South Korea sends 6 rescued North Koreans back across sea border
It came after months of failed efforts to contact North Korea to coordinate the repatriation of the six individuals, who officials say consistently expressed a desire to go back.
Despite the lack of communication, a North Korean patrol boat appeared at the handover point as the six individuals headed back aboard a repaired wooden boat, according to South Korea's Unification Ministry.
What would have been a routine event in years past was complicated by the North's decision to cut off communications with the South in recent years.
North Koreans have occasionally drifted south in wooden boats before, sometimes accidentally and sometimes with the intention of defecting. In most previous cases, the two Koreas coordinated to send those who wished to turn back across the land border.
South Korea twice informed the North of its intention to repatriate the North Koreans on Wednesday through the U.S.-led United Nations Command, but received no response, the ministry said.
South Korean authorities are also investigating a North Korean man who crossed the heavily fortified land border between the Koreas on Friday and was taken into custody by South Korean troops. South Korean officials have not disclosed whether the man expressed a desire to settle in the South.
North Korea has effectively suspended almost all diplomacy and direct communication with South Korea following the collapse of its nuclear negotiations with Washington in 2019.
Relations between the Koreas have worsened since 2022 as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un used Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a distraction to accelerate his nuclear weapons and missile programs, while also sending troops and military equipment to support Russia's war effort.
South Korea's previous conservative government responded to the growing North Korean threat by expanding combined military exercises with the United States and Japan, which the North condemned as invasion rehearsals.
Border tensions have flared in recent months as the two Koreas traded Cold War-style psychological warfare, with North Korea sending thousands of trash-filled balloons toward the South and South Korea blasting anti-Pyongyang propaganda through loudspeakers.
Since taking office last month, South Korea's new liberal President Lee Jae Myung has made efforts to rebuild trust with North Korea, halting the frontline loudspeaker broadcasts and moving to ban activists from flying balloons carrying propaganda leaflets across the border.
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New York Post
38 minutes ago
- New York Post
Zohran Mamdani's feeding off Gen Z's misplaced doomerism: ‘They perpetually think things are awful'
Pessimism, confusion and vibes fueled young voters' support for Zohran Mamdani in last month's New York Democratic mayoral primary, experts told The Post. Well-educated white progressives have been taught to feel guilty about their identity and have been fed an expectation that they're up against so many challenges — climate change, student debt, AI, mental health struggles compounded by social media — that they can't possibly get ahead in life. And it's affecting their political POV. 10 'It's 'Vote the bastards out,' no matter who is in office,' psychologist Jean Twenge said of young voters' support of Zohran Mamdani. 'Because [for Gen Z], things are always awful, even if they're not.' AP 'They perpetually think things are awful,' acclaimed author and psychologist Jean Twenge told The Post. 'It's 'Vote the bastards out,' no matter who is in office. Because [for Gen Z], things are always awful, even if they're not.' This bleak mindset, rooted in rising mental health struggles and economic illiteracy, drove under-35s to embrace Mamdani's Marxist bombast — even if they're unclear of what, exactly, they're supporting. Twice as many young adults are clinically depressed now compared to a decade ago, said Twenge, author of 'Generations: The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents — and What They Mean for America's Future.' 'Depression isn't just about emotions; it's about how you see the world. That has all these downstream implications, including for politics — that we need to completely start over, throw out capitalism, no more billionaires,' Twenge told The Post. 10 Well-educated white progressives have been taught to feel guilty about their identity and fed an expectation that they're up against so many challenges that they can't possibly get ahead in life. And it's affecting their political POV. Laura Brett/ZUMA Press Wire / 10 Mamdani's vibrant merch — tote bags, T-shirts, hats — appeals to a craving for connection. AP 'It's taking to extreme things that could be more reasonable reforms. This extreme reaction is consistent with the pessimism: 'Let's just burn everything down and start over.'' Depression often impairs critical thinking. Academic performance, from elementary school to college, dropped sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic and hasn't recovered, puzzling researchers. Today, only 15% of teens read books — a slump encouraged by teachers, of all people. In 2022, the National Council of Teachers of English declared: 'The time has come to decenter book reading and essay writing' as the foundation of English class. 