US senators meet President Lee ahead of S. Korea-US summit

President Lee Jae Myung met Monday with US Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Andy Kim, who are visiting Seoul as part of a regional trip to Asia that will continue to Japan, at the presidential office in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul. The meeting comes ahead of Lee’s visit to Washington later this month for his first summit with US President Donald Trump, where the future of the alliance, US troop levels in Korea, defense cost-sharing and new areas of industrial cooperation are expected to be on the agenda.

Aug. 18, 2025

Seoul signals openness to US call for higher defense spending

Seoul’s top diplomat said Monday that the Lee Jae Myung administration will leverage "alliance modernization" with the US as an opportunity to bolster South Korea’s defense capabilities, signaling openness to raising defense spending in response to Washington’s call. The remarks come ahead of President Lee’s first in-person meeting with US President Donald Trump, scheduled for Aug. 25 in Washington. The two leaders are expected to discuss security and foreign affairs with a focus on alliance mod

Aug. 18, 2025

S. Korea-US military exercise kicks off amid pursuit of inter-Korean thaw

South Korea and the United States began their annual large-scale military exercise Monday, with all eyes on whether North Korea will respond with warnings or provocations. The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, which aims to strengthen combined defense readiness against potential threats, particularly from North Korea, will be carried out for 11 days and concludes on Aug. 28. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said this year’s exercise would be held on a scale similar to last year’s, with about 18,000 South

Aug. 18, 2025

S. Korea, US begin key summertime joint military exercise

South Korea and the United States kicked off an annual combined exercise Monday to bolster their joint defense readiness against North Korea's threats while rescheduling about half of the field training exercises to next month. The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, which runs for 11 days through Aug. 28, involves drills incorporating "realistic" threats aimed at enhancing the allies' capabilities across all domains. Some 18,000 South Korean troops will be mobilized for this year's drills. While the

Aug. 18, 2025

Over 9,200 cyberattacks hit South Korean military in 6 months

South Korea’s military said it repelled more than 9,200 hacking attempts in the first six months of the year, up about 45 percent from the same period a year earlier, with most believed to be from North Korea. A total of 9,262 cyberattacks targeted the South Korean military from January to June in 2025, according to data provided to The Korea Herald Sunday by the office of Rep. Yu Yong-weon of the main opposition People Power Party. Specifically, 9,193 attempts were made to breach the military’s

Aug. 17, 2025

[Exclusive] Consulting firm hired by Hyundai Rotem under investigation in Poland

Hyundai Rotem confirmed Friday that it had signed a consulting contract with a Polish firm that is currently under investigation by local authorities for alleged invoice falsification. The company stressed that the agreement complied with the law and followed standard international defense export practices, indicating no involvement in the probe. The company’s statement followed an Aug. 8 report by Polish broadcaster Tvn24, which said prosecutors, tax officials and counterintelligence authoritie

Aug. 15, 2025

From ashes of war to arsenal of world: South Korea’s defense industry boom

It was 72 years ago that the bloody 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice. Today, the once-war-ravaged nation stands among the world’s leading arms exporters, its factories turning out advanced tanks, artillery systems and fighter jets destined for battlefields far beyond the Korean Peninsula. South Korea’s arms industry is riding a wave of global demand, but the current geopolitical climate brings both opportunity and risk. Its weapons are in high demand for their advanced technology and f

Aug. 14, 2025

Lee proposes wartime OPCON transfer by 2030

The transition of wartime operational control from the United States to South Korea has been designated as a key national security priority in the Lee Jae Myung administration's five-year governance plan that was unveiled Wednesday. According to the State Affairs Planning Committee — a de facto transition team tasked with drafting the administration's long-term agenda — the government aims to establish and implement a road map for the OPCON transfer during Lee's term. The plan calls for strength

Aug. 13, 2025

American missionary awarded state medal posthumously

South Korea announced on Wednesday that it will award a posthumous medal of honor to Geraldine Fitch, an American Methodist missionary, for her strong support of the Korean independence movement during Japan’s 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs said it plans to confer an Independence Medal on Fitch on Liberation Day, Aug. 15, the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japan. Geraldine Fitch, together with her husband, used their in

Aug. 13, 2025

British warships arrive in S. Korea for Indo-Pacific mission

Two British naval vessels have docked in South Korea as part of a regional tour aimed at enhancing security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, the British Embassy in Seoul said Tuesday. The frigate HMS Richmond arrived at a port in the southern city of Busan earlier in the day, while the logistical support ship RFA Tidespring docked in Busan the previous day, according to the embassy. The Tidespring was built in 2016 by the major South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, n

Aug. 12, 2025

S. Korea, US reaffirm cooperation in joint search for Korean War remains

South Korea and the United States have agreed to bolster cooperation in jointly searching for and repatriating the remains of soldiers killed while fighting in the 1950-53 Korean War, the defense ministry in Seoul said Monday. A delegation of the ministry's Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification made the commitment during its annual talks with the US Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency in Washington, DC, last week, focusing on joint cooperation in excavation projects. During the talks, the two

Aug. 11, 2025

USFK chief stresses capability, not numbers amid troop-cut speculation

PYEONGTAEK, Gyeonggi Province — The highest-ranking military officer of the United States Forces Korea emphasized the capability of the South Korea-US military alliance over its size, amid growing speculation that the two sides are exploring options to scale down the US troop presence here. "The conversation ought not be about numbers. It ought to be about capabilities," USFK commander Gen. Xavier Brunson, who also commands the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command and the United Nations Comman

Aug. 10, 2025

Japan's defense chief considers visiting S. Korea early next month: report

Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani has been considering visiting South Korea in early September, a Japanese newspaper reported Friday, citing government sources. If confirmed, it will mark the first official trip to South Korea by a Japanese defense minister since 2015. South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and Nakatani held virtual talks on Thursday during which the Japanese minister expressed his intention to visit Seoul, Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun reported, citing multiple government so

Aug. 8, 2025

Some joint military exercises delayed to September amid heat, says JCS

South Korea and the United States will proceed with their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield joint military exercise as planned from Aug. 18-28, though about half of the associated field training exercises will be rescheduled to September due to extreme heat, the militaries of both nations said Thursday. Col. Lee Sung-jun, spokesperson for South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that out of some 40 planned outdoor drills, around 20 will be moved to September. "In light of the extreme heat and the nee

Aug. 7, 2025

S. Korea, US to hold key summertime military drills in mid-Aug. amid adjustment talks

South Korea and the United States will conduct a major joint exercise this month to strengthen their combined readiness posture, the allies said Thursday, in the face of evolving North Korean military threats. The annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise is set to take place from Aug. 18-28 and involves drills incorporating "realistic" threats aimed at enhancing the allies' capabilities across all domains, their militaries said. The planned exercise comes amid speculation that the allies may push ba

Aug. 7, 2025