S.Korea test-fires first indigenous solid-fuel rocket, pushes to launch spy satellites

South Korea “successfully” test-launched a homegrown solid-fuel space rocket for the first time, taking one significant step to further develop and launch microsatellites for military surveillance and reconnaissance. The state-run Agency for Defense Development said it conducted the test-firing to “verify the performance” of the solid-propellant carrier rocket developed with indigenous technologies on Wednesday at its own testing site in Taean, South Chungcheong Provinc

March 30, 2022

Army to test-run Redback armored vehicle under export support program

South Korea's military plans to start test-running a homegrown armored vehicle next month as part of a program to support local firms' defense exports, the state arms procurement agency said Wednesday. From April to May, the Army's 11th Maneuver Division is set to conduct the test of the Redback vehicle that has been in a competition to join Australia's defense project, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. The Redback is an upgraded version of the K-21 vehicle developed b

March 30, 2022

Army holds this year's first major high-tech training

South Korea's Army has been carrying out this year's first brigade-level field training involving a high-tech combat simulation system, its officials said Monday. The 10-day training involving some 4,500 troops began at the Army's Korea Combat Training Center (KCTC) in Inje, 165 kilometers east of Seoul, last Monday as the country seeks to reinforce military drills amid persistent North Korean threats. The training center harnesses the "multiple integrated laser engagement system" that

March 28, 2022

Air Force aims to “drastically” improve command & control system for future warfare

South Korea has launched a project to “drastically” improve the Air Force’s command and control system, intending to enhance the military’s capabilities to detect and respond to air-based threats and its adaptability for the future battlefield. Defense contractor Hanwha Systems has begun developing the system to upgrade the function and capabilities of the Master Control and Reporting Center, which serves as a front-line unit in air defense, the Defense Acquisition Progr

March 24, 2022

Relocation of allies' combined command to Pyeongtaek likely to be delayed to autumn: sources

The South Korea-US Combined Forces Command (CFC) will likely start relocating to a key US military base south of Seoul this fall, a few months later than expected, with the completion of a related construction work apparently delayed, informed sources said Thursday. The relocation of the Seoul-based CFC headquarters to Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of the capital, had been forecast to begin this summer following the construction of its new building. But the completion of th

March 24, 2022

North Korea’s weekend artillery firing did not breach inter-Korean accord: defense minister

Defense Minister Suh Wook on Tuesday rejected President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s claim that North Korea’s weekend artillery firing violated a 2018 inter-Korean military tension reduction accord. During a parliamentary session, Suh said the North fired shots Sunday from a site “far north” of a buffer zone in the Yellow Sea that the two Koreas agreed to set up under their Comprehensive Military Agreement. Earlier in the day, Yoon called the firing a “clear” viol

March 22, 2022

Defense chief warns of difficulties relocating ministry at short notice

The South Korean defense minister on Tuesday publicly warned of “various and overlapping difficulties” in relocating and dispersing the military departments and units on a tight schedule, noting the necessity to “minimize” security vacuum at a critical juncture. President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s transition team on March 15 asked the Defense Ministry to come up with ways to vacate the building by the end of this month by using its existing facilities, the ministry sa

March 22, 2022

S. Korea to honor fallen sea border defenders with lighting event

South Korea plans to hold a memorial lighting event later this week to honor 55 troops who died while defending the western inter-Korean sea border from 2002-2010, the veterans affairs ministry said Tuesday. The ministry will host the nighttime event at the national cemetery in Daejeon, 164 kilometers south of Seoul, on Wednesday, using 55 lights that represent the fallen troops. The event is designed to remember the troops who made the ultimate sacrifice in an inter-Korean naval skirmish in 200

March 22, 2022

S. Korea to launch new frigate with enhanced anti-sub capabilities

South Korea is set to hold a ceremony launching a new 2,800-ton frigate with enhanced anti-submarine capabilities Tuesday, the state arms procurement agency said. The ceremony for the Chuncheon will take place at the shipyard of Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. in Ulsan, some 410 kilometers southeast of Seoul, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). Some 50 people, including Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Kim Jung-soo and Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. President Lee Sang-ky

March 22, 2022

Military, spy agency elevate cybersecurity levels amid risks of online attacks

South Korea's defense ministry and state spy agency raised their cybersecurity readiness levels on Monday amid concerns over potential online incursions at a time of a presidential transition in Seoul. The ministry elevated the cyberspace protection condition (CPCON) by a notch to Level 3, the third highest in the five-tier system. The National Intelligence Service (NIS) reinforced its own security alert to Level 2, the second lowest in the four-tier system. The adjustments came as cyberspace ha