'It brings to mind the decline in religion, particularly among young adults. Also, the decline in relationships among young adults. They are seeking something that gives them meaning, connections with other people,' Twenge said. 10 Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee in the NYC mayoral race, has called for a rent-freeze, government-run grocery stores and de-commodifying the housing market in favor of government communes. Instagram/@zohrankmamdani And Mamdani's vibrant posters and free merch — tote bags, T-shirts, hats — appeal to that craving while also signaling a 'one of us' membership. (Not unlike MAGA.) 'Some political movements give you a sense of belonging and rightness,' Twenge said. 'And those things used to be satisfied via other means.' Eric Kaufmann, professor of politics at the University of Buckingham, in the UK, also sees a religiosity in socialism's young Western following, one in which Mamdani — a charismatic, Punjabi, Ugandan, Muslim polyglot — is an archetypal emissary. 'The symbol of the person of color is very important in the religion of what I would call progressive illiberalism,' Kaufmann, author of 'The Third Awokening,' told The Post. 10 Twice as many young adults are clinically depressed now compared to a decade ago, said psychologist Jean Twenge. 'Depression isn't just about emotions; it's about how you see the world. That has all these downstream implications, including for politics … ' 10 Twenge is the author of the acclaimed book 'Generations.' In large coastal cities, 'white progressives are the ones voting all the time, because their politics is a big source of meaning in their lives,' Kaufmann added. 'It falls flatter for Hispanic and Asian working-class people who want more bread-and-butter stuff … They don't identify with the faculty lounge religion of anti-racism.' That checks out with last month's primary election results. Challenger Andrew Cuomo received his strongest support in the Bronx — New York's poorest and least white borough — whereas Mamdani's big boost came from gentrified Brooklyn. Mamdani also led by 20 points among New Yorkers earning over $100,000, while Cuomo led by 34 points among voters making less than $50,000 a year. 10 Depression often impairs critical thinking. Academic performance, from elementary school to college, dropped sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic and hasn't recovered, puzzling researchers. Tasneem H/ – 'They're seeing themselves as part of this almost worldly utopianism,' Kaufmann said of privileged young voters. 'You had Marxism, anarchism, these other kinds of movements that appealed to intellectuals in the past. Now it's moved on to a cultural version of the left, which is much more around identity and around being defined as 'I'm one of the good whites.'' While Mamdani's ethnographic box-ticking catapults his appeal among Brooklyn's Instagram Intifada, his central campaign message isn't about race, but 'affordability.' The candidate has called for free buses, a rent freeze, government-run grocery stores and de-commodifying the housing market in favor of government communes, and uses the classic Marxist trope of 'seizing the means of production.' Yet young people are doing extraordinarily well, if not emotionally then financially — a controversial fact to point out. Millennials and Gen Z are wealthier than previous generations of the same age and, according to US census data, incomes for younger Americans are at an all-time high even when corrected for inflation. 10 'It's not your grandfather's socialism,' said economic professor Robert Whaples of the philosophy embraced by Mamdani and his young supporters. 'They think of socialism as another form of capitalism — turning this capitalist system into one that's just a little bit nicer and gives you free stuff.' @ subwaytakes/ Tik Tok This has economists shaking their heads over the financial doomerism of today's youth. Grim headlines and outrage-driven social media algorithms amplify negativity. The kids simply don't know how good and fair the system is, even if there's room for improvement, said Robert Whaples, professor of economics at Wake Forest University and editor of The Independent Review. 'When you think about what socialism is, it's an entirely materialistic point of view,' he told The Post. 'One of the core things in socialism is envy. It's driven on you wanting to have the same kinds of things that other people have. And you just don't see as much of that within true conservativism, where the material stuff is nice but not the end goal.' According to data from the Higher Education Research Institute, 85% of college students in 2022 ranked financial success as 'essential' or 'very important,' compared to the 1960s when that number was only 43%. 