South Korea lining up banks to help finance $22 billion arms sale to Poland

SEOUL -- After hitting statutory limits on import-export lending, South Korea is gathering local banks to help Poland buy $22 billion worth of weapons in Seoul's largest arms sale, five people familiar with the matter told Reuters. "Five local banks are reviewing a syndicated loan as a support measure" to help Poland finance its purchase of South Korean rocket artillery systems and fighter jets, a South Korean government official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss

Nov. 3, 2023

New deputy chief of S. Korea-US combined command calls for strong resolve to deter war

The new deputy chief of the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command called on troops Thursday for a strong resolve to deter war in his inauguration ceremony at a key US Forces Korea military base. Gen. Kang Shin-chul, the newly appointed deputy commander of the CFC, made the remark during the ceremony at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, 60 kilometers south of Seoul, according to the command. "The South Korea-US Combined Forces Command ... must not hesitate in the face of danger of war," he

Nov. 2, 2023

JCS chief visits key Air Force unit amid major S. Korea-US air drills

South Korea's top military officer called on troops Thursday to prepare for possible "surprise" enemy provocations as he visited a key Air Force unit participating in a major annual exercise with the United States this week, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. JCS Chairman Gen. Kim Seung-kyum made the call as he inspected the Korea Air and Space Operations Center at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, 60 kilometers south of Seoul, amid the ongoing Vigilant Defense drills, which kicked off a

Nov. 2, 2023

S. Korean military detects signs of NK supplying ballistic missiles to Russia

The South Korean military on Thursday said it has detected indications that North Korea has delivered short-range ballistic missiles, in addition to artillery shells and rockets, to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The South Korean military disclosed that North Korea is suspected of supplying a variety of weapons and equipment to Russia by holding a closed-door briefing on arms trade and military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang, marking the first such instance since the outbr

Nov. 2, 2023

Blinken to discuss Russia, Middle East, N. Korea during visit to Seoul: State Department

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken plans to discuss responses to Russia's war in Ukraine and instability in the Middle East during his trip to Seoul as part of a multination trip this month, his office said Wednesday. His nine-day trip, which includes stops in Israel, Jordan, Japan and India, is set to begin Thursday as Washington is striving to prevent an escalation of the war between Israel and the Hamas militant group while maintaining its strategic policy focus on the Indo-Pacific region.

Nov. 2, 2023

US needs 'strategic clarity' on North Korea deterrence: report

The United States should reconsider its policy of strategic ambiguity and shift toward one of strategic clarity in response to North Korea's escalating nuclear threats, one South Korean think tank said in a joint report with a US think tank in a press briefing Monday. The Seoul-based Asan Institute for Policy Studies and the RAND Corporation, headquartered in Santa Monica, California, emphasized what they say is the need for the two allies to adapt their current nuclear policies and measure

Oct. 30, 2023

Vice Adm. Kim Myung-soo named chair of Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff

In a surprising move that underscores the growing importance of naval defense, Naval Operations Commander Vice Adm. Kim Myung-soo has been named the new chairperson of Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Ministry of National Defense announced Sunday. Kim was promoted to four-star general in the military personnel reshuffle to replace incumbent JCS Chairperson Gen. Kim Seung-kyum, according to the ministry. The appointment marks a significant shift from the traditionally Army-dominated role a

Oct. 29, 2023

S. Korea to hold remembrance ceremony for independence fighter at center of ideological dispute

The veterans ministry said Tuesday it will hold a remembrance ceremony for revered independence fighter Hong Beom-do this week to mark the 80th year since his passing amid a heated ideological debate over his ties to Soviet communist forces. The ceremony will take place Wednesday at Daejeon National Cemetery in Daejeon, 139 kilometers south of Seoul, where his body lies at rest, with some 100 people set to attend the event, including Veterans Minister Park Min-shik, according to the ministry. Ho

Oct. 24, 2023

Touting historic ties with Saudi Arabia, Yoon calls for new partnership for growth

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- President Yoon Suk Yeol said South Korea and Saudi Arabia could contribute to sustainable global growth by forging a future-oriented partnership that encompasses the fields of energy, digital technology, biology and space, underscoring a history of cooperation between the two countries. On his third day of a state visit to Saudi Arabia, Yoon stressed the importance of the special partnership between the two countries that began in the 1970s, serving as the foundation fo

Oct. 24, 2023

S. Korea, US, Japan stage first-ever aerial exercise in face of NK threats

South Korea, the United States and Japan joined forces for an unprecedented aerial exercise south of the Korean Peninsula on Sunday, with the goal of bolstering their collective response capabilities against escalating missile and nuclear threats from North Korea. The US Air Force's nuclear-capable B-52 heavy bomber -- which boasts the capability to carry both nuclear and precision-guided conventional munitions with worldwide precision navigation --- conducted a formation flight while under

