CGSC hosts Cultural Perspectives, Geopolitics and Energy Security of the Koreas panel

By Harry SarlesMay 2, 2018

Panel discusses North Korea
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – CRELMO Director Dr. Mahir Ibrahimov, moderator (left), welcomed (l-r) Dr. Bruce Bechtol, Jr., Professor of Political Science at Angelo State University, Dr. Jae Ku, Director of the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Full House hears Korea discussion
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The Culture, Regional Expertise and Language Management Office's panel on North Korea for CGSC's Ethics Symposium filled Marshall Hall in the Lewis and Clark Center for both of its sessions. The panel featured three internationally known Korea expert... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. -- The Culture, Regional Expertise and Language Management Office put together an outstanding panel on North Korea during the CGSC Ethics Symposium. Three internationally known Korea experts and one subject matter expert from CGSC talked about one of the hottest topics of the day.

CRELMO Director Dr. Mahir Ibrahimov, moderator, welcomed Dr. Bruce Bechtol, Jr., Professor of Political Science at Angelo State University, addressing: "North Korea's Military, Governmental Infrastructure and Proliferation;" Dr. Jae Ku, Director of the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies discussing "Regime's Anti-American Propaganda and the Potential for Popular Resistance During a Military Conflict;" Greg Scarlatoiu, Executive Director of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea addressing "Human Security in North Korea and Its Impact on the Korean Peninsula;" and Lt. Col. John Reynolds, Department of Joint, Interagency, and Multinational Operations, CGSC, covering "Historical, Economic, and Sociocultural Factors relevant to the current situation on the Korean peninsula."

Bechtol, the first panelist to give a short talk, said North Korea poses two key threats to U.S. national security interests -- proliferation and North Korea's governmental structure. Bechtol said the missile and weapons testing since 2012 has been about more than threatening their neighbors and others. They're doing that for proliferation as well. "If you've got money or someone who's sponsoring you has money, the North Korean's will sell it to you," said Bechtol.

That includes weapons of mass destruction and conventional weapons. Syria, Iran, Hezbollah, and the Hoothies, are all North Korean Customers. North Korea sells to a dozen different countries in Africa, said Bechtol. That includes Egypt, Namibia, Sudan, Uganda, Angola, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Tanzania, DRC Congo, and Madagascar. According to Bechtol, North Korea's proliferation includes selling weapons and weapons platforms, refurbishment of Soviet-era weapons, technical assistance, and training. One change to North Korean proliferation has been building facilities in places outside the country to assemble final products. That way North Korea isn't shipping missiles or weapons but subassemblies, and parts that are assembled elsewhere for delivery to the final customer.

The second threat Bechtol identified is North Korea's power circle that consists of one guy, Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, in the middle and groups feeding everything to him. He controls all, including the three pillars of power in North Korea -- party, security services, and military.

Jae followed and focused on the potential for insurgency or counter-insurgency in the North Korea. His research indicates that should there be open warfare in North Korea popular resistance and counter-insurgency will be limited in scope and duration. Sustenance of any kind of armed resistance will depend on third party intervention.

Jae said that although factors such as -- intense anti-American sentiment; xenophobia; clear and focused ideology that includes: self-reliance (Juche), belief in a supreme leader (Suryong), and a military first mentality (Songun); and a population that is well trained and armed might lead to citizen action, it is unlikely to overcome the collective action problem and an atomized society with little organization.

Scarlatoiu reminded the audience that despite the recent meeting of Korean leaders, the nature of the Kim Jong Un regime must be remembered. He said according to a UN report in 2014 many actions in North Korea amount to crimes against humanity committed pursuant to policies at the highest level of the state, including a political prison camp system that includes 120,000 men, women, children, because three-generations of a family are punished for actions of one individual.

Reynolds was the final member to give opening remarks. He said military commanders and planners focused on end state goals. However, they must develop and update an understanding of the environment. North and South Korea shared thousands of years of history before they were separated in World War II. Since the 1980's North Korea has seen a steady decline and South Korea has skyrocketed to success.

Ibrahimov opened the question and answer session asking what are the solutions to the current crisis? Scarlatoiu said the clear solution to doing away with North Korea's nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, crimes against humanity, and human rights violations, is a unified, free, democratic, prosperous Republic of Korea. In the meantime what we can do is remain firmly committed to the US-ROK alliance to protect our friends, allies, and partners in South Korea and to make sure the Republic of Korea does not trade away the properties that define it for the sake of appeasing the North.

"We can now begin a negotiation process. Our secretary of defense has always said that diplomacy backed up by the military prowess will hopefully get to this point," Jae added. It's not going to be easy, it's not going to be song and dance that we're experiencing now. Details will come. "There has to be, I think, international resolve to apply the kind of pressure that we had not applied in the past," Jae said.

"Don't do any of the idiotic stuff we've done in the past," said Bechtol. We have failed repeatedly, he said, so when he was called by National Security Council and asked if we should bring in officials from previous administrations he said sure, bring them in so you can figure out what not to do.

The Q&A period included questions on China's involvement and investment in North Korea, Russia's role, and what would happen if the North Korean economy collapsed. When asked what was different this time. Bechtol summed it up.

"This whole process was driven by Seoul!" said Bechtol. "After the Olympics, president Moon met with the North Koreans and the South Koreans pushed this forward. That is unprecedented. Essentially, they went straight from the North Koreans to us in Washington and got us involved without the Chinese which has always been a big deal.