One of history’s most politically manipulated Olympics is over, and now in Pyeongchang we are on to the Paralympics. Meanwhile, behind the breathtaking performances of athletes from more than 90 nations, the sharp claws of the ugly leftwing terrorist forces of the North appear to have firmly dug into the skin of their naïve prey—South Korea.

　　　　　Kim Jong-un, the North’s deviant dictator, dispatched Kim Yong-chol, his deputy in charge of terrorist activities abroad, to the closing ceremony as head of the North Korean delegation.

　　　　　On February 23, I invited Professor Tsutomu Nishioka, an expert on Korean affairs, as a guest to my regular “Genron” Internet television news show to discuss this and other developments in the ongoing North Korean crisis. (Professor Nishioka is also director of the Japan Institute for National Fundamentals [JINF], a privately-financed conservative think tank that I head in Tokyo.)

　　　　　Yong-chol is responsible for North Korea’s plot to torpedo the South Korean Navy corvette Cheonan in 2010, killing 46 crew members. That Jong-un sent such a person to the South reflected his genuine fear for his life, explained Nishioka, adding:

　　　　　“In North Korea until recently, there was a strongman widely feared as ‘a messenger from the other world’––Kim Won-hong, who headed the State Security Department. Among other things, he executed Jong-un’s uncle Jang Song-thaek and Hyon Yong-chol, who was in charge of the Ministry of People’s Armed Forces. Out of the blue, however, Won-hong was removed from that position early last year and transferred to the army. Then he was banished to a farm in the countryside with his family. I believe Jong-un’s fear was definitely behind Won-hong’s banishment.

　　　　　“Before Won-hong’s fall from grace, a high-ranking North Korean defector said repeatedly on Korean television that historically the top official of the North’s State Security Department has been purged himself after taking the initiative in purging others. The defector also said that Won-Hong would be driven to take action before being purged—if he was smart enough; and that if ever there was someone capable of assassinating Jong-il, it would be Won-hong.”

　　　　　Jong-un may have heard these reports. Or, he might have thought he faced a threat from someone else to whom he had given too much power. In any event, he must have thought more purges was the only solution. Clearly, Jong-un is scared stiff beyond the wildest imagination of even his closest aides.

　　　　　But without a doubt, Jong-un fears the US the most. Last November, the Pentagon conducted war games in preparation for a military clash on the Korean Peninsula. The premise used was that big cities in America’s vital Asian allies—Japan and South Korea—would be guarded from attack while preventing the Chinese army from coming into North Korea.

Only Small Nuclear Weapons Would Work

　　　　　Along the 38th parallel, North Korea has deployed at least 200 missiles and conventional assault weapons, both above and below ground, aimed directly at South Korea and Japan. The Pentagon has concluded that only low-yield, small-sized nuclear weapons would work in eliminating the offensive capabilities of the enemy at a stroke and neutralizing a counterattack.

　　　　　On February 2, the Pentagon made a timely release of its Nuclear Posture Review 2018, calling for development of “low-yield, small nuclear weapons for submarine-launched ballistic missiles and sea-launched cruise missiles” and an enhancement of “the preservation of credible deterrence.”

　　　　　Fumio Ota, former head of the Defense Intelligence Headquarters of the Defense Ministry and a JINF board member, attaches special importance to an announcement made on October 6, 2016 by the US army that its B-2 bombers had just flown with low-yield nuclear weapons aboard. Shortly before the announcement, North Korea conducted a new rocket engine test for its ICBM.

　　　　　B-2 bombers are equipped with perfect stealth technology and capable of flying into North Korean air space undetected. B61 nuclear bombs mounted atop precision-guided missiles could be aimed precisely at Jong-un’s underground hideouts, destroying them by penetrating deep underground—like bunker busters.

　　　　　Such a method of attack would help confine damage, including radioactive air contamination, to a limited area. The US has deployed B-2s in Guam, from where they can reach North Korea in just three hours. Observes Nishioka:

　　　　　“America’s war games, the deployment of B-2 bombers and B-61 nuclear weapons, and the purge of Kim Won-hong…It all ties together. Above all else, Kim Jong-un is gripped by an unspeakable fear for his life. In order to find an exit from the current crisis, I believe he sought to take advantage of Moon Jae-in by proposing the North-South joint participation in the Olympics and dispatching not only his own sister Yo-jong but Kim Yong-chol as well.

