Wreckage from satellite explosion observed on North’s side of the sea about 2 minutes after launch

Seoul military on the lookout for simultaneous satellite, ICBM firings by Pyongyang

South Korea has completed development of the homegrown Long-range Surface-to-Air Missile (L-SAM) system, the state arms procurement agency said Saturday, marking a major step in efforts to bolster the military's air defense capabilities. The L-SAM, which is designed to shoot down incoming targets at altitudes of 50-60 kilometers, was recently assessed as combat-suitable as it met the military's technical requirements, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).

South Korea and the United States held a new round of negotiations Tuesday on sharing the costs for stationing American troops here. The three-day talks through Thursday are aimed at determining how much Seoul should shoulder for the upkeep of the 28,500-strong US Forces Korea, starting in 2026. The talks are led by Lee Tae-woo, South Korea's chief negotiator from the foreign ministry, and his US counterpart, Linda Specht from the State Department. Tuesday's negotiations took place at

Seventh hand grenade explosion in military boot camp training prompts concerns

South Korea and the United States began a new round of negotiations Tuesday on sharing the costs for stationing American troops here. The three-day talks through Thursday are aimed at determining how much Seoul should shoulder for the upkeep of the 28,500-strong US Forces Korea, starting in 2026. The talks were led by Lee Tae-woo, South Korea's chief negotiator from the foreign ministry, and his US counterpart, Linda Specht from the State Department. The first round of the talks took place

The South Korean army said Monday its chief of staff Gen. Park An-su met with his US, Japanese and Australian counterparts during his eight-day trip to the US, for talks on North Korea deterrence. At the annual Land Forces Pacific Symposium in Hawaii on May 14-16, Park participated in a panel discussion alongside the commanding general of the US Army Pacific Gen. Charles Flynn, Gen. Yasunori Morishita of the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force and Lt. Gen. Simon Stuart of the Army Australia. The

A US F-16 fighter jet crash incident in South Korea in May of last year occurred due to a partial power loss experienced by the aircraft and weather conditions at the time, a US Air Force unit stationed in the country said Friday. On May 6, 2023, the single-engine fighter jet assigned to the 8th Fighter Wing (FW) of the US 7th Air Force crashed into farmland near Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, 60 kilometers south of Seoul, shortly after take-off. The pilot ejected safely, with no serious injuries

South Korea’s Defense Ministry said Thursday it is mulling the establishment of an inaugural military medical school to secure doctors who would serve in the military for at least 10 years in an effort to improve the military medical system and enhance treatment capabilities. "The Defense Ministry has been actively promoting and reviewing measures aimed at enhancing military medical capabilities, including the recruitment of long-term service military surgeons and the specialization o

South Korea and the United States will hold their second round of negotiations in Seoul next week on the sharing of the costs for the upkeep of American soldiers stationed here, Seoul officials said Thursday. The talks, set for Tuesday through Thursday, come about a month after the allies launched the negotiations on determining how much Seoul should shoulder for the stationing of the 28,500-strong US Forces Korea. The first round of the SMA talks took place in Hawaii. The current six-year deal,

A number of F-22 stealth jets from the US Air Force arrived in South Korea earlier this week, a Pentagon website showed Tuesday, raising the possibility of a joint air drill involving the latest air assets. The US 8th Fighter Wing posted a photo showing the arrival of F-22 stealth jets at Kunsan Air Base in Gunsan, 178 kilometers south of Seoul, on the Pentagon's Defense Visual Information Distribution Service website. "The Raptors' arrival, demonstrates the Pacific Air Forces

The military will stage an air exercise Tuesday aimed at defending against a large-scale aerial attack amid renewed attention to air defense capabilities in the wake of Iran's massive drone and missile attack on Israel. The drills will be led by the Air Force Operations Command and joined by Army, Navy and Marine Corps units across the country, according to the Air Force. Some 30 aircraft, including F-35A fighters, as well as various air defense assets, including the Patriot and Cheongung m

A former division commander of the Marine Corps returned home Tuesday following 22 hours of police questioning in connection with the death of a young Marine conscript during a search operation for downpour victims in July last year. Lim Seong-geun, former commander of the Marine Corps 1st Division, is the highest-ranking Marine official questioned as part of the investigation into the death of a Marine conscript, surnamed Chae, who was swept away by a torrent during a search for missing flood v

The military is planning to hold a rare meeting between major South Korean and US Forces Korea special operations officials later this month to discuss ways to improve special warfare capabilities amid North Korea's threats, Seoul's defense ministry said Tuesday. South Korea operates special forces units separately under the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the Marine Corps, and regularly stages combined drills with US Special Operations Command Korea troops, but holding a meeting between all o

About a third of South Korean academics, experts and other elites support nuclearization of their country, a US think tank poll showed, a finding that contrasts with greater support shown in surveys of the general public. The Center for Strategic and International Studies released a report on the outcome of the poll conducted with over 1,000 “strategic elites” in South Korea from Jan. 15 to March 17. The report, titled “Breaking Bad, South Korea’s Nuclear Option,”