THAAD a purely defensive system designed to counter N. Korean threat: State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- The US missile defense system deployed in South Korea, THAAD, is a purely defensive system that is only designed to protect South Korea and its people against threats from North Korea, a state department spokesperson said Monday. Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson for the department, also insisted any call or demand from other countries to withdraw THAAD would be "inappropriate." "THAAD is a prudent and limited self defense capability designed to counter a D

Aug. 30, 2022

Military reports 715 more COVID-19 cases

South Korea's military reported 715 additional COVID-19 cases Sunday, raising the total caseload among its service members to 260,260, the defense ministry said. The new cases included 464 from the Army, 93 from the Air Force, 60 from units under the direct control of the ministry, 57 from the Navy and 41 from the Marine Corps. Currently, 7,666 military personnel are under treatment. (Yonhap)

Aug. 28, 2022

Navy concludes annual maritime waste collection work

The Navy on Sunday wrapped up an annual operation to collect underwater waste near a northwestern border island as part of efforts to help protect the maritime ecosystem and ensure safer fishing activities, the armed service said. Using a 3,500-ton towing ship, the Navy gathered 13 tons of maritime waste during the 19-day operation near Yeonpyeong Island. The mission proceeded in cooperation with the state-run Korea Marine Environment Management Corp. and other related agencies. The operation is

Aug. 28, 2022

Ex-defense security chief gets 3-year prison sentence in retrial of power abuse case

A former chief of the Defense Security Command (DSC) indicted in 2018 for the military's allegedly illicit online political maneuvers was sentenced to three years in prison in a retrial by an appellate court Friday. The Seoul High Court gave the sentence to Bae Dek-sig, who led the DSC from 2010-2013, after finding him guilty of abuse of power and ordered his immediate detention. Bae was first indicted four years ago over the allegations that his command ran a team that posted about 20,000

Aug. 26, 2022

Russian military aircraft enter Korea's air defense zone without prior notice: S. Korean military

Russian military aircraft entered South Korea's air defense identification zone (KADIZ) without notice Tuesday, prompting the Air Force to scramble fighters to the scene, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. The JCS did not provide details, like the number of Russian planes and their types. The entry into KADIZ came amid tensions between Seoul and Moscow over the latter's invasion of Ukraine and the former's participation in international moves against the armed conflict. "Regarding

Aug. 24, 2022

S. Korea concurrently begins major military exercise with US, civil defense drills

South Korea on Monday concurrently began conducting a major combined military exercise with the United States and civil defense drills based on real-world scenarios to prepare for full-scale war on the peninsula and local provocations by North Korea. The two-week Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise between South Korea and the US is scheduled to be held between Aug. 22 and Sept. 1, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. The first session of Ulchi Freedom Shield aims to simulate enter

Aug. 22, 2022

S. Korea, US agree to upgrade cyber cooperation, regularize cyber exercises

South Korea and the United States agreed to develop cybersecurity cooperation through steps including regular cyber defense exercises, South Korea’s Defense Ministry said Thursday. South Korea’s Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup met Gen. Paul Nakasone, commander of US Cyber Command and director of the National Security Agency, on Thursday in Seoul. Both sides discussed recent cyber threats, countermeasures and ways to develop cyber cooperation between Seoul and Washington, South Kore

Aug. 18, 2022

S. Korea to participate in Australia-led air combat exercise for first time

South Korea’s Air Force will join an Australia-led large-scale multilateral air combat exercise for the first time to enhance interoperability and military cooperation with participating Indo-Pacific countries and key NATO members. South Korea’s fighter jets departed Jungwon Air Base in North Chungcheong Province on Thursday for Base Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia to take part in Exercise Pitch Black 2022, South Korea’s Air Force announced in a statement Thursda

Aug. 18, 2022

Daegu military air base to be relocated to nearby area by 2030 under W11.4t project

South Korea's military announced a master plan Thursday to relocate its air base in the southeastern region of Daegu to the nearby area of Uiseong and Gunwi, both in North Gyeongsang Province, by 2030 in an 11.4 trillion-won ($8.6 billion) project. Under the plan, the military will relocate several Army and Air Force units currently stationed at the base, home to F-15K fighter jets, to the envisioned facilities, as well as those of the US Forces Korea (USFK), according to the defense minist

Aug. 18, 2022

S. Korea, US commit to enhancing military cooperation against Indo-Pacific security challenges

South Korea and the United States committed to enhancing military and security cooperation to deal with challenges in the Indo-Pacific region at the high-level defense talks, reaffirming the importance of maintaining peace and stability on the Taiwan Strait. South Korea’s Defense Ministry and the US Defense Department held the 21st Korea-US Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) on Tuesday and Wednesday in Seoul with the participation of key defense and foreign affairs officials. Both sides

