USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier arrives in Busan in show of force

The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier arrived at a naval base in the southeastern city of Busan on Tuesday, South Korea's Navy said, hours after North Korea notified Japan of a plan to launch a space rocket in the coming days. The nuclear-powered vessel of Carrier Strike Group 1 entered the naval base in Busan, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, in a show of US military might amid heightened tensions over North Korea's plan to launch the rocket between Wednesday and Dec. 1. It would mar

Nov. 21, 2023

S. Korea, US sign arrangement for prioritized supply of defense products

South Korea and the United States have entered into an arrangement designed to prioritize the supply of defense-related materials and goods to each other, Seoul's arms procurement agency said Friday, in a move to bolster their security supply chain resiliency. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration and the US Department of Defense signed the Security of Supply Arrangement, allowing the two sides to request from one another priority delivery for orders of defense-related goods. The a

Nov. 17, 2023

N. Korea 'satisfied' with tests of solid-fuel engines for IRBM

North Korea conducted the first ground tests of solid-fuel engines for a new type of intermediate-range ballistic missile last week and this week in the run-up to the country's newly-designated Missile Industry Day, the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported Wednesday. The country's state media reported "highly satisfactory results" from the inaugural ground jet tests conducted on Nov. 11 for the first-stage engine and on Tuesday for the second-stage engine. The two gr

Nov. 15, 2023

US set to deploy B-52 bomber for joint drills with S. Korea: sources

The United States is set to deploy a B-52 bomber to South Korea on Wednesday for joint air drills with its Asian ally, sources said, in the latest show of force against North Korea. South Korean fighter jets will escort the nuclear-capable bomber when it flies over South Korea later in the day, sources with knowledge of the issue said. The B-52 bomber is returning to the country after less than a month, following its first-ever landing in South Korea on Oct. 17. It will mark the allies' six

Nov. 15, 2023

US approves possible sale of SM-6 missile interceptors to S. Korea amid N. Korea threats

The US Department of State has approved a possible sale to South Korea of Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) shipborne missile interceptors and related equipment to help improve the Asian ally's security capabilities, a government agency said Tuesday. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency under the Department of Defense made the announcement on the potential government-to-government Foreign Military Sale estimated to cost $650 million. The South Korean government has made a request to buy up to 38 SM-6

Nov. 15, 2023

[Herald Interview] Inaugural meeting maps UNC 2.0 amid shifting security dynamics

More than 70 years have passed since the United Nations Command was forged to assist South Korea in repelling North Korea's invasion in 1950. The collective security establishment within the UN serves as the backbone of the security of the Korean Peninsula. But the time has come to discuss ways to renew its mission, which continues today amid rapidly changing security dynamics, according to the South Korean Defense Ministry, which hosted the inaugural defense ministerial meeting of UNC memb

Nov. 14, 2023

UNC members renew commitment against any NK armed attack

The 17 member states of the United Nations Command on Tuesday reaffirmed their commitment to collective action in the event of any hostile actions or armed attacks by North Korea on the Korean Peninsula. The UNC member states, who once united under the one UN flag to furnish forces and assistance for South Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War, gathered again in Seoul for the recommitment. The assembly on Tuesday marked the first-ever defense ministerial meeting between South Korea and the UNC mem

Nov. 14, 2023

S. Korea hosts inaugural defense ministerial meeting of UNC member states

South Korea and the United Nations Command member states were set to hold their first meeting of defense chiefs and representatives Tuesday to evaluate the multinational command's contributions and explore their future roles, the defense ministry said. The UNC was established in July 1950 under a UN mandate to support South Korea against North Korea's aggression and has been overseeing the armistice that halted the 1950-53 Korean War. South Korean defense minister Shin Won-sik and his US counter

Nov. 14, 2023

Defense chief hails UNC troops' sacrifice ahead of ministerial meeting with UNC member states

South Korea's defense chief on Monday hailed the sacrifice made by UN Command UNC troops during the 1950-53 Korean War ahead of the inaugural defense ministerial meeting with the member states of the multinational command tasked with overseeing the conflict's armistice. Defense Minister Shin Won-sik made the remark at a reception for representatives of the member states in southern Seoul, as South Korea seeks to deepen ties with the command's 17 member states through the ministeri

Nov. 13, 2023

S. Korea, US revise deterrence strategy amid growing NK threats

The defense chiefs of South Korea and the United States on Monday unveiled an updated security strategy, the first in a decade, specifically designed to counter the growing threats emanating from North Korean nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. South Korea's newly appointed Defense Minister Shin Won-sik and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the completion of revisions to the Tailored Deterrence Strategy, a strategic guideline tailored to threats posed by North K

