largest stockpile with 2,430 operational weapons and an estimated 10,000 in all. The U.S. has 1,950 that are operational with a total of 8,500.

In comparison to the U.S. and Russia other countries have relatively few nuclear warheads. France has 290 operational and 300 stockpiled. China is said to have 0 operational but 240 stockpiled.. The UK 160 operational and 225 stockpiled.. Israel has 0 operational but about 80 stockpiled.

Pakistan has 0 operational but between 90 and 110 stockpiled. India also has 0 operational but about 80to 100 stockpiled. The two countries are about equal in stockpiles.

Finally North Korea has 0 operational and less than 10 stockpiled. Obviously there is a huge task ahead if nuclear weapons are to be eliminated. No doubt Russia and the U.S. could both eliminate some of their stockpiles without endangering any power balance.

North Korean State Symphony performs in Paris

The sole western-style symphony orchestra established back in 1946 has never been allowed to perform in a capitalist country before. However in 2008 the New York Philharmonic performed in North Korea with great success and audience and government approval as well. See this article. I found a video of the Philharmonic performing the Korean folk song Arirang in Pyongyang in 2008. It is appended.

The North Korean orchestra is now playing in Paris and is being joined by French musicians and led by a South Korean conductor. Some analysts see the tour as a sign that the new ruler of North Korea Kim Jong-un will be a bit more liberal.

Although France and North Korea have no diplomatic ties France does have a culture mission there. This mission is meant to facilitate art and cultural exchanges between the two countries. Perhaps North Korea will begin to open up gradually to more foreign relations. For more see this article.

Koreas: DMZ zone refuge for endangered species

An entirely unexpected collateral good that arises from the DMZ zone between North and South Korea is a refugee zone for endangered species. It is as an article in Al Jazeera puts it a green ribbon of hope.

The DMZ is home to many species that are either entirely extinct or endangered in the rest of the peninsula. The zone has become the center of attention for those on both sides of the DMZ and even overseas who are intent on preserving the Korean natural heritage.

The Korean natural heritage has been destroyed by over a century of occupation, conflict, and economic development. The Japanese occupation between 1905 and 1945 led to massive deforestation, pollution and a general environmental decline. THe 1950-53 Korean war added to the environmental mess. However, rapid economic development since has also degraded the environment.

Created in 1953 the DMZ has provided sanctuary for many species for half a century now. Almost 100 species of fish, 45 types of amphibians and reptiles and more than 1000 insect species are thought to inhabit the zone. There are constant reports of rare species being spotted in the zone.

Many worry about the future of the zone should the Koreas reunify. Moves are being made to ensure that the zone remains a nature preserve.

Already a crane preservation area is being developed along the Han River estuary. The South Korean government has designated an area a national monument in 1976. A second conservation area has been the result of international cooperation by scientists in Japan, North Korea, and elsewhere and has been approved by the North Korean government.

Many groups are trying to have the DMZ recognised as a permanent reserve and cultural site. Scientists from North and South Korea, Japan and the U.S. have all worked together to help preserve the DMZ so that many animal species can live safely in the area. Surely it should be possible to humans to live in the areain safety as well. For much more detail see the entire article here.