Vice Adm. Kim Myung-soo named chair of Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff

In a surprising move that underscores the growing importance of naval defense, Naval Operations Commander Vice Adm. Kim Myung-soo has been named the new chairperson of Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Ministry of National Defense announced Sunday. Kim was promoted to four-star general in the military personnel reshuffle to replace incumbent JCS Chairperson Gen. Kim Seung-kyum, according to the ministry. The appointment marks a significant shift from the traditionally Army-dominated role a

Oct. 29, 2023

S. Korea to hold remembrance ceremony for independence fighter at center of ideological dispute

The veterans ministry said Tuesday it will hold a remembrance ceremony for revered independence fighter Hong Beom-do this week to mark the 80th year since his passing amid a heated ideological debate over his ties to Soviet communist forces. The ceremony will take place Wednesday at Daejeon National Cemetery in Daejeon, 139 kilometers south of Seoul, where his body lies at rest, with some 100 people set to attend the event, including Veterans Minister Park Min-shik, according to the ministry. Ho

Oct. 24, 2023

Touting historic ties with Saudi Arabia, Yoon calls for new partnership for growth

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- President Yoon Suk Yeol said South Korea and Saudi Arabia could contribute to sustainable global growth by forging a future-oriented partnership that encompasses the fields of energy, digital technology, biology and space, underscoring a history of cooperation between the two countries. On his third day of a state visit to Saudi Arabia, Yoon stressed the importance of the special partnership between the two countries that began in the 1970s, serving as the foundation fo

Oct. 24, 2023

S. Korea, US, Japan stage first-ever aerial exercise in face of NK threats

South Korea, the United States and Japan joined forces for an unprecedented aerial exercise south of the Korean Peninsula on Sunday, with the goal of bolstering their collective response capabilities against escalating missile and nuclear threats from North Korea. The US Air Force's nuclear-capable B-52 heavy bomber -- which boasts the capability to carry both nuclear and precision-guided conventional munitions with worldwide precision navigation --- conducted a formation flight while under

Oct. 22, 2023

S. Korea, US stage joint anti-submarine drills near Guam

The navies of South Korea and the United States have conducted a weekslong anti-submarine exercise in waters off the coast of Guam, the South's Navy said Sunday. The biennial exercise, known as Silent Shark, which began on Oct. 6 and lasted until Sunday, is designed to enhance the countries' anti-submarine warfare proficiency against North Korean threats, according to the armed service. South Korea earlier sent a 1,800-ton Son Won Il-class submarine and two P-3C patrol aircraft to part

Oct. 22, 2023

S. Korea, Britain hold joint high-tech military training

South Korea and Britain staged combined high-tech military drills this month, Seoul's Army said Friday, amid efforts to bolster military cooperation between the two nations. The 11-day drills began last Tuesday at the Korea Combat Training Center, a facility employing advanced technologies for realistic ground drills, in Inje, 165 kilometers east of Seoul. The drills mobilized over 4,000 troops, including a company of the British Army's Scots Guards, as well as some 270 pieces of comba

Oct. 20, 2023

[From the Scene] 'If we are needed, we will be here'

By Ji Da-gyum and Joint Press Corps CHEONGJU AIR BASE, North Chungcheong Province — The United States Air Force's nuclear-capable B-52 strategic bomber on Tuesday made its first-ever landing at a South Korean air base. The touchdown of the long-range heavy bomber underscores the US' unwavering commitment to the defense of its treaty ally, amid escalating missile and nuclear threats posed by North Korea, according to the US Air Force. "It is part of our demonstration to the R

Oct. 19, 2023

S. Korea's Navy holds regular multinational mine warfare drills

South Korea's Navy said Thursday it has kicked off a multinational naval mine warfare exercise in waters south of the Korean Peninsula on Thursday in an effort to enhance combined operational capabilities. Launched in 2016, the annual exercise is set to run through next Friday in waters southeast of the southern island of Geoje, 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul, involving five members of the US-led UN Command, according to the military branch. The Navy said the exercise is designed to help

Oct. 19, 2023

Immediate global efforts needed to curb NK’s nuclear ambition: Seoul official

South Korea's vice defense chief called for immediate international cooperation to curb North Korea's nuclear weapon development, emphasizing that insufficient efforts could lead to a catastrophic outcome. "North Korea's nuclear capabilities are rapidly advancing, and without immediate efforts from the international community to prevent it, this has the potential to turn into a catastrophe for the international community," Vice Defense Minister Shin Beom-chul said Wednes

Oct. 18, 2023

S. Korea, US and Japan to conduct joint aerial exercise for 1st time: source

South Korea, the United States and Japan plan to conduct a joint aerial exercise for the first time near the Korean Peninsula next week, a source said Thursday, amid efforts to bolster three-way security cooperation against North Korean threats. The trilateral aerial exercise is scheduled for Sunday over the Korean Peninsula, involving the US strategic bomber B-52 currently deployed to South Korea. "The joint aerial exercise involving South Korean, US and Japanese Air Forces will consist of

