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S. Korea, US Marines stage joint reconnaissance drills
South Korean and US Marines have kicked off a joint reconnaissance exercise in northern parts of South Korea as part of efforts to enhance their combined operational capabilities, the South's Marine Corps said Friday. The 10-day drills began Wednesday at training ranges in the cities of Paju and Dongducheon, near the border with North Korea, mobilizing some 70 Marines from special reconnaissance units of both countries as part of the Korea Marine Exercise Program, according to the Marine Corps.
Feb. 28, 2025 -
Defense ministry: ‘Nothing confirmed’ on Hegseth’s possible visit to S. Korea
South Korea’s Defense Ministry said Thursday that “nothing is confirmed” about US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s potential March visit to South Korea. “Nothing is confirmed about the related matters,” the ministry’s spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyou replied when asked whether South Korea’s government was informed of the potential visit, in a regular briefing. “It will be the US government who would be reviewing such itinerary. … So we cannot confirm any information yet.” The ministry spokesperson’s re
Feb. 27, 2025 -
North Korea sends more troops to aid Russia in Ukraine: NIS
North Korea appears to have deployed additional troops to support Russia in its war against Ukraine, according to South Korea’s spy agency Thursday. The National Intelligence Service stated in a message to the press that North Korean forces were redeployed to the Kursk front in early February following a roughly one-month lull. “The exact number is still being assessed, but there have been additional deployments,” the agency added. On Feb. 7, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian
Feb. 27, 2025 -
US defense secretary reportedly exploring visit to S. Korea next month: sources
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is reportedly exploring making a visit to South Korea next month, following the conclusion of a joint military exercise in mid-March, according to defense sources Wednesday. According to the sources, Hegseth has reportedly conveyed his interest in visiting South Korea after the annual Freedom Shield military drills next month. A Seoul official said, "We are currently in the stage of reviewing possibilities at the working level, and no official schedule discussio
Feb. 26, 2025 -
USFK extends tour length for troops accompanied by family members to 3 years
The US Forces Korea has extended the standard tour length for personnel accompanied by family members in South Korea from two years to three years to improve continuity in operations, officials said Wednesday. Under the new policy, service members with family members will serve 36 months in South Korea before moving to their next duty station, while the tour length for unaccompanied service members remains unchanged at 12 months, according to the USFK. The USFK said the policy will not affect ac
Feb. 26, 2025 -
Defense Ministry to test out generative AI in South Korea-US military drill
South Korea’s Defense Ministry plans to conduct a test run of its newly developed generative artificial intelligence system during a joint springtime military drill with the United States, officials said Tuesday. If incorporated during the annual South Korea-US Freedom Shield exercise scheduled for next month, it will mark the first time that generative AI is used in a joint military drill between the allies, a ministry official said during a regular briefing. The test run will focus on how the
Feb. 25, 2025 -
Ex-martial law commander placed under compulsory leave
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Park An-su has been placed under compulsory leave of absence Tuesday over his alleged role as martial law commander, the defense ministry said. The defense ministry has issued the order as of Tuesday for Park, who has been indicted under detention in relation to President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived martial law imposition on Dec. 3, according to the ministry. The latest decision excludes Park, who served as martial law commander, from his duties but still retains him as
Feb. 25, 2025 -
DAPA chief visits UAE, Egypt to boost defense exports
South Korea's arms procurement agency said Monday that its chief, Seok Jong-gun, visited the United Arab Emirates and Egypt last week to strengthen military ties and boost arms exports in the Middle East and North Africa. In the UAE, Seok attended the IDEX 2025 defense exhibition in Abu Dhabi from Monday through Wednesday. During his visit, Seok met with Mohammed Al Mazrouei, minister of the UAE's State for Defense Affairs, and Issa Saif Mohammed Al Mazrouei, chief of staff of the UAE Armed Forc
Feb. 24, 2025 -
N. Korea threatens to use 'strategic means' in response to S. Korea-US air drills
North Korea warned Saturday it will mobilize "strategic means" against what it called strategic threats from the United States and other adversaries, in response to a joint military exercise between South Korea and the US involving a US strategic bomber. The chief of the press office at North Korea's defense ministry issued a statement after Seoul and Washington staged combined air drills, involving at least one B-1B bomber, on Thursday for the first time since the launch of the Trump administra
Feb. 22, 2025 -
Top USFK, South Korean commanders inspect inter-Korean border
Top military officers overseeing allied forces on the Korean Peninsula for South Korea and the United States visited the Joint Security Area on Friday to assess the alliance’s readiness against North Korea’s provocations. According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Kim Myung-soo, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command and head of US Forces Korea, visited the JSA and inspected key operational facilities near
Feb. 21, 2025 -
Top military officer discusses NK threats with new NATO counterpart
South Korea's top general held phone talks with his new counterpart at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on Thursday to discuss a joint response against North Korean military threats, the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. In their phone conversation, JCS Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo and Adm. Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, chair of the NATO military committee, shared their assessment of the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and discussed ways to enhance military cooperation be
Feb. 20, 2025 -
First US strategic asset deployed to Korea under Trump 2.0
South Korea and the US conducted a combined aerial exercise on Thursday with a US B-1B strategic bomber, marking the first deployment of a US strategic asset to the Korean Peninsula since the launch of the second Trump administration. The B-1B bomber was escorted by the South Korean Air Force's F-35A and F-15K fighter jets and US F-16 fighter jets over South Korean airspace, according to South Korea's Defense Ministry. The ministry explained that the exercise aimed to demonstrate US extended det
Feb. 20, 2025 -
S. Korean Air Force chief test-flies KF-21 fighter jet
Gen. Lee Young-soo, Chief of Staff of the South Korean Air Force, conducted a test flight of the KF-21, South Korea’s supersonic fighter jet, on Wednesday to evaluate its readiness for operational deployment as it approaches the final stage of development. According to the South Korean Air Force, Gen. Lee piloted the KF-21 at speeds exceeding 1,000 kilometers per hour at an altitude of approximately 4,500 meters over the southern coast. During the flight, he evaluated the aircraft’s stability in
Feb. 19, 2025 -
Military deploys new homegrown bunker buster missile amid NK threats
South Korea has deployed a new homegrown bunker buster missile capable of striking underground enemy targets, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Tuesday, in its efforts to deter North Korean military threats. The military has deployed the Korean Tactical Surface to Surface Missile, capable of conducting simultaneous precision strikes in a short span of time against North Korea's long-range artillery firepower that threatens the greater Seoul area, in the event of a contingency, the JCS said in a rel
Feb. 18, 2025 -
South Korea, US space operations chiefs agree to deepen cooperation on N. Korean threats
Top military commanders overseeing space operations for South Korea and the United States reaffirmed the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation Thursday, emphasizing the growing threat posed by North Korea’s space-related military activities. "Our Air Force is integrating aerial and space intelligence into real operations to respond swiftly to asymmetric threats, including ballistic missile launches and GPS jamming (from North Korea)," said Lt. Gen. Kim Hyung-soo, commander of the Sou
Feb. 13, 2025