S. Korean military to launch drone ops unit as early as July

South Korea's military plans to launch a drone operations command as early as July, officials said Wednesday, in what would be a culmination of its efforts to bolster readiness following North Korea's drone incursions late last year. It has been working out details, such as the operational concept, command structure, personnel makeup and location of the specialized unit slated to open in the latter half of this year, according to officials at the Joint Chiefs of Staff. After the North&

March 8, 2023

S. Korean, Saudi defense chiefs agree to ministerial dialogue on defense cooperation

The defense chiefs of South Korea and Saudi Arabia agreed Tuesday to install a regular ministerial-level dialogue on arms industry cooperation during their talks in Seoul, the South Korean Defense Ministry, said. Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup and his Saudi counterpart, Khalid bin Salman, held the talks as a follow-up to the two countries' summit in November last year, where their leaders voiced hope for stronger cooperation in defense, energy and other sectors. Lee and Khalid agreed to inst

March 7, 2023

US Congress urges Pentagon to fix errors on Korean War memorial wall

The US Congress has urged the US Defense Department to take immediate measures to fix more than 1,000 errors on the Washington memorial wall erected to remember service members and Korean augmentees killed during the Korean War. Six bipartisan lawmakers, including chair of the House Committee on Armed Services Mike Rogers, on March 2 sent a letter to US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. “We find these errors deeply concerning and write to seek accountability on how the Remembrance Wall&rs

March 6, 2023

Military to make menus more flexible to suit soldiers’ tastes

South Korea’s Defense Ministry on Monday announced a new food service modernization program for this year that meets more of soldiers’ preferences, so that they could enjoy more varied options at barracks starting from the next month. The new plan seeks to end the previous military policy of providing meals to around 500,000 enlisted soldiers based on standardized menus and ingredients that were unilaterally imposed by the military authorities without considering soldiers’ pre

March 6, 2023

US guided-missile destroyer visits S. Korea

A US guided-missile destroyer visited South Korea's southern island of Jeju last week, the US Pacific Command said Sunday, in an apparent show of force and a warning to North Korea against missile provocations. It said the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Rafael Peralta docked at Jeju on Monday last week and left the island Friday after a "scheduled port visit." Rafael Peralta, the 9,200-ton forward-deployed vessel commissioned in 2017, is the US 7th Fleet's p

March 5, 2023

S. Korea to develop capabilities to destroy N. Korean missiles before liftoff

South Korea’s Defense Ministry on Friday announced its plan to develop a new anti-missile approach to destroy North Korean missiles before liftoff under the Yoon Suk Yeol government’s new defense reform initiative. The military underscored that its “top priority is to develop reliable deterrence and response capabilities to North Korean nuclear and missile threats which are currently one of the most serious and realistic threats” in the so-called Defense Reform 4.0 plan,

March 3, 2023

S. Korea, US to revive large-scale field training exercises after 5-year hiatus

South Korea and the United States will revive theater-level field training exercises after a five-year hiatus to enhance the alliance’s defense and readiness posture against escalating threats from North Korea. The annual springtime combined exercise, dubbed as “Freedom Shield,” will be staged from March 13-23, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff and the United States Forces Korea said Friday in a joint statement. “Freedom Shield is designed to strengthen defense

March 3, 2023

S. Korea, US to stage annual exercise from March 13-23

South Korea and the United States plan to kick off a combined springtime military exercise later this month, the allies announced Friday, as they are striving to beef up deterrence against North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats. The Freedom Shield exercise is scheduled to take place from March 13-23 without a break, marking the longest-ever edition of their joint computer-simulation command post exercise, according to the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff and the US Forces Kore

March 3, 2023

Historic bill-signing signals Yoon's shift on veterans affairs

President Yoon Suk Yeol hosted a historic bill-signing ceremony Thursday to elevate the Veterans Affairs Ministry to a full-fledged ministry and establish a government agency to support the Korean diaspora. The event marks the first public bill-signing ceremony by a South Korean president to reorganize the government structure, according to Yoon's office. The elevation of the Veterans Affairs Ministry and creation of Overseas Koreans Agency will become effective early in June. The ceremony

March 2, 2023

S. Korea discloses special forces drills with US in warning to N.Korea

The South Korean military on Thursday disclosed that South Korean and US special operations forces have staged monthlong “Teak Knife” military exercises since early February, practicing infiltration and precision strikes on key targets in North Korea, in an apparent warning message to North Korea. The rare disclosure came as South Korea and the US are scheduled to conduct annual, large-scale military exercises in mid-March and as North Korea has ratcheted up its bellicose rhetoric an