10 'You had Marxism, anarchism, these other kinds of movements that appealed to intellectuals in the past,' politics professor Eric Kaufmann said of young progressives. 'Now it's moved on to a cultural version of the left, which is much more around identity and around being defined as 'I'm one of the good whites.'' courtesy of Large families once signaled prosperity, but many born after 1990 view having children as a threat to their high material standard of living, fueling the 'I don't adult' trend of dodging grown-up responsibilities to hoard stuff and experiences, Whaples said. While most Gen Z and Millennials attribute their own success to hard work, they see wealthier people's success as undeserved. All this has brewed a stew of contradiction and economic confusion. One 2022 study found that 67% of Gen Z and Millennials agree that 'I don't like to use pressure to get my way.' Only 14% said that 'the best way to get adults to do something is to use force.' 10 Kaufmann is the author of 'The Third Awokening.' Another 70% agreed with the statement: 'The way private property is used should primarily be decided by its owner.' Yet three-quarters of those same respondents support outsourcing pressure and force to the government. 'It's not your grandfather's socialism,' said Whaples. 'They think of socialism as another form of capitalism — turning this capitalist system into one that's just a little bit nicer and gives you free stuff.' The problem, he added, is that we already have that system in place. Whereas once it was shameful to ask for handouts, corporations helped train young people to expect it — and you can blame, in part, the online retail norm of free shipping. 'All those darn free apps get us in this attitude that there should be a lot of free stuff out there,' Whaples said. Capitalism continues to take the moral high ground of being the nicest, most cooperative and least coercive system around — and income inequality isn't nearly as bad as many people think, according to Whaples. 'If you look at the total amount of redistributive spending, it's basically offset all the rise in inequality within the market,' he said. 'Once you factor in the taxes and transfers people receive, the total amount of income inequality in the US is actually no higher than it was back in the 1960s.' Gen Z swung heavily Republican in the 2024 presidential election, leaving some to wonder if Mamdani's youth appeal signals a larger leftward jolt. Generational researcher Twenge doesn't believe so — attributing his victory to feelings over ideology. Politics professor Kaufmann agrees: 'My initial take would be there's a lot of vibe going on. That it's form rather than substance.'
Los Angeles Times
38 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
South Korea struggles with uncertainty over U.S. trade negotiations
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Trump's letter also suggested that the U.S. will 'not be open to reprieves' from sectoral tariffs, including those on automobiles, Cutler added. South Korean trade officials have stressed that removing or significantly reducing the 25% tariffs on cars is a top priority. But South Korean cars from Hyundai and Kia factor significantly into the $66-billion trade deficit that Trump has decried as unfair. Last year, South Korea was the third biggest exporter of automobiles to the United States, to the tune of $34.7 billion. It bought $2.1 billion worth of cars from the U.S. Until now, the country's flagship automakers Hyundai and Kia have been able to sidestep any major tariff shocks, achieving instead record sales in the first half of the year by selling existing inventory in the U.S. But many believe it is only a matter of time until they will have to raise vehicle sticker prices, as some competitors have done. Both companies' operating profits are now forecasted to hit double-digit declines compared with the previous year. The U.S. has also reportedly demanded concessions that touch on sensitive issues of food or national security in South Korea — a far harder sell to the public than the expanded manufacturing cooperation that South Korea has sought to center in the trade talks. Among these are opening up South Korea's rice market to U.S. imports and allowing Google to export high-precision geographic data to its servers outside of South Korea. As an essential crop that represents a significant portion of farmers' incomes, rice is one of the few heavily protected goods in South Korea's trade relationships. Under its free trade agreement with the United States, Seoul imposes a 5% tariff on U.S. rice up to 132,304 tons, and 513% for anything after that. The South Korean government has long denied Google's requests to export high-precision geographic data — which is used for the company's map services — on the grounds that it could reveal sensitive military sites that are essential for defense against North Korea. Last year, Ukraine accused Google of exposing the locations of some of its military systems to Russia. Equally vexing are Trump's long-running demands that Seoul should pay more to host the some 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea. 