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William Gallo @williamgallo.bsky.social · 10h

Kim Jong Un's government remains "politically resilient but economically brittle," says William Brown.

Power on Parade but Crisis at Home as North Korea’s Economy Wavers - Korea Economic Institute of America

The Kim regime has weathered adversity before, but today’s convergence of inflation, fiscal opacity, and decay poses deeper, more structural challenges.

keia.org

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William Gallo @williamgallo.bsky.social · 10h

"Kim likely hopes his diplomacy with Moscow and Beijing might serve as a model for possible talks with President Trump in which the nuclear issue may be glossed over," says Syd Seiler.

Kim Jong-un’s Flurry of Diplomacy - Beyond Parallel

This first appeared as a CSIS Korea Chair Platform here. In […]

beyondparallel.csis.org

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William Gallo @williamgallo.bsky.social · 12h

Trump and KJU could theoretically find common ground, but "the de facto recognition of North Korea as a nuclear power could potentially catalyze a new nuclear arms race in East Asia and the effective demise of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty," argues Glyn Ford.

Where Next on the Peninsula? - 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea

There is an open opportunity for President Trump in negotiations with Kim Jong Un to confound ...

www.38north.org

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William Gallo @williamgallo.bsky.social · 12h

China "stands ready to strengthen high-level exchanges and strategic communication" with North Korea, says Chinese Premier Li Qiang during a visit to Pyongyang, according to Chinese state media.

China ready to strengthen strategic communication with DPRK, says Premier Li

Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Thursday that China stands ready to strengthen high-level exchanges and strategic communication with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

english.www.gov.cn

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William Gallo @williamgallo.bsky.social · 3d

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Dr. Mark P. Barry ☯︎ @drmarkpbarry.bsky.social · 3d

'Korean Messiah: Kim Il Sung and the Christian Roots of North Korea's Personality Cult,' by Jonathan Cheng (4/14/26) www.amazon.com/dp/152473349...

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William Gallo @williamgallo.bsky.social · 19d

"Our economy is dozens of times larger than the North’s, and our population is more than twice as large. Yet despite such military, defense and national strength, some still hold the submissive mindset that self-reliant defense is impossible without foreign troops.”

President Lee criticizes 'submissive mindset' of people who believe Korea needs foreign troops

President Lee Jae Myung sparked controversy Sunday, a day before departing for New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly, by criticizing on Facebook people who believe self-reliant defens...

koreajoongangdaily.joins.com

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Reposted by William Gallo

Benjamin A. Engel @benjaminaengel.bsky.social · 24d

One of the first public signs the Korean govt is coming to grips with the new reality in the US. Fon Min Cho Hyun: “I could feel this is no longer the US which had really cooperated well with allies and friendly nations in the past.” 1/

www.joongang.co.kr/article/2536...

“동맹과 협력하던 美 아니다” 외교 수장 조현, 이례적 공개 비판 | 중앙일보

조현 외교부 장관이 16일 "과거에 많은 동맹국이나 우방국들에 상당히 좋은 협력을 해 오던 미국이 아니라는 걸 실감하고 있다"고 말했다. 조 장관은 이날 국회 외교·통일·안보 분야 대정부질문에서 미국 내 한국인 근로자 구금 사태와 관련해 "탈냉전 이후에 30년이 지나고 나서 국제 정세가 변하고 있었고, 또 유럽이나 미국이나 이민 문제로 몸살을 앓으면서 미국...

www.joongang.co.kr

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William Gallo @williamgallo.bsky.social · Aug 26

At CSIS, South Korea's Lee acknowledges Trump sent a "very threatening post" and that his staff was worried there might be a "Zelensky moment." But Lee says he wasn't worried because he had read Trump's Art of the Deal book ahead of the meeting.

Transcript via CSIS:

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William Gallo @williamgallo.bsky.social · Aug 26

By all indications, Trump's "purge" comments weren't a major focus at the Lee-Trump summit, though there were some awkward moments. Details via the Korea Herald:

Lee tells Trump special counsel probe targeted Korean military systems, not US forces

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, in his first summit with US President Donald Trump, said ongoing raids in South Korea were part of a fact-finding investig

www.koreaherald.com

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William Gallo @williamgallo.bsky.social · Aug 25

South Korea's presidential office says it's "checking the situation" following Trump's remarks about a "purge" in South Korea, Yonhap reports.

(URGENT) Presidential office says checking situation following Trump's remarks on 'purge' in S. Korea | Yonhap News Agency

en.yna.co.kr

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William Gallo @williamgallo.bsky.social · Aug 25

FWIW: Gordon Chang, who has been at the forefront of the Korean "Stop the Steal" campaign to defend Yoon, was scheduled to be on Fox Business this morning to discuss "South Korea issues" ahead of the Lee-Trump summit.

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William Gallo @williamgallo.bsky.social · Aug 25

Though some South Korean conservatives have for months tried to rally US support for Yoon, Trump has remained almost completely quiet on the issue.