March 21, 2022

S. Korea, US to discuss cooperation in space security, N. Korean threats

South Korea's Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Park In-ho will meet the chief of the US Space Command here later this week to discuss North Korea's long-range rocket development and other security issues, his office said Friday. Park and Gen. James Dickinson are set to hold talks at the Gyeryongdae military headquarters, 160 kilometers south of Seoul, on Saturday, as the allies are striving to bolster combined defense in the wake of the North's continued missile launches. They are expected to discu

March 18, 2022

Veterans affairs minister mourns death of US war veteran

South Korea's Veterans Affairs Minister Hwang Ki-chul has sent a message of condolences to the bereaved family of a US veteran who participated in a famous evacuation operation during the 1950-53 Korean War, his office said Thursday. Retired Rear Adm. J. Robert Lunney died last Thursday at the age of 94. He was a crew member of the SS Meredith Victory, a merchant ship, mobilized for the Heungnam evacuation that rescued some 14,000 refugees in December 1950. "Rear Adm. Lunney, the hero of th

March 17, 2022

Military identifies remains of another Korean War soldier

The military has identified the remains of a South Korean soldier killed during the 1950-53 Korean War after their excavation from a battle site last year, the defense ministry said Thursday. The ministry's excavation team found the remains of Ssg. Cho Eung-seong from the White Horse Ridge inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas in October. They were identified as his thanks to a DNA sample his daughter had registered with the government. The recovery work proceeded as part

March 17, 2022

S. Korea, UAE to discuss defense cooperation this week

South Korea's Defense Minister Suh Wook plans to meet his United Arab Emirates (UAE) counterpart later this week to discuss defense cooperation, his ministry said Wednesday. Suh will meet Mohammad Ahmed Al Bowardi, the UAE's minister of state for defense, Friday during his three-day visit to South Korea, the ministry said. The two ministers also plan to visit the Korea Aerospace Industries, South Korea's sole aircraft manufacturer, in Sacheon, 440 kilometers south of Seoul, as part of efforts to

March 16, 2022

S. Korea to provide non-lethal military, medical supplies to Ukraine

South Korea announced Tuesday it has decided to provide Ukraine with non-lethal military supplies, such as bulletproof helmets and blankets, as well as medical items. Seoul's planned logistics support package worth 1 billion won ($804,181) consists of about 20 items, including tents, meals, ready-to-eat (MREs), bedspreads and first-aid kits, the defense ministry said in response to Kyiv's repeated calls for support to help repel Russia's attack. "As for details including how to ship them an

March 15, 2022

Over 70% of S. Koreans think N. Korea has no intention to denuke: poll

Seven out of 10 South Koreans believe North Korea has no intention to completely denuclearize, a survey showed Tuesday, amid signs of the recalcitrant regime doubling down on its nuclear and missile programs. Rep. Kang Dae-sik of the conservative People Power Party revealed the results of last year's survey on public security awareness that the Korea National Defense University conducted from Aug. 12 to Sep. 17 on 1,200 citizens. In the survey, 70.6 percent of the respondents gave a negative ans

March 15, 2022

Military reports 2,014 more COVID-19 cases

The military on Friday reported 2,014 additional COVID-19 cases, setting a fresh high and raising the total caseload among its domestic personnel to 33,052. The new cases included 1,228 from the Army, 291 from the Navy, 230 from the Air Force, 124 from units under the direct control of the defense ministry and 119 from the Marine Corps. There were also 12 cases from the ministry and 10 from the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Currently, 8,063 military personnel are under treatment.  

March 11, 2022

Military identifies remains of another Korean War soldier

The military has identified the remains of a South Korean soldier killed during the 1950-53 Korean War, about a decade after their excavation from a former battle site, the defense ministry said Friday. The ministry's excavation team found the remains of Pfc. Ahn Seung-won in Seongnam, south of Seoul, in 2012. They were identified as his thanks to a DNA sample his younger sister had registered with the government. Ahn's remains were discovered along with those of two other troops. One of them wa

March 11, 2022

USFK mobilizes 5 choppers to help contain east coast wildfires

The US Forces Korea (USFK) has sent five helicopters to help contain wildfires in eastern coastal areas, the defense ministry said Thursday. Local authorities have been struggling to put out the blazes that began Friday in Uljin, 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul, and spread to other areas. South Korea's military also deployed 1,600 troops and 48 choppers to support firefighters for the seventh day. (Yonhap)

March 10, 2022

S. Korea develops small thermal battery for precision guided bombs

South Korea's state defense research institute has developed a small high-power thermal battery to be fitted on precision guided bombs to enhance their accuracy and operational range, its officials said Tuesday. The Agency for Defense Development (ADD) said the battery is designed to be activated by the shock of a munitions launch, and it will power key components of guided bombs, such as GPS. Through various tests, the agency has confirmed that the battery is capable of functioning stably even

March 8, 2022