S. Korea's defense procurement subpanel approves new F-35A purchase proposal: officials

A subcommittee of South Korea's state defense procurement committee has endorsed a basic proposal to purchase some 20 F-35A radar-evading fighters, Seoul officials said Wednesday. The Defense Project Promotion Committee's subcommittee approved it on June 9 in a push for a 3.9 trillion won ($3 billion) project to introduce the fighters, manufactured by the US defense giant Lockheed Martin from 2023 through the mid to late 2020s. The approval came as the conservative Yoon Suk-yeol admini

June 29, 2022

S. Korea marks 2002 inter-Korean naval skirmish with 'victory' ceremony

PYEONGTAEK -- South Korea's Navy on Wednesday held a ceremony to commemorate the sacrifices of sailors killed in an inter-Korean naval skirmish near the western sea border two decades ago. The memorial event took place at the Navy's Second Fleet in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul, with the attendance of some 300 people, including the sailors' families and fellow troops. The naval conflict occurred near the South's frontline island of Yeonpyeong on June 29, 2002, as t

June 29, 2022

S.Korean military to join US-led major, multinational cyber exercise for first time

South Korea plans to participate in the US-led multilateral cyber defense exercise this year for the first time, in a bid to step up cyber cooperation with the US. The South Korean military will dispatch more than 20 personnel to the Cyber Flag exercise scheduled to be held this October in Virginia, South Korea’s Defense Ministry and Rep. Kang Dae-sik of the ruling People Power Party confirmed Monday. Cyber Flag is the US Cyber Command’s major annual training event. The cyber field

June 27, 2022

N. Korean military discusses changes to operational plan, frontline forces’ mission

The North Korean military on Wednesday discussed how to revise an operational plan and missions of front-line units at a key meeting, which experts view as preparations that would allow tactical nuclear weapons to be deployed along the inter-Korean border. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un convened the multiday meeting of the Central Military Commission of the Workers’ Party of Korea, which continued after kicking off Tuesday, the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported Thursday. &

June 23, 2022

Defense chief stresses S. Korea's commitment to stronger alliance with US amid N.K. threats

Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup on Thursday reaffirmed South Korea's commitment to further strengthening its alliance with the United States, pointing to the "very grave" security threats from North Korea. He was speaking at a breakfast meeting with former and current South Korean and US officials, as concerns have grown about the possibility of the North carrying out its seventh nuclear experiment at the Punggye-ri testing site. "Due to the advances in North Korea's nuc

June 23, 2022

S. Korean Air Force conducts large-scale exercise to counter ‘enemy provocations’

South Korea’s air force on Monday kicked off a large-scale aerial military exercise to enhance combat readiness and prepare for possible “enemy provocations,” including a surprise invasion. The theater-level “Soaring Eagle” combat training exercise is being staged over five days through Friday at the 29th Tactical Fighter Weapons Group located at an air base in the central city of Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province. South Korea’s air force has conducted

June 20, 2022

S. Korea's Air Force begins regular Soaring Eagle exercise

South Korea's Air Force on Monday kicked off a biannual aerial combat exercise, involving its radar-evading F-35A fighters and dozens of other warplanes, in order to ensure a "firm" readiness posture, the armed service said. The five-day Soaring Eagle exercise began amid lingering tensions caused by North Korea's continued ballistic missile launches and speculation that it has completed preparations for what would be its seventh nuclear test. The training got under way at the

June 20, 2022

US hasn’t finalized adjustments to military posture against N. Korean threats: Pentagon

The US has not yet finalized how to adjust its military posture in the case of a nuclear test from North Korea and other contingencies, but close consultation with South Korea and Japan will precede a final decision, a senior Pentagon official said Tuesday. “I think the final decisions have not been made,” Colin Kahl, the US undersecretary of defense for policy, said at an event hosted by the Washington-based Center of a New American Security when asked to elaborate on the top US d

June 15, 2022

S.Korea to join multilateral missile defense drill, fire SM-2 missile interceptors in Hawaii

South Korea’s Navy will join a Pacific Dragon multilateral ballistic missile defense exercise and separately conduct a live-fire drill to test the ability and performance of surface-to-air missile interceptors. The two separate military drills will be staged during the US-led biennial Rim of the Pacific, or RIMPAC, exercise, multiple South Korean military officials, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed to The Korea Herald on Wednesday. The 28th RIMPAC exercise, the world’s l

June 14, 2022

Military reports 782 more COVID-19 cases

South Korea's military reported 782 additional COVID-19 cases Tuesday, raising the total caseload among its service members to 169,772, the defense ministry said. The new cases included 655 from the Army, 67 from the Air Force and 36 from the Navy. There were also 14 cases from units under the direct control of the ministry, nine from the Marine Corps and one from the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Currently, 3,933 military personnel are under treatment. Meanwhile, the US Forces Korea (USFK) said 1

