South Korea's First Lady goes nuclear

I noticed something about the statement made by Yoon after a South Korean analyst I follow, Kim Jong-tae, commented that Yoon using the powerful nuclear ballistic missile submarine USS Kentucky in Busan as a prop, threatened North Korea with the end of its regime.

Yoon boards U.S. nuclear-capable submarine in show of force against N. Korea
YNA July 19

"The two countries will overwhelmingly and resolutely respond to North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile threats through the NCG and regular deployments of strategic assets, such as the SSBN," he said.

Yoon and U.S. President Joe Biden agreed during their summit in Washington in April to establish a Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) to discuss nuclear and strategic planning between the allies, and strengthen the credibility of the U.S. extended deterrence commitment to defending South Korea with all of its military capabilities, including nuclear weapons.

The inaugural session was held in Seoul on Tuesday as the USS Kentucky was making its port call, and Yoon said the two sides discussed the joint planning and execution of nuclear operations involving a combination of U.S. nuclear assets and South Korean non-nuclear assets, while agreeing to enhance the visibility of U.S. strategic assets around the Korean Peninsula.

"By doing so, we will make North Korea not even dream of carrying out a nuclear provocation, and we warned clearly that should North Korea carry out a provocation, it will lead to the end of that regime," (emphasis added) he said.

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20230719008100315#:~:text=%22The%20USS%20Kentucky's%20deployment%20shows,Command%20headquartered%20at%20the%20base.

The emphasized language is overbroad. I noticed it was not repeated elsewhere not even on the official ROK Office of the President web site (typically they need to omit, repair, or massage most of his statements). First Yoon says "nuclear provocation." Just what is that? Is that the same as a nuclear attack? Then later in the same sentence, "we warned clearly that should North Korea carry out a provocation..." This is even more vague. In the Hankyoreh report of this presidential PR show, they changed it to (nuclear) provocation, just to make "clearly" more clear. Perhaps this is the proper "clarification." Maybe not. Just what is a "nuclear provocation?" In the case of current circumstances in relations with North Korea, a test detonation of a nuclear weapon, underground, at its usual test site, could be considered a "nuclear provocation." After all it is banned by UN resolution. Also, preparation of a nuclear test site for underground nuclear detonation in North Korea indicating that a nuclear test may be imminent might be regarded as a "nuclear provocation."

Assuming that Col. Macgregor is correct and that assurances of the "extended strategic deterrence" are actually not a US national defense policy, perhaps one could disregard all the above. Yoon is simply having his ego stroked by being able to play the military strongman of South Korea, to bolster his total lack of national defense and statesmanship credentials.

Is it right to use the most valuable asset in the US nuclear arsenal to provide a set to boost Yoon's shredded public support? It's all for show. A performance for North Korea, and a performance for South Korean domestic politics. A stunt like this could actually provoke a nuclear test from North Korea, having the exact opposite of its purported intended effect. It was noted that North Korean missiles test fired in "show of force" in connection with USS Kentucky's port visit flew at ranges compatible with those required for a strike on Busan. More than one analyst has noted that North Korea was "not backing down." A Hankyoreh article on this same topic stated under the headline- "Uncompromising attitudes on all sides are raising the risk of unintended clashes."

Also upon the visit, the military personnel present of either armed forces ROK or US, were not appropriately attired for the visit of a head of state. This just is more circumstantial evidence of the amateur nature of this staged political event/photo op.

(Source- OhMyTV 7.23 youtube)

President Yoon Seok-yeol, inexperienced in national security matters, a person known as a hothead, unable to control his temper, with the most powerful weapons system in the US nuclear arsenal as his prop, threatening North Korea with the end of Kim Jong-un's regime. Retired Col. Macgregor said this week, he doesn't believe there is such a thing as extended deterrence.

(Source- OhMyTV 7.23 youtube) First Lady Kim Gon-hee, inside the USS Kentucky SSBN looking through the periscope. It's a long way from the Volcano night club to being able to pose as Audrey Hepburn on a nuclear warship. What happened to Kim's mother of mercy act? Why didn't Yoon bring mother in law Choe Eun-sun?

Who are the morons in the US who thought this was a good idea? Yoon's disapproval rating is 62 percent. The military strongman image didn't help.