'South Korea is making a lot of money, and they're very good. They're very good, but, you know, they should be paying for their own military,' Trump said at a White House Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, adding that he told South Korea it should pay $10 billion a year. Over a four-year period from 2016 through 2019, the total cost of maintaining U.S. troops in South Korea was $19.2 billion, or around $4.8 billion a year, according to a 2021 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Over that period, South Korea footed about 30% of the total annual costs, in addition to providing indirect financial support such as waived taxes or foregone rents. Under the Special Measures Agreement, the joint framework that governs this arrangement, Seoul's payments have grown over time. Under the latest version, which covers 2026 to 2030, Seoul's annual contribution beginning next year will be $1.19 billion, an 8.3% increase from 2025, and will increase yearly thereafter. Trump's demand for nearly 10 times that — along with the threats that the U.S. might pull its troops from the country — has previously drawn widespread outrage in the country, spurring calls by some for the development of South Korea's own nuclear arsenal. 'The Special Measures Agreement (SMA) guarantees stable conditions for U.S. troops stationed in Korea and strengthens the joint South Korea - U.S. defense posture,' a spokesperson for South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in response to Trump's comments. 'Our stance is that the South Korean government will adhere to the 12th SMA, which was agreed upon and implemented in a legitimate manner.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
North Korean defector to sue Kim Jong Un for abuse
A North Korean defector is filing civil and criminal charges against the country's leader Kim Jong Un for abuses she faced while detained in the country. Choi Min-kyung fled the North to China in 1997 but was forcibly repatriated in 2008. She said she was sexually abused and tortured after her return. When she files the case in Seoul on Friday, it will be the first time a North Korean-born defector takes legal action against the regime, said a South-based rights group assisting Ms Choi. South Korean courts have in the past ruled against North Korea on similar claims by South Koreans but such verdicts are largely symbolic and ignored by Pyongyang. The case names Kim and four other Pyongyang officials. The rights group, the Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB), says it also plans to take Ms Choi's case to the United Nations and the International Criminal Court. "I earnestly wish for this small step to become a cornerstone for the restoration of freedom and human dignity, so that no more innocent North Koreans suffer under this brutal regime," Ms Choi said on Wednesday, according to a statement by NKDB. "As a torture victim and survivor of the North Korean regime, I carry a deep and urgent responsibility to hold the Kim dynasty accountable for crimes against humanity," she said. Ms Choi fled North Korea again in 2012 and settled in the South. She said psychological trauma from the ordeal remains and that she continues to rely on medication. For years international rights groups have documented alleged human rights violations by North Korea, ranging from the abuse of political prisoners to systematic discrimination based on gender and class. Hanna Song, executive director of the NKDB, told BBC Korean that the lawsuits were significant because they were pursuing criminal charges "in parallel" to civil cases. Previous court cases against North Korea had been "limited to civil litigation", she said. In 2023, a Seoul court ordered North Korea to pay 50 million won ($36,000; £27,000) each to three South Korean men who were exploited after being taken as prisoners of war in North Korea during the Korean War. In 2024, the North Korean government was also ordered to pay 100 million won to each of five Korean Japanese defectors. They were part of thousands who had left Japan for North Korea in the 1960s and 1980s under a repatriation programme. They said they had been lured to North Korea decades ago on the promise of "paradise on Earth", but were instead detained and forced to work. North Korea did not respond to either of the lawsuits. But Ms Song, from the NKDB, argued that the rulings offered much-needed closure to the plaintiffs. "What we've come to understand through years of work on accountability is that what victims really seek isn't just financial compensation - it's acknowledgment," said Ms Song. "Receiving a court ruling in their favour carries enormous meaning. It tells them their story doesn't just end with them - it's acknowledged by the state and officially recorded in history."