Oct. 18, 2023

Hamas weapons, tactics resemble those of NK: JCS

The South Korean military has assessed that the fighting doctrine and tactics utilized by Hamas might be linked to North Korea, citing their resemblance in its analysis of the battlefield tactics employed by the Palestinian militant group during last weekend's attack on Israel. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff on Tuesday presented its interim evaluation of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, which was initiated by Hamas' surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7. "Our asse

Oct. 17, 2023

S. Korea set to open largest-ever defense exhibition to boost arms exports

South Korea is set to open its largest-ever defense exhibition Tuesday to boost exports of its latest weapons and technologies, with aerial displays of the homegrown KF-21 fighter jet and U.S. strategic bomber B-52. The Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition 2023 takes place at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, until Sunday, involving 550 companies from 35 countries. It is expected to draw some 30,000 visitors, including over 114 military and defense officials from

Oct. 17, 2023

Ex-US ambassador calls for strengthening nuke deterrence for S. Korea amid N. Korean threats

A former US ambassador to South Korea called Monday for the United States to keep strengthening its "extended deterrence" commitment to the Asian ally as he portrayed North Korea's evolving military threats as "far greater" than before. During a virtual seminar, Harry Harris, who served as US ambassador to Seoul from 2018-2021, made the call as the recalcitrant regime has been doubling down on its nuclear and missile programs under an apparently aggressive nuclear policy

Oct. 17, 2023

USS Carl Vinson deploys for Indo-Pacific with USS Ronald Reagan in S. Korea: report

A US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier left a naval base in California last week for a deployment to the Indo-Pacific region, a US research institute has said, while another carrier was already in South Korea in a major show of force. In a report, the US Naval Institute cited a Navy official as saying USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) departed from Naval Air Station North Island, California, on Thursday. USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) arrived in South Korea's southeastern port city of Busan on Thursday f

Oct. 17, 2023

S.Korea's largest-ever defense expo to feature KF-21

SEONGNAM, Gyeonggi Province — South Korea's premier aerospace and defense exhibition, aimed at showcasing the country's indigenously developed weaponry and military prowess, including the first public flight of the homegrown KF-21 fighter jet, is set to commence on Tuesday in its largest-scale edition yet. The Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Industry Exhibition this year will showcase the US Air Force's nuclear-capable strategic bomber B-52H and the world's mo

Oct. 16, 2023

US strategic bomber B-52 to land at S. Korean air base this week: sources

A US strategic bomber B-52 is set to arrive at a South Korean air base later this week, multiple sources said Monday, in the latest show of force against North Korea's missile and nuclear threat. It would mark the first time that the B-52 Stratofortress has landed at a South Korean air base although the long-range bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons flew over the Korean Peninsula for joint drills between South Korea and the United States. The B-52 is one of the major US strategic bombers

Oct. 16, 2023

S. Korea, US to sign agreement on strengthening defense supply chains this month: DAPA

South Korea and the United States are expected to sign an arrangement aimed at bolstering bilateral security supply chains this month, Seoul's arms procurement agency said Monday, amid the allies' efforts to step up security cooperation. In a policy report for a parliamentary hearing, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration said it expects to sign the Security of Supply Arrangement with the US Department of Defense at the end of October. Under the agreement, the allies will be a

Oct. 16, 2023

Israel-Hamas conflict amplifies ominous NK presence on peninsula

Adding to unease among South Koreans in a conflict-ridden world this year is the recent full-blown war that broke out between Hamas and Israel early this month. Palestinian militant group Hamas, an Islamist group based in the Gaza Strip, initiated large-scale land and air attacks on southern Israel on Oct. 7. In response, Israel declared a state of war against Hamas and launched retaliatory airstrikes on Palestinian territory. The situation resonates with South Korea, where tensions persist betw

Oct. 15, 2023

Remains of 2 more Korean War soldiers identified

The remains of two more South Korean soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War have been identified, years after their discovery, the defense ministry said Friday. The ministry's Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification identified the remains of Lee Yeong-jo and Son Myeong-man, recovered in 2005 and 2016, respectively, through recent DNA analysis based on samples provided by their families. KIA stands for killed in action. Lee held the rank equivalent to the current corporal, while So

Oct. 13, 2023

Yoon vows to sternly respond to N. Korea's threats through S. Korea-US alliance

President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed Thursday to sternly respond to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats through a firm South Korea-US alliance, as he marked the anniversary of a key battle in the 1950-53 Korean War. Yoon attended a ceremony commemorating the Battle of Jangjin Reservoir at the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul, along with some 2,800 Korean and American veterans, and military and government officials, including Veterans Minister Park Min-shik, Defense Minister Shin Won-sik and US

Oct. 12, 2023