Connect with us

World

Stricter measures expected for North Korea border tours after US soldier incident


Tourists should expect far stricter supervision if visits to the border between North and South Korea resume, analysts said, after US soldier Travis King used an organized tour to get close enough to dash across to North Korea last week.
The US Army private joined a tour party visiting the so-called truce village of Panmunjom on July 18, a day after he was supposed to have returned to the US to face disciplinary action over charges brought while serving in South Korea.
For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Dressed in civvies, King broke off from a group of 40 tourists being guided around the Joint Security Area (JSA) inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), and sprinted across the border, landing Washington in more diplomatic botheration with the nuclear-armed North.
The US-led United Nations Command (UNC), which oversees the area, has indefinitely suspended all JSA tours after King’s unauthorized crossing. On Monday, Lieutenant General Andrew Harrison, the command’s deputy commander, said when or how the tours would resume was yet to be decided.
“I’ve never been involved in a military inquiry that hasn’t come up with a series of recommendations at the end, which may or may not change the processes that were in place beforehand," he told reporters in Seoul.
Going to the DMZ separating the two Koreas, which remain technically at war, is a popular trip for tourists looking to get a glimpse of the reclusive authoritarian state. Not all DMZ tours stop at the JSA, which is the only spot where visitors can step up to and even briefly over the border into the North.
For tour agencies, the JSA tour is one of the packages that sell with the highest margin in South Korea with “absolutely no cost involved to the tour companies, except for the bus and the driver,” said Jacco Zwetsloot, a former JSA tour guide and now host of the NK News Podcast about North Korea.
Visiting JSA is free of charge for South Korean nationals, but the tour King was on started at $180, according to a Tripadvisor listing.
For the UNC, the tours are about educating people and raising awareness of the “frozen conflict” after the Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty, Zwetsloot said.
Zwetsloot predicted changes could include making the tours even smaller, to as few as 10 people per group, or keeping groups behind glass or back away from the border where troops from both sides stand almost face to face.
“I expect that within a year, we’ll see a redesigned orientation visit become possible once again, but it probably won’t be as free and easy as they have been for the last 40 or so years,” he said, noting that security should be the main consideration.
Lim Eul-chul, a professor of North Korean studies at Kyungnam University, said authorities should focus on how to better control tour groups while keeping the area open to the public.
“Banning access would only result in people losing sight of this grave reality that the Korean peninsula is facing,” Lim said.
Despite its name, the DMZ, established after the 1950-53 war, is highly fortified with razor wire and minefields on either side of a 4-km (2.5-mile) wide buffer.
“It can never simply be a tourist destination, primarily because of the huge amounts of ordnance that still exist across the demilitarized zone since the end of the war,” Harrison said.
“It’s a constant balance between that value (of educating the public) and the risk to the individuals who are in the Demilitarized Zone.”
King’s case would be the first successful border crossing by a JSA tourist ever, Zwetsloot said. In 2001 a German doctor-turned-activist tried to cross in an effort to raise awareness about human rights issues, but was stopped by guards in the South.
On Tuesday, the Pentagon said it had not heard anything from North Korea on King’s health or whereabouts.
“We have not received any communication back from the North Koreans,” Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said.
Read more:
US worried about how North Korea will treat Private King
No substantive communication with North Korea over US soldier: State Dept
No word from North Korea on US soldier who dashed across military border

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

World

Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi meets with CEOs of leading Norwegian companies

H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has met with a group of CEOs from leading Norwegian companies, as part of their participation in the UAE-Norway Investment Forum, held alongside his official visit to the Kingdom of Norway.

During the meeting, H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed underscored the UAE leadership’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation with its international partners.

He highlighted that investment in innovation and knowledge is a cornerstone for achieving sustainable development, noting that enhancing collaboration with Norwegian companies across key sectors will open new avenues for mutual economic growth between the two countries.

The UAE-Norway Investment Forum, taking place in Oslo, aimed to highlight available investment opportunities and strengthen trade relations between the UAE and Norway, fostering shared interests and supporting innovation and knowledge-based economic visions.