Aug. 17, 2022

S. Korea, US kick off preliminary military drills, hold high-level defense talks

South Korea and the United States on Tuesday kicked off preliminary military drills in the run-up to revived large-scale military exercises while holding high-level defense talks on the alliance’s deterrence and readiness against North Korean missile and nuclear threats. The crisis management exercises led by South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff are scheduled to be conducted for four days, according to the South Korean military. The drills aim to practice and master procedures to

Aug. 16, 2022

Arrest warrant sought for Air Force officer over sexual abuse case

A special prosecution team has requested a warrant to arrest an Air Force officer who allegedly leaked information about a probe into the suicide of a servicewoman and defamed the deceased victim, authorities said Monday. The public affairs officer is accused of leaking information about the probe into the suicide a female Air Force servicewoman and fabricating the cause of her death, according to the prosecutors. The Seoul Central District Court will decide on his arrest warrant after a he

Aug. 15, 2022

S. Korea, US to hold high-level defense talks on alliance deterrence against N. Korea

South Korea and the United States will discuss how to bolster the alliance’s deterrence and readiness against North Korea at an upcoming high-level defense talk, South Korea’s Defense Ministry announced Friday. South Korea’s Defense Ministry and the US Defense Department will hold the 21st Korea-US Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) between Aug. 16 and 17 in Seoul with the participation of key defense and foreign affairs officials. Deputy Minister for National Defense Polic

Aug. 12, 2022

Past, present, future of S. Korea’s first homegrown KF-21 fighter jet

South Korea’s first independently developed fighter jet soared into the sky in July, making a huge leap forward in the aerospace and defense industry. But the giant step took nearly 20 years, after the South Korean military decided to develop the indigenous advanced fighter aircraft in 2002. Retired Brig. Gen. Jung Kwang-sun recalled countless twists and turns that South Korea’s defense procurement agency and defense contractors went through to develop supersonic fighter jets from

Aug. 12, 2022

S. Korean military braces for N. Korea’s local provocations: Defense minister

The South Korean defense minister said Thursday that he braced for the possibility of North Korea conducting local provocations for the foreseeable future, assessing that North Korea has sought to make a pretext of provocations. Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup provided an affirmative response when asked if the statement by Kim Yo-jong, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s powerful sister, could be a foreshadowing of “imminent local provocations” during his first news conference.

Aug. 11, 2022

S. Korea identifies remains of another Korean War soldier

South Korea has identified the remains of a South Korean soldier killed during the 1950-53 Korean War after their excavation from a battle site more than a decade ago, the defense ministry said Thursday. The ministry's excavation team and personnel from the Army's 27th Infantry Division found the remains of Pfc. Yoon Eui-saeng in Hwacheon, 88 kilometers northeast of Seoul, in May 2010. The remains were identified as his thanks to a DNA sample his younger brother had registered with the

Aug. 11, 2022

Defense chief stresses priority on building key deterrence system

South Korea's Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup instructed his ministry and affiliated agencies Wednesday to prioritize investing in building a key deterrence system, his office said, as Seoul seeks to bolster defense amid evolving North Korean security threats. Lee gave the instruction during a session of the ministry's task force charged with developing the Defense Reform 4.0 initiative aimed at nurturing a sturdier military based on cutting-edge technologies, like artificial intelligenc

Aug. 10, 2022

Navy sailor on trial on charges of National Security Act breach

A South Korean Navy sailor has been standing trial on charges of praising the North Korean political system and possessing materials "benefiting the enemy," Navy officials said Monday. Last month, the Navy's prosecution indicted the service member at the Second Fleet on charges of posting online video clips and writings propagandizing the North, and possessing related materials, in an apparent breach of the National Security Act. "The Navy plans to sternly deal with the case

Aug. 8, 2022

150 front-line Army commandoes to conduct joint training at US Army's National Training Center

About 150 South Korean Army commandoes will leave for the United States later this month for joint training with the US Army at the National Training Center (NTC) in California, officials said Sunday. The special forces troops from a front-line Army corps will conduct joint exercises at the Fort Irwin training center for about a month as part of an annual training program the two countries have carried out since 2020 to establish a firm readiness posture. It was the second time this year the two

Aug. 7, 2022

S. Korea, Australia agree to enhance defense cooperation, reinforce military exercises

The South Korean and Australian defense chiefs agreed to enhance defense cooperation in a wide range of areas, including the arms industry and military exercises. The two leaders also noted the significance of defense partnerships between like-minded countries in maintaining regional stability. South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles met Thursday in Canberra, Australia, and discussed a wide range of security issues, So

Aug. 4, 2022