The Joint Chiefs of Staff is set to launch a new unit tasked with bolstering readiness in the domains of space, cyber and electronic warfare, officials said Friday, amid South Korea's push to better prepare for future warfare. In a legislative notice, the defense ministry said the plan is aimed at better responding to changes in the security environment, such as the development of high-tech science and technology, expanding the domains of warfare and the growing importance of cognitive oper

Defense Nov. 22, 2024

South Korea has launched an education program on the K9 self-propelled howitzer and the K2 main battle tank for military personnel from seven nations, including Poland, Romania, and Qatar, the Army said Friday. Unlike the first round of the program held in July, which focused on the K9 howitzer, the second round of the three-week program that began Monday also includes education on the K2 tank, according to the Army. A total of 35 personnel from seven nations, up from 14 personnel from three nat

Defense Nov. 22, 2024

South Korea has completed the production of vacuum vessel sectors for the international thermonuclear experimental reactor project, aimed at achieving fusion power production at power plant scale, the science ministry said Friday. The country has completed building four vacuum vessels for the ITER, the world's largest tokamak to be set up in southern France, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT. A tokamak is a magnetic fusion device created to demonstrate the viability of fusion as

Politics Nov. 22, 2024

South Korea expects to achieve an economic effect worth 59 trillion won ($42 billion) by enhancing the country's "zero carbon energy ecosystem" by 2033, the industry ministry said Friday. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has announced the 5th Energy Technology Plan, outlining its energy technology vision and R&D investment strategy for the next 10 years through 2033. Under the plan, the government will focus on increasing the use of nuclear power, hydrogen, and ren

Social Affairs Nov. 22, 2024

Seoul Metro, the operator of subway lines 1-8, said Friday that 27 trains were delayed by more than 20 minutes on the previous day, marking the second day of a slowdown strike by its unionized workers. With 3,189 subway trains in operation Thursday, their on-time rate stood at 99.1 percent, the operator said, noting that the current law defines a delayed train as one delayed by more than 20 minutes. Compared with the first day of the unionized workers' "work-to-rule" protest, th

Social Affairs Nov. 22, 2024

Loans extended by insurance companies in South Korea decreased sharply in the third quarter from a year earlier amid high interest rates and tightened lending rules, data showed Friday. Insurers' outstanding loans reached 266.9 trillion won ($191.4 billion) as of the end of September, down 6.4 trillion won from a year earlier, according to data from the Financial Supervisory Service. The figure also marks a 0.5 trillion-won decline from three months earlier. The on-year decrease was attri

Economy Nov. 22, 2024

US President-elect Donald Trump may seek to reengage with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un "at some point," though the dynamics of their meeting will differ due to Pyongyang's progress in its weapons programs and Russia's backing for the regime, a former Pentagon official said Thursday. Randall Schriver, who served as the assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs during Trump's first term, made the remarks amid expectations that Trump could try to

Foreign Affairs Nov. 22, 2024

South Korea's An Narin has seized the opening-round lead at the final LPGA tournament of the year in Florida, putting herself in position for her maiden title. An fired a bogey-free round of eight-under 64 at the CME Group Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida, on Thursday. After making four birdies on the front nine and four more on the back nine, An holds a one-stroke lead over Angel Yin of the United States. The tournament is only open to the top 60 players in the R

Golf Nov. 22, 2024

South Korean Trade Minister Cheong In-kyo said Friday the government will establish cooperative channels with Mexico in an effort to minimize uncertainties for businesses stemming from expected policy changes by the Donald Trump administration. Cheong made the remarks during a Seoul meeting with companies operating in Mexico, including Kia Corp., Hyundai Mobis Co., and LG Innotek Co., to assess the impact of Trump's return on businesses and the broader economy, according to the Ministry o

Industry Nov. 22, 2024

South Korean steelmakers on Friday called for establishing a joint consultative body with the government to devise strategies for expected policy changes by the Donald Trump administration, the industry ministry said. Officials from major steelmakers, including Posco and Hyundai Steel, made the call during a meeting with Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun in Seoul, where they discussed potential impacts of new policy measures by the upcoming US government and their responses, according to the Mini

Economy Nov. 22, 2024

V, a member of K-pop sensation BTS, will release a seasonal duet with Korean ballad singer Park Hyo-shin next week, the group's agency announced Friday. The digital single, "Winter Ahead (with Park Hyo Shin)," will drop at 2 p.m. next Friday, BigHit Music said on the K-pop fan platform Weverse and BTS' official social media accounts. The track is a jazz-pop collaboration inspired by V's wish for his fans to experience a "warm and happy winter," the agency add

K-pop Nov. 22, 2024

The top air force commanders of South Korea, the United States, and Japan have held talks to discuss ways to strengthen their cooperation, such as expanding joint air drills, officials said, the latest in their trilateral security cooperation amid North Korea's nuclear and missile threats. In the video-conferencing talks held Thursday, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Lee Young-su and his US and Japanese counterparts, Gen. David W. Allvin and Gen. Hiroaki Uchikura, respectively, vowed to con

Defense Nov. 22, 2024

North Korea on Friday denounced a resolution recently adopted by a United Nations committee regarding the country's human rights violations as a "politically motivated provocation." A spokesman from North Korea's foreign ministry made the statement in a press release carried by the country's official Korean Central News Agency. On Wednesday, the UN General Assembly's Third Committee adopted a resolution calling the human rights situation in North Korea "grave

North Korea Nov. 22, 2024

President-elect Donald Trump tapped former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to lead the Department of Justice on Thursday, hours after former Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew from consideration for the post amid a controversy over his sexual misconduct allegations. Trump issued a statement on the designation of Bondi, who served as a prosecutor for nearly 20 years, after Gaetz withdrew, saying his confirmation process was "unfairly" becoming a "distraction" to Trump's transi

World News Nov. 22, 2024

A senior US diplomat said Thursday tariffs are "not the only issue" that will "make or break" trade, as concerns have lingered over President-elect Donald Trump's election-year proposal for sweeping tariffs on US imports that could affect trade with South Korea and other partners. Matt Murray, the US senior official for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation at the State Department, made the remarks as he addressed a question about whether the APEC platform can serve as an

Foreign Affairs Nov. 22, 2024