March 2, 2023

S. Korea asks US command to remove ‘Sea of Japan’ from trilateral exercise press release

South Korea has asked the US Indo-Pacific Command to revise the US military’s reference to international waters between Japan and South Korea from the “Sea of Japan” to a neutral description, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed Thursday. The navies of South Korea, the United States and Japan conducted a trilateral missile defense exercise outside the territorial waters of South Korea and Japan on Wednesday to enhance military interoperability and readiness again

Feb. 23, 2023

[From Korea to Kyiv] 'War's nearing an end but peace talk with Putin will never happen'

The Russian war against Ukraine will reach a critical juncture in spring or early summer, and there is anticipation that the war will end within the year. But even if subsequent peace talks take place, Russian leader Vladimir Putin will be the last person that Ukraine would want to talk to, Ukraine’s top envoy to Seoul said in an interview with The Korea Herald. "I think the spring and early summer of 2023 will be decisive for the course of war. It is possible to win the war this year

Feb. 23, 2023

S. Korea's defense minister visits Polish arms company in Warsaw

South Korea's Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup has visited a Polish arms company in Warsaw, his office said Thursday, a trip highlighting his focus on deepening defense industry cooperation with Poland. Lee arrived in the country on Wednesday for talks with his Polish counterpart, Mariusz Blaszczak, as the European country has emerged as a major buyer of South Korean weapons systems. Shortly after arrival, the minister visited the state-owned Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa and met with Sebastian Chw

Feb. 23, 2023

South Korea, US, Japan stage missile defense exercise after N.Korea launches

South Korea, the United States and Japan staged a ballistic missile defense exercise on Wednesday in international waters to enhance military interoperability and readiness against escalating threats from North Korea, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The five-hour trilateral drills came days after North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles and one intercontinental ballistic missile, respectively, on Monday and Feb. 18. The navies of the three countries “focused on

Feb. 22, 2023

S.Korea, UAE defense chiefs agree to expand joint weapons development

The defense chiefs of South Korea and the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday agreed to expand joint development and production of weapons, the South Korean Defense Ministry said on Wednesday. South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup and his Emirati counterpart Mohammed Ahmed Al Bowardi discussed defense and arms industry cooperation, among other pending issues, at in-person talks in Abu Dhabi, according to a statement from South Korea’s Defense Ministry. The bilateral defense ministerial me

Feb. 22, 2023

S. Korean defense minister visits arms exhibition in UAE

Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup has visited a major defense exhibition in the United Arab Emirates to support South Korean companies showcasing their products there, his office said Tuesday. Lee attended the International Defence Exhibition & Conference 2023 in Abu Dhabi on Monday, a day after he arrived in the country for talks with his counterpart, Mohammed Ahmed Al Bowardi. The five-day exhibition, which runs until Friday, brings together senior defense officials from across the world and m

Feb. 21, 2023

S. Korea to issue new overarching defense strategy as early as next month

South Korea is seeking to publish a new overarching national defense strategy next month to chart a mid-and long-term direction of the country's security policy amid growing North Korean military threats, Seoul's defense ministry said Tuesday. The document, akin to the United States' National Defense Strategy, will replace the existing National Defense Policy. It puts forward a policy direction for a 15-year period and will be published every five years, according to the ministry.

Feb. 21, 2023

S.Korean defense chief denies court ruling on Vietnam War massacre

The South Korean defense chief said Friday that the military does not accept the recent court ruling acknowledging the accountability of South Korean troops for civilian carnage during the Vietnam War. Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup underscored that South Korean troops stationed in Vietnam did not commit any wartime civilian massacres, citing records and testimonies compiled by the military. “The Defense Ministry cannot agree with the court ruling,” Lee told the National Assembly&rsqu

Feb. 17, 2023

S. Korea, US to stage exercise simulating N. Korea’s nuclear use

South Korea and the United States will stage a tabletop exercise next week to discuss ways to develop a joint strategy and response to North Korea’s potential use of nuclear weapons amid the North’s continuing nuclear saber-rattling. The discussion-based TTX led by the alliance’s high-level Deterrence Strategy Committee will be conducted on Feb. 22 at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, South Korea’s Defense Ministry said Friday. The DSC TTX has been co-organized by South Kor

Feb. 17, 2023

Parliamentary committee adopts resolution marking 70th anniversary of S. Korea-US alliance

The National Assembly's foreign affairs committee on Friday passed a resolution calling for the further strengthening of ties between South Korea and the United States to mark the 70th anniversary of the alliance. "The National Assembly reaffirms that the S. Korea-US alliance was the foundation for the Republic of Korea's democratization and economic growth and continues to function as a linchpin of peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula, the region and the world," the

Feb. 17, 2023