Oct. 22, 2023

S. Korea, US stage joint anti-submarine drills near Guam

The navies of South Korea and the United States have conducted a weekslong anti-submarine exercise in waters off the coast of Guam, the South's Navy said Sunday. The biennial exercise, known as Silent Shark, which began on Oct. 6 and lasted until Sunday, is designed to enhance the countries' anti-submarine warfare proficiency against North Korean threats, according to the armed service. South Korea earlier sent a 1,800-ton Son Won Il-class submarine and two P-3C patrol aircraft to part

Oct. 22, 2023

S. Korea, Britain hold joint high-tech military training

South Korea and Britain staged combined high-tech military drills this month, Seoul's Army said Friday, amid efforts to bolster military cooperation between the two nations. The 11-day drills began last Tuesday at the Korea Combat Training Center, a facility employing advanced technologies for realistic ground drills, in Inje, 165 kilometers east of Seoul. The drills mobilized over 4,000 troops, including a company of the British Army's Scots Guards, as well as some 270 pieces of comba

Oct. 20, 2023

[From the Scene] 'If we are needed, we will be here'

By Ji Da-gyum and Joint Press Corps CHEONGJU AIR BASE, North Chungcheong Province — The United States Air Force's nuclear-capable B-52 strategic bomber on Tuesday made its first-ever landing at a South Korean air base. The touchdown of the long-range heavy bomber underscores the US' unwavering commitment to the defense of its treaty ally, amid escalating missile and nuclear threats posed by North Korea, according to the US Air Force. "It is part of our demonstration to the R

Oct. 19, 2023

S. Korea's Navy holds regular multinational mine warfare drills

South Korea's Navy said Thursday it has kicked off a multinational naval mine warfare exercise in waters south of the Korean Peninsula on Thursday in an effort to enhance combined operational capabilities. Launched in 2016, the annual exercise is set to run through next Friday in waters southeast of the southern island of Geoje, 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul, involving five members of the US-led UN Command, according to the military branch. The Navy said the exercise is designed to help

Oct. 19, 2023

Immediate global efforts needed to curb NK’s nuclear ambition: Seoul official

South Korea's vice defense chief called for immediate international cooperation to curb North Korea's nuclear weapon development, emphasizing that insufficient efforts could lead to a catastrophic outcome. "North Korea's nuclear capabilities are rapidly advancing, and without immediate efforts from the international community to prevent it, this has the potential to turn into a catastrophe for the international community," Vice Defense Minister Shin Beom-chul said Wednes

Oct. 18, 2023

S. Korea, US and Japan to conduct joint aerial exercise for 1st time: source

South Korea, the United States and Japan plan to conduct a joint aerial exercise for the first time near the Korean Peninsula next week, a source said Thursday, amid efforts to bolster three-way security cooperation against North Korean threats. The trilateral aerial exercise is scheduled for Sunday over the Korean Peninsula, involving the US strategic bomber B-52 currently deployed to South Korea. "The joint aerial exercise involving South Korean, US and Japanese Air Forces will consist of

Oct. 18, 2023

Hamas weapons, tactics resemble those of NK: JCS

The South Korean military has assessed that the fighting doctrine and tactics utilized by Hamas might be linked to North Korea, citing their resemblance in its analysis of the battlefield tactics employed by the Palestinian militant group during last weekend's attack on Israel. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff on Tuesday presented its interim evaluation of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, which was initiated by Hamas' surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7. "Our asse

Oct. 17, 2023

S. Korea set to open largest-ever defense exhibition to boost arms exports

South Korea is set to open its largest-ever defense exhibition Tuesday to boost exports of its latest weapons and technologies, with aerial displays of the homegrown KF-21 fighter jet and U.S. strategic bomber B-52. The Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition 2023 takes place at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, until Sunday, involving 550 companies from 35 countries. It is expected to draw some 30,000 visitors, including over 114 military and defense officials from

Oct. 17, 2023

Ex-US ambassador calls for strengthening nuke deterrence for S. Korea amid N. Korean threats

A former US ambassador to South Korea called Monday for the United States to keep strengthening its "extended deterrence" commitment to the Asian ally as he portrayed North Korea's evolving military threats as "far greater" than before. During a virtual seminar, Harry Harris, who served as US ambassador to Seoul from 2018-2021, made the call as the recalcitrant regime has been doubling down on its nuclear and missile programs under an apparently aggressive nuclear policy

Oct. 17, 2023

USS Carl Vinson deploys for Indo-Pacific with USS Ronald Reagan in S. Korea: report

A US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier left a naval base in California last week for a deployment to the Indo-Pacific region, a US research institute has said, while another carrier was already in South Korea in a major show of force. In a report, the US Naval Institute cited a Navy official as saying USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) departed from Naval Air Station North Island, California, on Thursday. USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) arrived in South Korea's southeastern port city of Busan on Thursday f

Oct. 17, 2023