Nov. 13, 2023

S. Korea, US defense chiefs discuss 'tailored deterrence strategy' on N. Korea

The defense chiefs of South Korea and the United States held annual security talks Monday as the two countries seek to update joint military strategies on North Korea in case the regime attempts to use nuclear weapons. Updating the "tailored deterrence strategy" and improving the credibility of the US "extended deterrence" commitment was one of the key topics as Defense Minister Shin Won-sik and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held the 55th Security Consultative Meeting in

Nov. 13, 2023

S. Korea, US, Japan agree framework for military exercises

The defense chiefs of South Korea, the United States and Japan on Sunday agreed to stage pre-planned trilateral military exercises from next January with a multi-year framework, marking a significant stride in enhancing trilateral security cooperation in the face of escalating North Korean threats. The three-way meeting was held for the first time in Seoul since South Korea's new Defense Minister Shin Won-sik and Japan's Defense Minister Minoru Kihara assumed office in October and September, res

Nov. 12, 2023

S. Korea to honor fallen UN Korean War veterans in annual ceremony in Busan

South Korea will host an annual ceremony this week to commemorate the sacrifices of fallen troops who fought under the United Nations flag during the 1950-53 Korean War, the veterans ministry said Friday. The "Turn Toward Busan" event will take place at the UN Memorial Cemetery in Busan, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Saturday, with the attendance of some 1,000 people, including bereaved family members, Korean War veterans and diplomatic delegates, according to the ministry. The

Nov. 10, 2023

S. Korean, US defense chiefs to discuss broadening military partnership

The defense chiefs of South Korea and the United States are set to convene in Seoul to discuss critical alliance matters, encompassing escalating North Korean threats and extended deterrence, as well as their joint efforts to broaden the horizons of their military partnership into domains such as defense science and technology or the arms industry. South Korea's new Defense Minister Shin Won-sik and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will hold the 55th Security Consultative Meeting, an annua

Nov. 9, 2023

Foreign Korean War veterans, families to visit S. Korea this week

The veterans ministry said Wednesday a large group of foreign Korean War veterans and their family members will visit South Korea this week under a program to commemorate their service during the 1950-53 Korean War. A total of 70 people -- 51 from 10 countries that sent troops or other forms of support to South Korea during the war, as well as 19 people of Korean descent from the United States, Canada and Argentina -- will arrive Wednesday for a six-day stay on the occasion of an annual memorial

Nov. 8, 2023

Blinken to arrive in S. Korea for talks on N. Korea, alliance

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was set to arrive in South Korea on Wednesday for talks on North Korea, alliance and regional issues, amid growing concerns over the North's closer military ties with Russia. Blinken is expected to arrive at the US Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, 60 kilometers south of Seoul, late at night, flying in from Tokyo where he attended a Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministerial meeting. It marks his first trip to Seoul since the launch of the government of Presiden

Nov. 8, 2023

Pentagon declines to comment on whether to scrap 2018 inter-Korean military tension-reduction pact

The US Department of Defense refused Tuesday to comment on a growing debate in South Korea over whether a 2018 inter-Korean military accord aimed at reducing border tensions should be suspended, saying it is a matter for South Korea to decide on. Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh addressed the question during a press briefing as South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik has made calls for the suspension of the Comprehensive Military Agreement, which critics argue limit South Korea&#

Nov. 8, 2023

[Israel-Hamas war] Lessons from Hamas attack: Is S. Korea prepared for unconventional conflict?

The large-scale surprise attack by Hamas on Israel a month ago has sparked profound concerns about South Korea's readiness to confront hypothetical asymmetric warfare scenarios initiated by North Korea. The Hamas attack occurred precisely 50 years and one day after the surprise offensive launched by Egyptian and Syrian forces against Israel in 1973, suggesting that the Palestinian group took advantage of a moment when Israel was caught off guard. This historical context holds significant implica

Nov. 6, 2023

Two Koreas race to launch first homegrown military spy satellites

In a high-stakes race, South and North Korea are vying for success in launching their first homegrown military spy satellites, backed respectively by the United States and Russia, as a pivotal initiative aimed at enhancing their military capabilities. The South Korean military is set to launch its domestically-developed reconnaissance satellite on Nov. 30 from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, South Korea’s new Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said Friday during his meeting with

Nov. 5, 2023

Unification ministry plans to hold talks with UN Command to resume Panmunjom tour

South Korea's unification ministry plans to hold talks with the UN Command to resume a tour program for the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom, according to a ministry official on Sunday. The tour program for ordinary citizens has been suspended since mid-July, when an American soldier crossed the inter-Korean border into North Korea during a tour to the Joint Security Area in the Demilitarized Zone, a rare unauthorized trip that led to his detention in the North. The soldier, Pvt. Tra

Nov. 5, 2023