Defense minister nominee vows to 'firmly punish' N. Korea in event of provocation

Defense Minister nominee Shin Won-sik vowed Wednesday to "firmly punish" North Korea in the event of military provocations and warned the regime will come to an end should it conduct a nuclear attack. Shin, a ruling People Power Party lawmaker who retired as a three-star Army general and is known for his expertise in defense policy and military operations, made the remarks during his confirmation hearing at the National Assembly. "I will build a powerful defense posture that overw

Sept. 27, 2023

S. Korean ambassador says stronger Russia-N. Korea cooperation 'most concerning'

South Korea's ambassador to the United States on Tuesday called the apparent strengthening of cooperation between Russia and North Korea "most concerning," while stressing Seoul and Washington will "not sit idly by." Ambassador Cho Hyun-dong made the remarks amid concerns that a recent summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un might have led to an arms deal feared to help enhance Pyongyang's military capabilities and support

Sept. 27, 2023

S. Korea holds rare military parade, warns NK against nuclear attack

The South Korean military showcased an array of domestically produced advanced weaponry in a rare, large-scale military parade in downtown Seoul on Tuesday, with its commander-in-chief warning North Korea of the collapse of the Kim Jong-un regime in the case of a nuclear attack against the South. In commemoration of the 75th anniversary of Armed Forces Day, observed each year on Oct. 1, South Korea demonstrated its robust conventional military capabilities, serving as a resolute message to North

Sept. 26, 2023

Inter-Korean military agreement should be abolished: defense chief nominee

South Korea's defense minister nominee has said the inter-Korean military agreement should be abolished in light of its adverse security implications for South Korea in a written statement submitted to the National Assembly. The nominee, Rep. Shin Won-sik of the ruling People Power Party, who previously served as a three-star general, repeatedly reiterated his critical stance on the inter-Korean comprehensive military agreement that was signed on Sept. 19 during the inter-Korean summit in 2

Sept. 25, 2023

Military out to stern rise in drug use

Drug-related crimes have increased in South Korea’s military according to data that shows a consistent rise in the number of cases inside the barracks in recent years. According to a local news report on Friday, a sergeant first class in the Army was caught purchasing birth control pills containing methamphetamine in March 2019 but was handed a suspended prosecution disposition from the military prosecutor’s office. In April, six soldiers stationed in a division in Yeoncheon, Gyeongg

Sept. 25, 2023

S. Korea, US stage joint naval drills in East Sea amid NK threats

South Korea and the United States kicked off a combined naval exercise in the East Sea on Monday to reinforce readiness against growing military threats from North Korea, the Navy said. The three-day exercise involved nine vessels and two patrol aircraft from the two sides, including two South Korean submarines, the ROKS Yulgok Yi I destroyer, the USS Shoup Aegis-equipped destroyer and the USS Robert Smalls cruiser, the Navy said. The Navy said the anti-submarine warfare and live-fire drills wer

Sept. 25, 2023

S. Korea, US conduct underwater search operation for downed jet, Korean War remains

Seoul and Washington embarked on their inaugural joint underwater search operation, aiming to locate the wreckage of a US fighter jet and the remains of American pilots who lost their lives during the 1950-53 Korean War in the waters of the East Sea on the Korean Peninsula. South Korea's Ministry of National Defense Agency for Killed in Action Recovery Identification (MAKRI) and the US Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) commenced a three-week retrieval operation on Sept. 7 in the wate

Sept. 22, 2023

Fighter jet crashes in Seosan; pilot makes emergency escape

A KF-16 fighter jet crashed during takeoff from its base in the southwestern county of Seosan on Thursday, and the lone pilot safely ejected before being taken to a hospital, the Air Force said. The jet belonging to the 20th Fighter Wing went down at the base in Seosan, some 120 kilometers southwest of Seoul, at 8:20 a.m. while taking off on an unspecified mission, the Air Force said. "The pilot has made an emergency ejection and is safe," the Air Force said in a text message to report

Sept. 21, 2023

S. Korea, US discuss potential Pyongyang-Moscow space cooperation in tabletop exercise

South Korean and US defense officials discussed possible space cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow during a bilateral tabletop exercise on space this week, Seoul's defense ministry said Wednesday. Choi Byung-ok, head of the ministry's defense policy bureau, and John Hill, US deputy assistant secretary of defense for space and missile defense, led the discussion-based exercise, as well as working-level talks, from Tuesday to Wednesday at the ministry in central Seoul. The exercise

Sept. 20, 2023

S. Korea, US nearing completion to revise joint deterrence strategy against NK threats

South Korea and the United States are nearing completion to revise their joint deterrence strategy document against North Korea's military threats, Seoul's defense officials said Monday, as the allies held regular defense talks here. The two sides evaluated progress in the ongoing efforts to revise the "Tailored Deterrence Strategy" (TDS) during the biannual Korea-US Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) earlier in the day, officials said, with the revision set to be complete by

