NORTH KOREA’S FLOOD RECOVERY EFFORTS FAVOR SPEED OVER SAFETY

North Korea is rapidly building new housing in flood-damaged areas, such as Sinuiju’s Hadan and Kangun villages and Wiha island, despite severe supply shortages leading to substandard construction.
Local residents have raised concerns about the poor construction quality, including minimal structural support using plywood alone, poor waterproofing and potential roof collapses.
Meanwhile, the authorities are pushing construction teams that are made up of soldiers, as well as unskilled students, youths and women to meet deadlines set by their leader, Kim Jong-un, and even mandating completion “at the highest standard” before key party meetings.
A source told DailyNK that, “These homes were built for show, not for living. ...People will live in constant anxiety, knowing collapse is possible despite the attractive exterior.”

FIRST REPORTED DEATHS OF NORTH KOREAN SOLDIERS IN UKRAINE

Approximately 30 North Korean troops were killed or wounded in recent battles against Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region. At least three North Korean servicemen went missing in the area.
According to a Ukranian drone unit commander deployed to Kursk, the North Korean soldiers appeared inexperienced. He commented that, “The North Koreans are running across the fields, and there are so many of them. They don’t understand what’s happening.”
An estimated 11,000 North Korean soldiers have moved from support roles to direct combat on behalf of Russia.
The U.S. and Ukraine have confirmed these deaths and promised a strong sanctions response against North Korea.

The U.S. Department of Justice indicted 14 North Korean nationals for using false identities to secure remote IT jobs with U.S. companies, funneling over $88 million USD to Pyongyang.
The suspects also stole sensitive company information and threatened to leak it unless extortion payments were made.
These IT workers, employed by the North Korean-controlled companies, Yanbian Silverstar and Volasys Silverstar, are now facing wire fraud, money laundering, identity theft and other charges.
The U.S. State Department has announced a $5 million USD reward for information leading to the suspects, highlighting the broader effort to disrupt North Korea’s illicit cyber activities.

President Joe Biden approved a new national security memorandum aimed at countering the growing cooperation among China, Iran, North Korea and Russia. This document is intended to serve as a roadmap for the incoming Trump administration to address these challenges.
The memorandum highlights North Korea’s involvement in providing artillery, missiles and thousands of troops to Russia. In return, North Korea has received fuel and funding from Russia to bolster its manufacturing and military capabilities.
The document underscores the deepening military and technical cooperation between North Korea and Russia. This cooperation is part of a broader alignment among the four countries, which the Biden administration refers to as the “quartet of chaos.”
Recommendations were made for improving U.S. government interagency cooperation, speeding up information sharing with allies, calibrating the use of sanctions and economic tools for maximum effectiveness and bolstering preparation to manage simultaneous crises involving these adversaries.