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S. Korean military to boost unmanned capabilities by training 500,000 ‘drone warriors’
South Korea’s Defense Ministry on Thursday announced an ambitious initiative to cultivate half a million troops proficient in drone operations, underscoring the growing role of unmanned systems in modern warfare and the country’s drive to foster a domestic drone industry. Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back unveiled the plan at the Republic of Korea Army’s 36th Infantry Division base in Wonju, Gangwon Province, designating the unit as the military’s first dedicated training ground for drone operations
Sept. 4, 2025 -
S. Korea aims to bolster three-axis deterrence system with defense budget hike
South Korea aims to strengthen its three-axis deterrence system against North Korean threats and build a cutting-edge combat system with an 8.2 percent hike in the defense budget proposal for next year, the defense ministry said Wednesday. Under the proposal submitted to the National Assembly the previous day, the ministry sought a budget of 66.3 trillion won ($47.6 billion) for next year. It marked the biggest on-year expansion in seven years since an 8.2 percent increase in 2019. The increased
Sept. 3, 2025 -
Hanwha Aerospace, WB Group form joint venture to produce Chunmoo rockets in Poland
KIELCE, Poland — As South Korea and Poland deepen their security ties, Hanwha Aerospace and Polish defense company WB Group have struck a landmark deal to create a joint venture that will localize production of guided missiles for the Chunmoo rocket system. The deal, signed Tuesday on the opening day of the International Defense Industry Exhibition, known as MSPO, in Kielce, 180 kilometers south of Warsaw, creates a company owned 51 percent by Hanwha and 49 percent by WB Group. The company will
Sept. 3, 2025 -
South Korea's ‘Iron Dome’: Could it fend off full-fledged North Korean assault?
Israel’s air defense system, represented by the much-heralded Iron Dome, intercepted the vast majority of missiles fired from Iran during an exchange of fire in June. Despite waves of ballistic missiles and drones that partly penetrated Israel’s multilayered defenses, the assault resulted in relatively few casualties, according to Israeli officials. The episode has sharpened debate in South Korea, which remains technically at war with North Korea, about whether its own air defense system could w
Sept. 1, 2025 -
Lee replaces all 4-star generals in sweeping reshuffle
The Defense Ministry on Monday announced seven new nominees, replacing all active four-star generals in the first top-level military reshuffle under the Lee Jae Myung administration. The overhaul reflects President Lee’s push to reform military leadership. In July, he appointed Rep. Ahn Gyu-back of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea as defense minister — the first civilian to hold the post in 64 years. The list includes new chiefs for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army, Navy and Air Force, as wel
Sept. 1, 2025 -
S. Korea suspends North-targeted radio for 1st time in 15 years
South Korea suspended the Voice of Freedom, a military-run radio broadcast targeting North Korea, on Monday, as part of the Lee Jae Myung administration’s efforts to ease inter-Korean tensions. “The Voice of Freedom broadcast has been suspended as part of measures to reduce military tensions between the South and the North,” the Defense Ministry said in a text message to reporters at around 9 a.m. Monday. The final broadcast reportedly aired at 10 p.m. Sunday. The Voice of Freedom, produced and
Sept. 1, 2025 -
Defense ministry holds some 10 people accountable for unauthorized entry into Japan airspace
The defense ministry said Sunday it has warned or sought disciplinary action against some 10 people involved in a military transport plane's unauthorized entry into Japan's air defense identification zone last month. On July 13, a C-130 aircraft en route to Guam for a military exercise was forced to take a longer route due to failure to win prior permission from Japan to enter its airspace. The aircraft's pilot, worried about a shortage of fuel, made an emergency landing at Kadena Air Base in Ok
Aug. 31, 2025 -
Defense Ministry seeks biggest budget hike in 7 years
South Korea’s Defense Ministry on Friday proposed a 2026 defense budget of 66.3 trillion won ($48 billion), the largest annual increase in seven years, amid mounting US pressure for Seoul to boost its military spending. Next year’s defense budget is 8.2 percent, or 5.05 trillion won, higher than this year’s 61.59 trillion won, according to the government budget proposal. It focuses on funding advanced weapons acquisitions and boosting salaries for junior officers. A Defense Ministry official not
Aug. 29, 2025 -
S. Korea, US conclude key summertime joint drills amid N. Korean threats
South Korea and the United States wrapped up their major joint drills Thursday to bolster the combined readiness posture, amid North Korea's repeated criticism of the annual exercise it calls a rehearsal for war. The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, which also involved a four-day civil defense exercise on the Korean side, drew to an end after an 11-day run in the face of North Korea's evolving nuclear missile threats and deepening military alignment with Russia. "The US and the Republic of Korea t
Aug. 28, 2025 -
Fact check: Can US get land ownership of military base as Trump requested?
A debate has sparked over remarks by US President Donald Trump suggesting the US should claim "ownership" of land in South Korea used by the American military forces. "Maybe one of the things I'd like to do is ask them to give us ownership of the land while we have the big fort. You know we spent a lot of money building a fort, and there was a contribution made by South Korea," Trump said during his first in-person meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in Washington on Monday. "But I
Aug. 26, 2025 -
Lee vows to increase defense spending, modernize alliance with US
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday pledged to boost defense spending, vowing a more proactive role for Seoul in its alliance with the United States in President Donald Trump's second term. In a speech at the Statesmen’s Forum hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, Lee said his administration would build a "smart, elite military" to address 21st-century security challenges, stressing that Korea’s defense commitment to the alliance would remain iro
Aug. 26, 2025 -
Defense minister says US consistent in message on no USFK drawdown
Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said Monday the United States has made its position clear, at both the congressional and government levels, that there will be no drawdown of US troops stationed in South Korea. Ahn made the remarks in a parliamentary session, amid speculation that Washington could make official a plan to adjust the role and size of the 28,500-strong US Forces Korea (USFK), as President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump are set to hold their first summit talks Monday (US t
Aug. 25, 2025 -
Bill seeks to open S. Korean barracks to female enlisted soldiers as troop numbers shrink
A South Korean lawmaker has proposed a new legislative bill that would require the military to begin accepting women as rank-and-file soldiers, as the country faces a growing shortage of military personnel due to persistently low birth rates. Rep. Kim Mi-ae of the People Power Party, who drafted and submitted the bill to the National Assembly on Tuesday, said opening barracks to women is essential to protecting national security. North Korea is estimated to have around 1 million active-duty troo
Aug. 20, 2025 -
Kim vows 'rapid' nuclear buildup, rebuffs Seoul’s outreach
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Monday called for a “rapid expansion of nuclearization" and denounced regular military exercises by South Korea and the US as a clear display of “most hostile and confrontational” intent toward Pyongyang. This was notably Kim’s first public message since South Korean President Lee Jae Myung extended an overture for inter-Korean reconciliation and pledged to pursue a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula in his Aug. 15 speech marking the 80th National Liberation Day. No
Aug. 19, 2025 -
Defense minister calls for firm readiness as major combined drills under way
Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back has called for a firm readiness posture that can achieve victory with "minimum sacrifice in the shortest span of time" in the event of a war, as he presided over a meeting on the first day of a major summertime South Korea-US exercise. Ahn's remark came as the allies on Monday launched their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, set to run through Aug. 28, according to the defense ministry. In the meeting also attended by key officials, including the chairman of the
Aug. 19, 2025