Sept. 18, 2023

Freedom fighters’ descendants return honorary degree to protest relocation controversy

The descendants of Korean freedom fighters said they will return the honorary degrees from the Korea Military Academy on Friday, in protest of the KMA's recent decision to relocate the statues of independence fighters. Jeong Cheol-seung, the grandson of freedom fighter Yun Gi-seop, told local media that he and descendants of other independence fighters Yi Sang-ryong and Ji Cheong-cheon would visit the academy on Friday afternoon and return the degree, which they received in behalf of their

Sept. 15, 2023

S. Korea identifies remains of another Korean War soldier

South Korea's military has identified the remains of another soldier killed during the 1950-53 Korean War, nearly two decades after their discovery at a former battle site, the defense ministry said Friday. The ministry's Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification recovered the remains of Pfc. Park Dong-geun in Pohang, 262 kilometers southeast of Seoul, in 2005. KIA stands for killed in action. The agency identified the remains as his through a DNA analysis using a sample from a family

Sept. 15, 2023

US govt. approves possible sale of up to 25 F-35A stealth jets to S. Korea

The US Department of State has approved a possible sale to South Korea of up to 25 F-35A radar-evading fighters and related equipment to help the East Asian ally maintain a "credible" defense capability, a government agency said Wednesday. 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 US$5.06 billion. "The proposed sale will improve the Republic of Kore

Sept. 14, 2023

S. Korea to hold massive military parade for 1st time in decade

South Korea will hold a large-scale military parade for the first time in 10 years to showcase its strategic weapons as part of an Armed Forces Day event later this month, the Ministry of Defense said Wednesday. The 75th Armed Forces Day falls on Oct. 1, which is a day to commemorate the service of the country's former and current troops. This year, the government's official ceremony will be held on Sept. 26 ahead of the Chuseok holiday, which runs for six days from Sept. 28. The cerem

Sept. 13, 2023

Under one flag, UN Command's mission to defend S. Korea continues

CAMP HUMPHREYS, Gyeonggi Province — Despite seven decades having passed since the armistice, the countries that once valiantly deployed their combat forces in defense of South Korea in the 1950-53 Korean War still provide steadfast support for the security of the Korean Peninsula. The United Nations Command was founded in July 1950, one month after North Korea's surprise illegal invasion of South Korea, under UN Security Council Resolutions 82, 83 and 84. The situation marked the firs

Sept. 5, 2023

S. Korean defense firms to take center stage at armaments exhibition in Poland

South Korean defense companies were set to showcase advanced weapons systems at an annual major arms exhibition in Poland this week, Seoul's arms procurement agency said Tuesday, as the two countries seek to step up security cooperation. The International Defense Industry Exhibition, or MSPO, will kick off later in the day for a four-day run at Kielce, joined by 30 South Korean companies, including the country's sole aircraft maker, Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd., as well as Hanwha Ae

Sept. 5, 2023

Inside barracks: Military life still a scarring experience for many

Kim Gi-cheol remembers his son's determination to fulfill his military duty as a South Korean citizen, despite having the opportunity to secure an exemption by acquiring foreign nationality. Having spent an extended period abroad, his son was relatively unfamiliar with the Korean language and culture. Nevertheless, Kim never imagined that his son, who was proud to serve his home country, would be dead just three months after enlisting. In November 2022, while stationed at a general post in

Sept. 4, 2023

Military to relocate independence hero’s statue amid controversy

The Korea Military Academy on Thursday announced it would relocate the statue of Gen. Hong Beom-do, a prominent figure in Korea's independence history, amid the intense ideological debate stirred by the plan. The debate centers on whether Gen. Hong joining the then Vladmir Lenin-led Soviet Communist Party in 1927 is a legitimate enough reason to remove it from the institution in Nowon-gu, Seoul, even in light of his notable role as an independent fighter throughout the Japanese Occupation o

Aug. 31, 2023

Military prosecution seeks arrest warrant for ex-Marine investigator over alleged insubordination

The military prosecution said Wednesday it filed for an arrest warrant for a senior Marine officer over allegations he disobeyed an order from the defense minister in relation to an internal probe into last month's death of a young soldier. Col. Park Jung-hun is accused of handing over the probe findings on the death of Cpl. Chae Su-geun, who died while on a search mission for missing people during downpours, to the civilian police despite Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup's order to hold

Aug. 30, 2023

Missile warning operations for allies priority for US Space Forces Korea

OSAN AIR BASE, Gyeonggi Province – The newly established United States Space Forces Korea has taken up the vital role of being the watchful eye and strategic compass of the US military and South Korea, the deputy commander said Wednesday. The essential responsibility is carried out through the operation of cutting-edge space assets, which facilitate the adept tracking of adversary activities in times of peace and the precise identification and targeting of an enemy in the event of continge

Aug. 30, 2023