Newsletter by SAND
2024. 11. 22 Number 39 | 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.
Analysis of Issues
Choi Jang-ho
Researcher at Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP)
North Korea’s Economic Impact and Sanctions: Analysis and Outlook Amid Strengthened Ties with...
On June 19, 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Pyongyang for a North Korea-Russia summit. This was his first visit in 24 years, following a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at Russia’s Vostochny Cosmodrome in September 2023. The summit was symbolic for both nations as they signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement. This agreement elevated their ties from traditional friendship to a near-alliance, emphasizing broad, long-term cooperation,
SAND Column
Illegal Collaboration Between Russia and North Korea and Kim Jong-un’s International Criminal...
The Ukraine-Russia war has strengthened the illicit alliance between Russia and North Korea, with North Korea supplying large quantities of lethal weapons and acting as a logistics hub for Russia. Since August 2023, North Korea has reportedly sent over 13,000 containers filled with deadly weapons to Russia through about 70 shipments. These arms have not been limited to military use but have also been employed to deliberately target civilians, ringing alarm bells across the global community.
NK Focus
People's Liberation Army (PLA) Armored Units Moving to the China-North Korea Border: A Warning to...
Recent movements of PLA armored units toward the China-North Korea border have drawn significant attention. These maneuvers occurred just three days after South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) confirmed on the 18th of last month that North Korea had dispatched special forces to Russia. Analysts suggest this may be China’s way of warning Pyongyang against its troop deployment. A video obtained by the SAND Newsletter Team shows dozens of PLA armored vehicles traveling in a convoy...
Current Affairs Analysis
Shin Chi-bum
Professor, Department of Military Science and Art, Konyang University
Trilateral security cooperation among South Korea, the US, and Japan is a cornerstone of East Asian...
The trilateral security cooperation among South Korea, the US, and Japan serves as a cornerstone of East Asian security. Its importance continues to grow as North Korea's nuclear and missile programs advance and strategic competition between the US and China escalates. This system, a crucial element of South Korea’s security mechanism, was established in the early 1990s during efforts to address the first North Korean nuclear crisis. Over the years, it has developed into a multilayered structure that counters...
Opinion
Lee Jong-woo
Former Official in Charge of Judicial and Prosecution Affairs at the Workers' Party of Korea
The Reality of Life for North Korean Citizens Under Judicial Oppression
North Korea’s judicial institutions and their affiliates have faced violent backlash from citizens. During my tenure overseeing judicial and prosecution affairs for the Workers' Party of Korea, I witnessed residents venting their anger over oppressive and unjust practices, targeting not only prosecutors, judges, and state security agents but also their families in acts of revenge. My personal experiences in North Korea included several instances of physical attacks. On one occasion, as I was riding my motorcycle home, I encountered...
Defectors' Podium
Lee Nam-su
Former North Korean Soldier Dispatched to Russia
Don’t Sacrifice Your Life For Dictators—Choose Freedom Instead
Continuing from our previous discussion, this is a heartfelt letter from Mr. Lee Nam-su, who was once dispatched as a North Korean soldier to a construction site in Russia. Having defected to South Korea three years ago, he now writes to console North Korean soldiers deployed to the perilous Russian battlefield. Who are the real victims of this war? It is you and your loved ones. Far away in North Korea, your parents endure each day in anguish, shedding tears for you.
Feature Article Series
Jeon Byung-kil
Senior Consultant of YESInnovation
former of Secretary General of UniKorea Foundation
Marketing In North Korea (11) - There are startups in North Korea? It’s surprised
Can an individual start a business in North Korea where individual business activities are officially prohibited? A short answer to this question is “yes.” The keyword to understand this answer is “Donju,” the emerging North Korean capitalists in the 1990s when the commercialization took place in North Korea. As the country’s socialist system lost power and the government failed to supply enough daily necessities to its people, Jangmadang – an unofficial market for the residents – was first established.
kim Myong-sung's Inside North Korea
Kim Myong-sung
Secretary General of the SAND Institute
Kim Jong-un, Backed by Vladimir Putin, Challenges Donald Trump: "Strengthening Nuclear Power...
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