Saint Kim Gon-hee*

(Source- 언론 알아야 바꾼다 youtube 11.15.22)


*First Lady's Audrey hepburn Pose
https://civilizationdiscontents.blogspot.com/2022/11/south-korean-first-ladys-audrey-hepburn.html

More dojeja

All right, it's okay to drink too. Let's go. ( Don't forget to import our sea urchins! ) (can my people inspect the discharge water?) .

Culture, Sports, Media and National Security

Recreated Lee Myung-bak style. What could go wrong?



With policies extremely unpopular and the election season coming up early next year, Yoon seeks top down control of media. Yoon is expected to appoint Yoo In-chon the Culture and Sports Minister, a role he served in the Lee Myung-bak administration, notorious for his "blacklist" of actors, artists, and script writers labeled leftist. Yoo is depicted as the face on the larger horse with Yoon on his back to drive leftists to hell. Apparently, Yoo is known for his rude character. The face on the smaller horse is Lee Dong-gwan, another Lee Myung-bak advisor, who is currently on the presidential staff, and is expected to be appointed Chair of the Korean Communications Commission, in spite of a political cover up arranged on his behalf to quell a school violence and bullying scandal in which his son had been embroiled in the past. Lee's son got special treatment (opa chance) rather than the mandatory ethics hearing, expulsion and potential bar from college admission. The two new Yoon appointees could operate in tandem to censor non-compliant South Korean media.

(Source- 오마이TV youtube, 3.1) [박정호의 핫스팟] "김성한은 김태효의 걸림돌" 김종대 "김태효, MB 때도 그러더니..." Kim Sung-han- Kim Tae-hyo's obstacle (rock on the path). (Left) Jim Jong-tae. (Right) First Deputy National Security Advisor Kim Tae-hyo.

Kim Tae-hyo mastermind of the March coup this year to elimate foreign policy and national security advisors questioning Yoon's complete capitulation to US-Japanese policy objectives. South Korea no longer has its own national interests.

President Yoon portrayed as Lee Won-yong, the infamous traitor of Eulsa, who sold his country out to Japan.

SOTA coordinated missile attack

depicted in this graphic by South Korean military analyst Shin In-kyun. He's very conservative, but sometimes he gets into detail on tactical issues and arms acquisition.

The graphic is intended to reflect North Korean adoption of successful Russian offensive missile tactics recently observed in Ukraine. Shin raised the issue for two reasons. First, because of the lack of an effective response to the North Korean drone incursions into South Korea Dec. 26. So he's assuming a coordinated strike by North Korea could be similar to a coordinated Russian missile strike. Second because he's making a sales pitch to the ROK for an Israeli close in defense system, MADIS, that the USMC bought, in 2013, according to Shin. He's also recommending the Israeli Tamir missile in combination with the Iron Dome system.

I like this graphic because it shows the variety of profiles of the strike weapons the North Koreans potentially have available. A coordinated attack definitely presents a problem for the defender. From the bottom up: drone envelope, cruise missile, hypersonic missile, ballistic missile with variable terminal guidance, and uppermost, the conventional ballistic missile. Added to the mix are 170mm mlrs, 240mm mlrs, and artillery at short range.

(7.1.23) Posted this because of an interview video I saw of Ray MacGovern by Robert Scheer. At the outset, Scheer seemed incredibly misinformed as to how the conflict in Ukraine was proceeding, particularly the aerospace conflict. To paraphase Scheer, "Ray are you telling me our advanced weapons systems are ineffective and being destroyed in Ukraine?" The original Shin In-kyun video on this subject was in January 2023. The above was only my draft, which for some reason I never completed. I try to follow aerospace developments of political significance in East Asia and publish occasionally on this blog about significant air and missile operations particularly in the Korean theater. Because I have done so, I was aware of the initial difficulties Russia faced in the early phases of the Ukraine conflict. But eventually, the multifaceted means of a sophisticated combined aerospace attack tactics had succeeded in clearing the way for Russia and allowing it to defeat Ukrainian offensives. Some of these weapons systems are designed to exploit the seams in various defensive western SAM and AAA systems. Some are difficult to track with precision, due low altitude ingress, terrain masking, low apogee ballistic trajectories, variable terminable guidance on ballistic missiles (and missile artillery), and hypersonic speeds, all serve to defeat western designed air defense systems.