New U.S. strategy towards ASEAN: caution, info-colonialism! (See commentary and notes)

The implementation of yet another U.S. initiative may allow it to interfere in the information policy of ASEAN and control the cyberspace of all of Southeast Asia.

New U.S. strategy towards ASEAN: caution, info-colonialism!

Related:

This reminds me of the tech camps that were held in Ukraine before the Euromaidan. Anyone who has been following me for a while knows where that led to. Except, replace China with Russia.

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False report of 40 NK casualties prompts Seoul to warn against Ukrainian disinformation

Source

False report of 40 NK casualties prompts Seoul to warn against Ukrainian disinformation

What’s important is that the initial report came from the head of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council’s Center for Countering Disinformation. Disinformation refers to doctored or false information deliberately propagated by a state actor to maliciously influence another country. In the initial stages of the war, the Ukrainian government posted a video of the “Ghost of Kyiv,” a legendary fighter pilot who allegedly shot down six Russian fighter jets in 30 hours. Yet the actual existence of such a pilot has never been confirmed. 

Considering such developments, South Korean intelligence officials have adopted a skeptical stance when it comes to reports from Ukraine. It’s gotten to the point where Korean intelligence officials are telling reporters to hold off on relaying reports about North Korean troops from Ukrainian officials until they receive third-party confirmation, because Ukraine makes “fake news” at the state level. This means we have to carefully consider the source of the information and the intentions behind it. 

Previously:

Pentagon-Linked Think Tank Proposes Disinfo Campaign Against Russia, North Korea

The Kims Are Coming!

After a few cat and mouse days of Defense Secretary Lloyd “Raytheon” Austin’s denials, the Pentagon finally yesterday affirmed that there was evidence of a North Korean military presence in Russia. Asked what they were doing in Russia, Austin replied, “What exactly they are doing? Left to be seen. These are things that we need to sort out.”

The Kims Are Coming!

Previously:

Kiev leaves out milk and cookies for Santa

Pentagon-Linked Think Tank Proposes Disinfo Campaign Against Russia, North Korea

Days before a flurry of evidence-free reports emerged that North Korea sent 10,000 soldiers to help Russia in Ukraine, a Pentagon-linked think tank proposed a disinfo campaign aimed at DPRK & Russia.

Pentagon-Linked Think Tank Proposes Disinfo Campaign Against Russia, North Korea

Related:

A Russia–North Korea Alliance in the Works? Don’t Be So Sure

What Should the United States Do?

Given the differences in the objectives of Russia, China, and North Korea, the United States should be mounting major information operations against these three countries to highlight their differences and fuel distrust among them. Doing so would increase the likelihood of decoupling at least some of their partnerships. Some examples of potential information operations seem obvious.

What are Information Operations

Claims about North Korean soldiers ‘a hoax’ – Kremlin

Claims about North Korean soldiers ‘a hoax’ – Kremlin

South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun claimed during a parliamentary session earlier this week that Pyongyang could send its forces to fight for Russia after it signed a mutual security treaty with Moscow. He claimed such a deployment is “highly likely” and suggested that some North Korean soldiers may have already been killed in the Ukraine conflict. 

“This looks like another hoax,” Peskov replied when asked to comment on Seoul’s allegations during a press briefing.  

Claims about North Korean soldiers ‘a hoax’ – Kremlin

Previously:

Missile Strike Near Donetsk Eliminates 6 North Korean Officers?

Missile Strike Near Donetsk Eliminates 6 North Korean Officers?

Missile Strike Near Donetsk Eliminates 6 North Korean Officers – Intel

The Center for National Resistance (CNR) reported in September 2023 that Russia was planning to bring North Korean citizens to the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk for construction work.

The CNR assessed that the North Koreans were invited to ensure the supply of labor in these regions, as the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine has resulted in a labor shortage throughout Russia and the occupied territories.

Kiev is claiming to have killed military officers from the DRPK, based on a Telegram post. I didn’t see it covered outside of Ukrainian media, but Kyiv Post admits that the DPRK sent workers to help with post-war reconstruction. I haven’t seen any confirmation from Russian or DPRK media, either. Most likely, they hit the workers.

North Korea Sends Workers to Russia-Occupied Territory in Eastern Ukraine

North Korea recently sent workers to the Russian-occupied Donbas region of eastern Ukraine to help with reconstruction efforts, Daily NK has learned. Russia has set up and annexed two so-called republics on Ukrainian territory in the Donbas region: the Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic. Only a a few other governments in the world recognize the DPR and LPR, including North Korea as well as Syria.