Joint drill, satellite, and dialogue

北 반발 속 한미 연합훈련 시작, 남북관계 및 北 비핵화 향배는? Hello and welcome to Within the Frame. I’m Han Da-eun in Seoul. South Korea and the United States kicked off a large-scale combined Freedom Shield military exercise this week to boost their allied defense against rising North Korea threats. This, as South Korea also stepped up its independent monitoring of North Korean activities through its first military spy satellite. Efforts toward dialogue also continued, with a top U.S. official hinting that Washington could consider laying out “interim steps“ on the path to North Korea’s denuclearization. For an in-depth analysis on these stories and their implications, we have Go Myong-hyun, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for National Security Strategy joining us in the studio. Also joining us tonight, is Evans Revere, Former US Acting Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs. (GO) Q1. Let’s begin with the Freedom Shield combined drill. It comes at a pivotal time when inter-Korean tensions have hit new highs. What’s expected from this year’s exercise? (GO) Q2. According to some reports citing military sources, this year’s Freedom Shield will include “cognitive warfare” scenarios for the very first time. What does cognitive warfare refer to, and why is it important? (REVERE) Q3. North Korea was quick to react. It warned of consequences, calling the drill a “rehearsal for war” that amplifies the unpredictability of the situation in a region that’s technically at war. But unlike last year, the North is yet to carry out missile provocations in protest. What do you make of this? (REVERE) Q4. South Korea’s first military spy satellite has reportedly transmitted “good-resolution“ images of central Pyongyang where leader ’s office is located. According to the Yonhap news agency citing military sources, vessels anchored at a port were also clearly seen in the photos. And the South Korean military What significance does this hold? (GO) Q5. Meanwhile, opinions remain divided on the capabilities of North Korea’s first military spy satellite, Malligyong-1 launched last November. The South Korean military believes it’s not functioning properly, but a satellite expert in the Netherlands has recently said that it’s “alive” after detecting changes in its orbit. The expert said that it shows something critical about the technical capabilities of the North Korean space program. We wanna get your thoughts on this. (GO) Q6. The two Koreas plan to launch more surveillance satellites as their competition heats up. The South Korean military is set to blast off its second spy satellite this April, while the North may launch another one as early as this month, according to some reports. Do you expect North Korea’s launch to come sooner than the South’s, and what are your prospects for the satellite race between the two Koreas? (REVERE) Q7. Meanwhile, the U.S. has shown a fresh sign of efforts to resume dialogue with the North. A White House official has said Washington will consider laying out “interim steps“ on the path to North Korea’s denuclearization. The remarks, which came during a forum co-hosted by JoongAng Ilbo newspaper and the CSIS, marks the first time a top US official has floated the term “interim steps”. How do you interpret this? (REVERE) Q8. Poland and the Czech Republic are in talks with North Korea to resume their diplomatic mission in Pyongyang, according to VOA. This comes after a few other European countries, including Germany and Britain, have taken similar steps. What are you reading into this? And that brings us to the end of this show. Thank you for watching, and be sure to tune in same time tomorrow to join our conversation. Good bye for now. #SouthKorea #UnitedStates #FreedomShield #NorthKorea #Denuclearization #대한민국 #미국 #자유의방패 #한미_연합_훈련 #북한 #비핵화 #Arirang_News #아리랑뉴스 📣 Facebook : 📣 Twitter : 📣 Homepage : 2024-03-06, 18:30 (KST)