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South Korea, UAE to hold regular Air Force meetings, boost defense ties
South Korea and the United Arab Emirates have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish regular bilateral meetings between their air forces, the South Korean Air Force said Tuesday. The agreement was signed during a meeting between South Korean Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Lee Young-soo and Maj. Gen. Rashed Mohammed A. Al Shamsi, commander of the UAE Air Force and Air Defense, at the South Korean Air Force Headquarters in Gyeryong, South Chungcheong Province. The UAE is the first Middle
April 15, 2025 -
S. Korea to join multinational air exercise in UAE
South Korea will join an annual multinational exercise in the United Arab Emirates this month designed to train troops on combined air operations in the desert, the Air Force said Tuesday. The three-week Desert Flag exercise will begin at Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE on Monday, involving service members from 13 countries, including the United States, Britain and Saudi Arabia, according to the armed service. South Korea will send a team of some 30 Air Force personnel and a C-130H transport aircr
April 15, 2025 -
Will Trump 2.0 revive push for transfer of wartime operational control to South Korea?
The issue of South Korea reclaiming wartime operational control of its military forces from the US may gain momentum under the current US administration, which has hinted that its allies should shore up their responsibility for regional security challenges, experts said Monday. The transfer of military OPCON from Washington to Seoul has existed as a major issue between the allies for decades, but concerns surrounding it have been exacerbated with US President Donald Trump’s unpredictable approac
April 14, 2025 -
Two Air Force unit commanders additionally booked over accidental jet bombing
Two Air Force unit commanders have been booked in relation to an unprecedented mistaken bombing on a civilian town last month, officials said Monday, as the ministry released the interim probe results of the fighter jet accident. On March 6, two KF-16 fighter jets dropped eight MK-82 bombs outside a training range in Pocheon, some 40 kilometers north of Seoul, during live-fire drills, injuring 52 people, including 38 civilians, according to an estimate by city authorities. The two pilots, who ar
April 14, 2025 -
US military leaders negative about USFK troop reduction
US military leaders in the Indo-Pacific presented negative views about the idea of a US troop reduction in South Korea on Thursday, amid lingering concerns that the Trump administration could seek a troop cut or realignment to focus more on threats from China. During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, US Indo-Pacific Command Commander Adm. Samuel Paparo Jr. warned the withdrawal or reduction of American troops from South Korea would raise a "higher" likelihood of a North Korean invasion,
April 11, 2025 -
S. Korea, US update wartime plans against North Korea’s ‘increasingly sophisticated threats’
South Korea and the US have updated their joint wartime operation plans, in response to North Korea’s “increasingly sophisticated” nuclear weapons program, the commander of US Forces Korea said late Wednesday. Gen. Xavier Brunson, who also leads the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command and UN Command, said that the decades-old allies signed a new joint wartime operations plan last year, in a written statement submitted to the US House Armed Services Committee. "Last year, we took a significant
April 10, 2025 -
Drone-helicopter collision caused by sudden gust of wind: military
A collision between a military drone and a helicopter last month was caused by a sudden gust of wind during the drone's landing, an Army official said Wednesday. An Army investigation committee reached the conclusion after analyzing video recordings, surveillance camera footage and flight data from the March 17 collision between a Heron reconnaissance drone and a Surion helicopter at an airfield in Yangju, just north of Seoul. "The committee did not identify any human error, equipment flaws, or
April 9, 2025 -
Amid Trump's tariffs, pressure grows on Seoul to shoulder more defense costs
Defense cost-sharing agreement could rise as key issue between Seoul, Washington in tariff negotiations, expert says South Korea needs to brace for the possibility of shouldering more of its defense costs, with US President Donald Trump implying Seoul’s payment for the 28,500 US troops stationed on the peninsula could play a big part in a broader deal between the two countries, experts said Wednesday. Following a phone call with South Korea’s acting President Han Duck-soo late Tuesday, Trump sai
April 9, 2025 -
Navy chiefs of S. Korea, Ecuador discuss strengthening cooperation
The top naval commanders of South Korea and Ecuador held talks Tuesday to discuss ways to expand military and arms industry cooperation, the Navy said. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Yang Yong-mo met his Ecuadorian counterpart, Miguel Santiago Cordova Chehab, at the Navy's headquarters in Gyeryong, about 140 kilometers south of Seoul, for the talks on bilateral cooperation. The two sides discussed increasing personnel exchanges and warship port visits, and signed a memorandum of understanding fo
April 8, 2025 -
US Patriot missile batteries in S. Korea to be temporarily deployed to Middle East
South Korea and the United States have recently agreed on a plan to temporarily deploy Patriot missile defense batteries from the South to the Middle East, sources said Friday, amid speculation over a potential shift in the role of the US Forces Korea. The allies agreed last month on the "monthslong" partial deployment of the Patriot Advanced Capability-3, the first known case involving the relocation of USFK assets to the Middle East, according to the sources. The missiles work alongside South
April 4, 2025 -
Military bolsters surveillance posture against N. Korea on day of Yoon's impeachment ruling
South Korea's military bolstered its surveillance posture against North Korea on Friday, an official said, as the Constitutional Court is set to deliver its ruling on President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment later in the day. The Constitutional Court is poised to announce its verdict on Yoon's impeachment at 11 a.m., nearly four months after he was impeached by the National Assembly over his brief imposition of martial law on Dec. 3. The military has expanded operations of surveillance equipment, s
April 4, 2025 -
Foreign envoys witness — and ride — Korea’s K2 tank, K9 howitzer in action
CHANGWON, South Gyeongsang Province — Foreign ambassadors and diplomats from 15 countries climbed aboard the K2 Black Panther tank and K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzer for a ride during a visit to production facilities, where they witnessed the assembly process firsthand. The Foreign Ministry-led tour provided diplomats with an A-to-Z and behind-the-scenes look at Korea’s homegrown defense systems — from the assembly line on the factory floor to a live demo of how they performed in the field.
April 3, 2025 -
Defense Ministry reiterates 'no military mobilization' for 2nd martial law even if Yoon returns
The Ministry of National Defense on Thursday reaffirmed its stance not to comply in the hypothetical event that currently suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol is reinstated and orders the reimposition of martial law. The ministry's reassurance comes a day before the Constitutional Court announces its ruling on the impeachment trial of Yoon, who has been charged with insurrection and power abuse regarding his orders following the Dec. 3, 2024 declaration of martial law. "Our stance still stands, whi
April 3, 2025 -
Chinese national arrested for alleged attempt to buy military secrets
South Korean military authorities have arrested a Chinese suspect accused of attempting to obtain classified military information by persuading a South Korean soldier to leak it, the Defense Ministry said Thursday. The Defense Counterintelligence Command is investigating the man after detaining him on suspicion of violating the Military Secrets Protection Act. A South Korean soldier, currently on active duty, has also been taken into custody for allegedly cooperating with him. According to the m
April 3, 2025 -
Seoul denies reports of US request for military commitment against China
The Defense Ministry on Wednesday dismissed local media reports alleging the United States had requested that Seoul clarify its role and commitment in a potential military conflict in the Indo-Pacific region involving China. In a statement sent to press in Seoul, the ministry said no such inquiry had been made, responding to an article published earlier in the day by Hankook Ilbo. The local daily, citing multiple diplomatic and military sources, reported that Washington had recently inquired abo
April 2, 2025