June 14, 2022

2 defense units searched over illegitimate business order allegations

Police raided the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and the Defense Communication Command (DCC) on Tuesday in connection with allegations that an unqualified company won a contract to supply information modules to the military. The National Police Agency sent investigators to search the DIA office in Seoul's Yongsan district and the DCC office in Gwacheon, just south of the capital, for materials related to the allegations, officials said. Police are looking into suspicions that an unqualif

June 14, 2022

[Shangri-La Dialogue] S.Korea intends to ‘normalize’ security cooperation with Japan against N.Korean threats

SINGAPORE -- South Korea is willing to have an earnest discussion to “normalize bilateral security cooperation” with Japan despite unresolved pending issues to better address North Korea’s escalating missile and nuclear threats, Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup said Sunday at the Shangri-La Dialogue. Lee set the direction and gist of the newly inaugurated Yoon Suk-yeol government’s approach to North Korea in his speech delivered at the International Institute for Strategic

June 12, 2022

[Shangri-La Dialogue] S.Korea, US, Japan to regularize trilateral exercises against NK missile threats

SINGAPORE -- South Korea, Japan and the US on Saturday agreed to regularize and publicize trilateral missile defense exercises and come up with further trilateral actions to deter North Korea’s ballistic missile threats. 　 South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup had the 50-minute trilateral talks with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi at noon local time. The rare in-person meeting was held on the sidelines of the three-day Shangri-La Dialogue A

June 11, 2022

[Shangri-La Dialogue] S.Korea, US commit to flesh out plans to step up military exercises

SINGAPORE -- The South Korean and the US defense chiefs on Saturday agreed to flesh out their plans to step up combined military exercises and enhance the viability of the US extended deterrence against North Korea’s mounting threats. South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup had his first in-person encounter with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in the morning on the sidelines of the three-day Shangri-La Dialogue Asian security summit that runs until Sunday in Singapore. The 30-minute

June 11, 2022

[Shangri-La Dialogue] S.Korea, China commit to revitalizing military exchanges, cooperating on N.Korean issues

SINGAPORE -- South Korean and Chinese defense chiefs on Friday committed to rejuvenating military exchanges and cooperating in resolving North Korean issues during a bilateral meeting held in around three years. South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup had his first encounter with his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe in the afternoon on the sidelines of the three-day Shangri-La Dialogue Asian security summit that runs until Sunday in Singapore. Reinvigorating military exchanges Lee and Wei

June 10, 2022

[Shangri-La Dialogue] S. Korea, Canada discuss defense cooperation, Indo-Pacific strategies amid Ukraine war

SINGAPORE -- The South Korean and Canadian defense chiefs on Friday discussed North Korean threats, their envisioned Indo-Pacific strategies and bilateral defense cooperation at a critical juncture, as Canada has called for South Korea to lend support to fill its depleted weapons stock sent to Ukraine. South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup and his Canadian counterpart Anita Anand held a 30-minute meeting from 11:30 local time on Friday on the sidelines of the three-day Shangri-La Dialogue

June 10, 2022

Defense ministry pushes for new post focusing on NK threats: sources

South Korea's defense ministry is seeking to create a new policy post handling North Korea's military threats and abolish an existing one dedicated to promoting cross-border reconciliation, informed sources said Thursday. The move came in line with the Yoon Suk-yeol administration's avowed stance to sternly deal with the North's nuclear and missile threats amid concerns about the possibility of the regime carrying out a nuclear test. "The (new) defense policy bureau is d

June 9, 2022

Seoul’s new NK and Indo-Pacific strategy: What’s in store at Shangri-La Dialogue

The Yoon Suk-yeol administration’s North Korea policy and Indo-Pacific strategy will be revealed at the Shangri-La Dialogue, where Seoul’s Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup will seek closer cooperation with the US and other aligned nations. The international event will serve as the stage for Lee’s first bilateral and trilateral meetings with defense chiefs -- including those of Japan and the US -- where he will discuss ways to enhance security cooperation in tackling regional cha

June 8, 2022

Allies in talks on new site for residual US military facilities: sources

South Korea and the United States are in talks over the selection of a new site to house American military facilities that the countries have agreed to retain in central Seoul under their broader base relocation scheme, sources here said Wednesday. The two sides have been "positively" weighing the idea of putting residual military facilities in a site right next to an area in the northernmost portion of the US military's Yongsan Garrison -- now reserved for the construction of the

June 8, 2022

US, IAEA warn of nuclear test by North Korea

The US and the UN nuclear watchdog again warned of the possibility of North Korea carrying out a nuclear test in the near future. “We remain concerned that the DPRK could seek a seventh nuclear test in the coming days. It’s a concern we’ve warned about for some time,” US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Monday during a regular press briefing, underscoring its readiness to respond to any contingency scenarios in tandem with the US allies. “I can as

June 7, 2022