Of course, there was this White House statement two months ago, following Lee's election:

William Gallo @williamgallo.bsky.social · Jun 4

Secondly, the White House is explicitly referencing the election of Lee Jae-myung in the context of what it calls Chinese interference. I've been following US-South Korea relations for a while, and I don't remember a similar statement.

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William Gallo @williamgallo.bsky.social · Aug 25

For context: if fully implemented, Yoon’s martial law decree would have outlawed all political activity and required journalists to report to the military – measures not seen since South Korea emerged from a military dictatorship in the 1980s.

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William Gallo @williamgallo.bsky.social · Aug 25

Trump on South Korea's political situation, just hours before his meeting South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.

(Lee was elected after former President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached and jailed following his short-lived attempt to impose martial law)

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William Gallo @williamgallo.bsky.social · Aug 25

Lee told reporters that "it is true" the United States has demanded "flexibility" of the USFK, but "this is not an issue we can easily agree with."

(LEAD) Lee says difficult to agree on demand on strategic flexibility of USFK | Yonhap News Agency

(ATTN: UPDATES with remarks, details in paras 14-25; RECASTS headline, first 3 paras)By Ki...

m-en.yna.co.kr

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Reposted by William Gallo

Dan Sneider @dcsneider.bsky.social · Aug 22

english.hani.co.kr/arti/english...

Lee vows not to overturn pacts with Japan on ‘comfort women,’ forced labor

The South Korean president’s comments came in the lead-up to his summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba

english.hani.co.kr

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William Gallo @williamgallo.bsky.social · Aug 19

"More than 500 Taiwanese troops participated in Northern Strike this year. A briefing slide indicated that Taiwan has been quietly sending its forces to the exercise since at least 2021."

In northern Michigan, thousands of troops train for combat across the Pacific

For the first time in its decade-plus history, Northern Strike shifts from its traditional European scenario to a simulated Indo-Pacific backdrop.

www.stripes.com

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William Gallo @williamgallo.bsky.social · Aug 16

According to Trump, Xi promised not to invade Taiwan as long as Trump is in office.

"He told me, 'I will never do it as long as you're president.' President Xi told me that," Trump said.

Trump says he does not believe Xi will act on Taiwan

WASHINGTON: United States President Donald Trump said on Friday (Aug 15) that Chinese President Xi Jinping told him China would not invade Taiwan while Trump is in office. Trump made the comments in a...

www.channelnewsasia.com

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Reposted by William Gallo

Dr. Mark P. Barry ☯︎ @drmarkpbarry.bsky.social · Aug 14

Don't overinterpret North's actions, experts warn after underwhelming response to South's loudspeaker withdrawal koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-08...

Don't overinterpret North's actions, experts warn after underwhelming response to South's loudspeaker withdrawal

The Lee Jae Myung administration claimed that the North Korean military was also taking down its loudspeakers targeting the South. In reality, however, Pyongyang appears to have removed just one.

koreajoongangdaily.joins.com

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William Gallo @williamgallo.bsky.social · Aug 13

"Whether the ROK withdraws its loudspeakers or not, stops broadcasting or not, postpones its military exercises or not and downscales them or not, we do not care about them and are not interested in them," says Kim Yo Jong.

Full statement via KCNA.

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William Gallo @williamgallo.bsky.social · Aug 13

Kim Yo Jong also denied North Korea removed any propaganda loudspeakers on the border, as South Korea's military reported last week.

The move had been portrayed as a conciliatory gesture, after South Korea dismantled its own loudspeakers and modified some US-South Korea military drills.

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William Gallo @williamgallo.bsky.social · Aug 13

There will be no Trump-Kim meeting as long as the US "persists with (its) outdated way of thinking," says Kim Yo Jong.
"We have nothing to do with the US," she says in an editorial published in KCNA this morning.

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Reposted by William Gallo

Dr. Mark P. Barry ☯︎ @drmarkpbarry.bsky.social · Aug 12

North Koreans tell BBC they are sent to work 'like slaves' in Russia www.bbc.com/news/article...

North Koreans tell BBC they are sent to work 'like slaves' in Russia

More than 50,000 North Koreans will be sent to work in Russia, as Moscow's war in Ukraine drains labour pools.

www.bbc.com

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Reposted by William Gallo

Benjamin A. Engel @benjaminaengel.bsky.social · Jul 31

Trump’s Truth Social post on the trade deal with South Korea. Lately I’ve been following the Korean far-right’s push to get Trump engaged in its election fraud conspiracy theories, but the trade deal actually seems to have squashed those efforts. 1/

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William Gallo @williamgallo.bsky.social · Jul 29

"It is worth taking into account the fact that the year 2025 is neither 2018 nor 2019," says Kim Yo Jong in a new statement aimed at the US.

Worth reading the whole commentary.

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