-wam

Continue Reading

World

At the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS inaugurates 10th global office, releases four books

As part of its Asian research tour, partnership with Aletihad News Center, and
primary sponsorship of the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS
Research & Advisory inaugurated its office in Jakarta, marking its 10th location
worldwide. It also released four books in Indonesian.
The inauguration event was attended by ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, and
Jordan to Indonesia, chairpersons of the UAE and Indonesian Publishers’
Associations, the Director of TRENDS’ Jakarta office, and a group of researchers
and academics.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS
Research & Advisory, stated that TRENDS’ international offices—set to reach 15
by the end of 2024—aim to enhance the Center’s research efforts and deepen its
role in disseminating knowledge, thus serving as a global knowledge bridge.
He emphasized, “At TRENDS, we believe in the importance of cooperation
between think tanks and prioritize this endeavor. We believe the TRENDS office in
Jakarta will enhance the exchange of knowledge and ideas between think tanks in
Asia and the Middle East, opening new horizons for collaboration in various
fields.”

Four books in Indonesian
As part of the Jakarta office’s inaugural activities, four books were released in
Indonesian, including the 11th and 12th books of the Muslim Brotherhood
Encyclopedia and Global Trends in AI and Automation and the Future of
Competition between Man and Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision.

Hostility to Arab states
The 11th book of the Muslim Brotherhood Encyclopedia, The Concept of the State
According to the Muslim Brotherhood, highlights its hostile stance toward Arab
states since its inception. The group views them as an obstacle to its ascent to
power. It opposed the modern principles upon which these states were built,
considering them incompatible with the group’s unique interpretation of Islam,
which it claimed to embody exclusively.

Exclusion of nonconformists
The 12th book, The Muslim Brotherhood: Rejection of Tolerance and Exclusion of
Nonconformists, examines the Muslim Brotherhood’s stance towards
nonconformists, individuals, and entities. The book reveals the group’s binary view
of the world, categorizing others as allies or adversaries. It ties these relationships
to the Brotherhood’s internal power struggles and self-serving interests.

Global Trends in AI
The third book, Global Trends in AI, explores significant developments in AI and
its impact on various aspects of life, including the economy, society, and
governance. It also offers a comprehensive analysis of technological advancements
in AI, its applications across sectors, the ethical and social challenges it presents,
and its future trajectory.

Automation

The fourth book, Automation and the Future of Competition between Man and
Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision, addresses the growing challenges
faced by the human workforce in the face of widespread automation and AI
applications. The book concludes that while automation presents a significant
challenge to the labor market, it simultaneously creates new opportunities. It
emphasizes the importance of preparing for this shift through skills development,
continuous education, and adopting economic and social policies that support the
workforce.

Prominent pavilion and active presence
The TRENDS’ pavilion at the Indonesia International Book Fair has attracted
numerous visitors, including academic researchers and officials, such as the
ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, and Turkey. Additionally,
chairpersons of Arab and Indonesian publishers’ associations, authors, publishers,
and students visited the pavilion. All were impressed with and praised TRENDS’ diverse, valuable publications. They also commended TRENDS’ active
international presence and ability to address global developments with rigorous
analytical research.
Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali honored the esteemed guests, including
ambassadors of the UAE and Bahrain to Indonesia, Wedha Startesti Yudha,
Chairperson of the Indonesia International Book Fair Committee, Arys Hilman
Nugraha, Chairman of the Indonesian Publishers Association, and others,
presenting them with TRENDS’ publications and commemorative shields.
Additionally, he awarded TRENDS’ Research Medal to Ni Made Ayu Martini
Indonesian Deputy Minister of Marketing, Tourism and Creative Economy
It is worth noting that during its current Asian research tour, TRENDS announced
the launch of the TRENDS Research Medal, awarded to individuals who make
significant contributions to the development of scientific research and promote collaboration with TRENDS in strengthening a culture of research across various fields.

Continue Reading

World

US determined to prevent full-scale war in Middle East, Joe Biden tells UNGA79

US President Joe Biden highlighted the US Administration’s determination to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire Middle East region, noting that a diplomatic solution “remains the only path to lasting security to allow the residents from both countries to return to their homes on the border safely”.

In remarks he made today before the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79), the US President said, “Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest,” adding that a diplomatic solution is still possible.

He also touched on “the rise of violence against innocent Palestinians on the West Bank”, and the need to “set the conditions for a better future”, which he said featured “a two-state solution, where the world — where Israel enjoys security and peace and full recognition and normalised relations with all its neighbours, where Palestinians live in security, dignity, and self-determination in a state of their own”.

President Biden underscored the ceasefire and hostage deal put forth by Qatar and Egypt, which the UN Security Council endorsed. He said, “Now is the time for the parties to finalise its terms, bring the hostages home,” adding that this would help ease the suffering in Gaza, and end the war.

-WAM

Continue Reading

Trending