Trilateral naval exercises focus on countering North Korea’s underwater threats

South Korea's second military reconnaissance satellite launched into space this week has made contact with a ground station in the country and is undergoing initial operations normally, the defense ministry said Tuesday. The satellite successfully entered orbit after being launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Florida at 8:17 a.m. Monday. It succeeded in communicating with an overseas ground station hours after lift-off. "Our second military reconnaissance satellite has currently e

South Korea and the United States will hold regular defense talks this week to discuss ways to bolster security cooperation and deter North Korean nuclear and missile threats, Seoul's defense ministry said Monday. The Korea-US Integrated Defense Dialogue will take place in Washington on Thursday for discussions on a range of alliance issues ahead of the allies' Nuclear Consultative Group session in June. South Korean Deputy Defense Minister for Policy Cho Chang-rae, Ely Ratner, US assi

South Korea successfully launched its second indigenous spy satellite on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in the US state of Florida on Monday, according to the defense ministry. The Falcon 9 lifted off at 7:17 p.m. from the John F. Kennedy Space Center and sent the reconnaissance satellite into orbit approximately 45 minutes after the launch, the ministry said. It succeeded in communicating with an overseas ground station at 10:57 a.m., it noted. It is the second military sate

Pyongyang trying not to offend Tokyo by opting for shorter-range missiles, Seoul experts say

The defense ministry on Monday established a research center aimed at overseeing artificial intelligence development in the defense sector as part of efforts to introduce advanced technologies to the military. A founding ceremony for the Defense AI Center took place at the state-run Agency for Defense Development in Daejeon, 139 kilometers south of Seoul, attended by Defense Minister Shin Won-sik and Science Minister Lee Jong-ho, according to Shin's office. The launch came as part of South

A Navy sailor died after falling overboard while attending a maritime drill in the East Sea on Wednesday, the Navy said. The Navy sergeant aboard a fast patrol boat fell into the water during a live-fire exercise in the East Sea in the afternoon, the Navy's 1st Fleet said. He received first aid treatment and was sent to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead, the armed service said. The Navy said it is looking into the cause of the accident. He is known to have fallen into the water as h

South Korea and the United States have launched a task force to effectively block North Korea from financing its unlawful nuclear and missile programs, the foreign ministry said Wednesday. The inaugural meeting of the South Korea-US bilateral Enhanced Disruption Task Force was held in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday with over 30 officials in areas of diplomacy, intelligence, sanctions and maritime interdiction, according to the ministry. During the meeting, the two sides discussed ways to counter i

The South Korean government on Friday greenlit the initial mass production plan for KF-21 fighter jets on Friday, totaling 40 units, but with signing contracts set for the production of only 20 units this year. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration emphasized the necessity of producing 40 KF-21 fighter jets, citing what it said was an urgent need to address the military capability shortfall resulting from the retirement of outdated F-4 and F-5 aircraft. "This project is anticipated

The South Korean Board of Audit and Inspection has initiated an inquiry into allegations that the Defense Ministry and other government agencies neglected to verify the demolition of front-line guard posts, which North Korea was supposed to undertake according to the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement. According to both the BAI and the Defense Ministry on Friday, an inspection began Monday, following an earlier audit request from the nonprofit organization Korean Retired Generals and Admirals

South Korea and the United States were staging combined urban combat training this week to bolster their readiness against threats in urban areas and underground facilities, Seoul's Army said Thursday. The five-day Army exercise kicked off at an urban operations training ground in the border city of Paju, 37 kilometers northwest of Seoul, on Monday. The exercise mobilized some 400 troops, including soldiers from the South's 9th Infantry Division, a US infantry platoon and other units,

South Korea and the United States have been conducting river-crossing drills near the border with North Korea to enhance the interoperability of their troops, Seoul's Army said Wednesday. The exercise has been under way on the Imjin River in the border city of Paju, located 37 kilometers north of Seoul, since March 11, according to the Army. Approximately 470 troops from the South Korean Army's 5th Armored Brigade and an engineering battalion under the US 2nd Infantry Division/ROK-US C

The South Korean government said Tuesday it is pushing to increase the benefits for conscripted soldiers by counting their entire service periods towards National Pension plan credits. The National Pension Service requires one to have been enrolled for a minimum of 10 years to receive benefits, but those who have fulfilled their mandatory military duties can currently have their mandated subscription period cut by six months via the "military credit" system. The recent plan by the Mini

South Korea's Defense Minister Shin Won-sik on Monday reaffirmed that the current size of US troops stationed in the country is "absolutely necessary" after a former top Pentagon official questioned the need for such a presence. Christopher Miller, who served as the acting secretary of defense under the former Donald Trump administration, said in a recent local media interview that it was time to discuss whether South Korea still needs 28,500 American troops or if change was neede

South Korea has conducted large-scale military exercises around western border islands to practice deploying forces in the event of North Korean provocations, the military said Sunday. The maneuvers took place Friday around the islands of Baengnyeong and Yeonpyeong near the Yellow Sea border with the North, involving the Marines' quick maneuver force, the Navy landing ship (LST-II), the MUH-1 Marineon helicopter, and the Korean Assault Amphibious Vehicle, according to the North West Islands