　　　　　Yong-chol was head of the Reconnaissance General Bureau of the Korean People’s Army (KPA) when the North attacked the South’s ship the Cheonan. The KPA originally had a predecessor reconnaissance bureau engaged in armed wars of intrigue that was accountable for the 1983 Rangoon incident, among other things.

　　　　　This terrorist organization was merged with another terrorist unit of the Workers’ Party, whose staff included agent Kim Hyon-hi who bombed Korean Airlines flight 858 in 1987, to form the Reconnaissance General Bureau in 1990. Yong-chol became the bureau’s first director, ordering the sinking of the Cheonan.

　　　　　Nishioka had this to say about Yong-chol as regards the Cheonan incident: “The Moon administration declared it could not be determined if Yong-chol was the ringleader of the Cheonan incident. But this was a lie. At a session of the South Korean national assembly in November 2010, the Defense Minister did in fact state that Yong-chol was clearly the culprit.”

　　　　　Yong-chol, who has committed heinous crimes one after another, was promoted to lieutenant general in 2012, then to full admiral, and finally to head of the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland in 2016. Commented Nishioka:

　　　　　“This outfit supervises all lawful and illicit North Korean operations abroad. It would be very easy for them to have an underground political party formed in the South.”

Financial Assistance for the North

　　　　　Remarked an indignant Hong Hyun, editor-in-chief of the Unification Daily and previously minister at the South Korean Embassy in Tokyo:

　　　　　“During a reception marking the opening of the Olympics in Pyeongchang, Moon Ja-in declared that he greatly respects the late activist Shin Young-bok, who was a renowned educator and philosopher. He was a secret member of the Unification Revolution Party, an underground revolutionary body organized in post-war South Korea by Kim Il-sung. The South Korean police cracked down on the party in August of 1968, arresting some 70 of its members, including Shin. Party head Kim Jong-thae and two other leaders were subsequently executed. Kim Il-sun sent a spy ship to the South in an effort to bring Jong-thae to the North, and there was a gun battle.

　　　　　In the end, Jong-thae was executed. Moments before his death, he is said to have shouted ‘Long live Kim Il-sung!’ Il-sung allegedly was so moved that he changed the name of the Haeju Teachers’ College to the Kim Jong-thae Teachers’ College.”

　　　　　Given a life sentence, Shin was later pardoned by the pro-Pyonyang President Kim Dae-jun. Shin was a great calligrapher, and one of his works, calligraphy of the Chinese character meaning “passage,” is hung in the presidential Blue House. It purportedly reflects Shin’s dream of seeing a passage reopened between the two Koreas.

　　　　　“Right in front of this work of calligraphy, Moon had his photograph taken with Yo-jong, who is a grand-daughter of Kim Il-sung, during her brief visit to Seoul,” noted Nishioka. “Conceivably, it was Chief Presidential Secretary Im Jong-seok who arranged for the photo session.”

　　　　　Nishioka pointed out that Im has put himself in a position to collect copyright fees from South Korean television stations when they use footage provided by their North Korean counterparts. Im has established a foundation as a conduit for the fees, remitting them to the North by volunteering to serve as a North Korean agent. Hong also stated:

　　　　　“Moon visited China last December. Shortly before his trip, from December 9 to 12, to be precise, Im flew to United Arab Emirates and Lebanon by himself. Such independent diplomacy by someone other than a president is quite unusual. I suspect that Im may have taken that opportunity to deliver financial assistance to the North in some fashion on that occasion.”

　　　　　Obviously, Jong-un tested Moon’s loyalty to the North by dispatching Yong-chol. In point of fact, while Moon talked with Yong-chol and his entourage for a good hour in Pyeongchang, he never mentioned anything about the North’s nuclear and missile programs, nor the tragic Cheonan incident. This is proof enough of how deeply the North’s sinister maneuvering has penetrated the South.

　　　　　All of this will inevitably fall back on Japan as an increased threat. The developments on the Korean Peninsula constitute a once-in-a-century crisis for Japan and the region. All the more reason for we Japanese to more earnestly take the crisis to heart and grapple squarely with a revision of our constitution.

(Translated from “Renaissance Japan” column no. 793 in the March 8, 2018 issue of The Weekly Shincho)