Newsletter by SAND
2024. 9. 20 Number 35 | publisher Kyong-hui Choi
South And North Development
www. sand.or.kr
Just as Sand means sand in English, the SAND Research Institute will fill the empty space in inter-Korean relations and North Korea research amid the social focus, and communicate with society with a confident attitude and innovative research results. The SAND Research Institute, comprised of researchers from North and South Korea, will play its role as the main material to build a new 'house of unification' and pave the 'path to unification', just as sand is used as a key material for semiconductors in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
SAND Exclusive
A Senior Judge from the Central Court of Pyongyang Reveals the Realities Inside Pyongyang
- First Public Release of North Korean Criminal Records: Female Officials Are Involved in Crimes
As social deviance rises in North Korea, the SAND Institute Newsletter team exclusively obtained an educational video featuring a senior female judge from Pyongyang's Central Court. The video offers a rare look into Pyongyang's crime situation, an unusual move that underscores the growing impact of marketization and external cultural influences on North Korean society.
Feature Article
Cheong Seong-chang
Director of the Center for North Korean Studies, The Sejong Institute
Why Nuclear Armament of South Korea and Japan is Necessary for Peace in Northeast Asia
On September 13, North Korea's state media revealed a high-enriched uranium (HEU) production facility during Kim Jong-un's on-site inspection, a significant escalation. While North Korea had previously shown U.S. nuclear physicist Dr. Siegfried Hecker its uranium enrichment facility in 2010, this is the first time the regime has publicly released photos of the facility. During this visit, Kim Jong-un ordered the expansion of centrifuges and the introduction of new ones to increase the nuclear arsenal exponentially.
Interview
Oh Joon
Former UN Ambassador
Can International Human Rights Pressure Prompt Change in Kim Jong-un?
"If the world stays silent on North Korea’s human rights abuses and fails to maintain pressure, Kim Jong-un will likely feel empowered to continue his regime’s oppression and violations." On the 11th, at the Save the Children office in Mapo, Seoul, Oh Joon emphasized, "Sustained pressure on human rights abuses keeps North Korea aware that the global community is always watching." Oh Joon, a former South Korean Ambassador to the UN, became well-known for a powerful speech on North Korean human rights delivered...
Feature Article
Shin Jongtae
Former Professor of Military Science at Chosun University
The Untold Story Behind Operation Chromite
Operation Chromite marked a turning point in the Korean War, halting the North Korean advance and reversing the war's momentum in favor of the UN forces. On September 15, 1950, under General Douglas MacArthur, South Korean and UN troops launched a surprise amphibious assault on Incheon, then under North Korean control. This operation is as significant as World War II’s Battle of Midway and the Normandy landings.
North Korea in History
Kang In-deok
Former Minister of Unification of the Republic of Korea
North Korea 30 Years After Kim Il-sung's Death: Past, Present, and Future (5) - Seoul Olympics 1988 and North Korea's ...
After securing his position as successor, Kim Jong-il officially took leadership following the 6th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea in 1980. However, he faced a major challenge: competing with South Korea's rising influence. This was highlighted by the upcoming Games of the XXIV Olympiad Seoul 1988, which offered South Korea a prime opportunity to showcase its growing power and international standing, further cemented by the fact...
Column
Jeon Byung-kil
Senior Consultant of YESInnovation
former of Secretary General of UniKorea Foundation
The journey to peace
Visiting Hiroshima and Nagasaki with Korean youth
From August 19th to 23rd, 2024, I visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan with 25 South Korean university students and had a great experience. Participating in the Global Youth Ambassadors for Peace program, organized by Green Tree International and sponsored by Gyeonggi Province, was an opportunity to witness the pain of war and the seriousness of the nuclear issue beyond just visiting historical sites, and to reaffirm the value of peace.
Defector’s Podium
Jeon Kyung-hee
North Korean defectors
Differences in Chuseok between South and North Korea
Chuseok, a traditional holiday since the Three Kingdoms era, remains a key cultural event in both Koreas, though much has changed as their division has deepened over time. In South Korea, Chuseok and Lunar New Year are major holidays, while in North Korea, they are secondary to politically significant “state holidays” like the birthdays of Kim Jong-il and Kim Jong-un, National Foundation Day, Party Foundation Day, Army Foundation Day...
kim Myong-sung's Inside North Korea
Kim Myong-sung
Secretary General of the SAND Institute
Kim Jong-un Orders Full-Scale Nuclear Material Production, Unveils Uranium Facility for...
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