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South Korea says defense spending against GDP already ‘very high’
South Korea’s Defense Ministry on Friday hinted at concerns over an announcement by the Donald Trump administration that its Asian allies are subject to the “new standard” of spending 5 percent of gross domestic product on defense. South Korea’s defense spending, which stands at some 51.2 trillion won ($37.5 billion) or 2.32 percent of its GDP, is already “very high,” the ministry noted in a statement. "Among key US allies, South Korea is one of the countries that has an extremely high defense s
June 20, 2025 -
2 Marines,1 civilian accused of killing, injuring dogs with BB guns
Two active-duty Marines and one civilian in their 20s are under investigation for killing one dog and seriously injuring two others with BB guns. The Geoje Police Station said Wednesday that two active-duty soldiers and one civilian — all unnamed males in their 20s — fired hundreds of BB pellets at four dogs that were tied up in a restaurant yard in a small town in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, on June 8. Of the four dogs, one died as a result of the attack, while two sustained serious injur
June 20, 2025 -
'Standard' of 5% GDP defense spending applies to S. Korea, Asian allies: Pentagon
The Pentagon said Thursday that South Korea and other Asian allies are also subject to the "global standard" of spending 5 percent of gross domestic product on defense, a proposal that US President Donald Trump has put forward for European allies Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell made the remarks, a day after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing that there is now a "new standard for allied defense spending that all of our allies around the world, i
June 20, 2025 -
USFK cuts may signal weakened commitment: ex-US diplomat
Any “substantial adjustment” to the size of the US Forces Korea could be seen as a sign of Washington “reducing” its commitment to maintaining peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and the broader Indo-Pacific region, a former US senior diplomat said Thursday. "My worry will be that any substantial adjustment will be misinterpreted (or) will be interpreted as somehow the United States reducing its commitment to peace and stability, or raising questions about whether the US is somehow withdr
June 19, 2025 -
S. Korea to launch advisory committee for arms exports
South Korea is preparing to launch an advisory committee under the state arms procurement agency, consisting mostly of non-governmental experts, to boost its defense technology exports, sources close to the matter said Wednesday. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration recently came up with the plan and is "preparing to launch the committee,” a DAPA official told The Korea Herald via phone. “The review and nomination of candidates will kick off in September.” The committee will consist of
June 18, 2025 -
S. Korean Navy, Marine Corps to join multinational drills in Australia
South Korea's Navy and Marine Corps will take part in a biennial multinational exercise set to kick off in Australia next month in efforts to hone operational capabilities with forces from 18 other nations, the Navy said Wednesday. Some 840 personnel, including those from the Navy, the Marine Corps and the Army's special operations forces, will join the Talisman Sabre exercise scheduled to take place in a northeastern region of Australia from July 3-27, according to the Navy. South Korea plans t
June 18, 2025 -
US calls Russia's use of NK workers, soldiers for operations against Ukraine 'deeply concerning'
The United States on Tuesday described Russia's continued use of North Korean workers and troops for operations against Ukraine as "deeply concerning," after Russian media reported Pyongyang will send additional 6,000 military workers and sappers to Russia's front-line Kursk region. A State Department spokesperson made the remarks, underscoring that the income generation by North Korean workers in Russia and other foreign countries constitutes a violation of a UN Security Council resolution. TAS
June 18, 2025 -
USFK raises security threat levels amid Israel-Iran conflict
US military bases in South Korea have raised the security protection measures by one notch amid an escalating conflict between Israel and Iran that has fueled concerns of a wider war in the Middle East. “All installations across U.S. Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility have raised their Force Protection Condition (FPCON) level from Alpha to Bravo as a precautionary measure,” the USFK said in a statement shared social media platform X. The USFK, however, did not cite reasons why the FPCON
June 17, 2025 -
Crashed Navy patrol plane's voice recorder damaged beyond repair
A cockpit voice recorder recovered from a P-3CK maritime patrol plane crash last month has been determined damaged beyond repair, the Navy said Friday, leaving investigators to rely on other evidence to determine the cause of the crash. The Navy had earlier sent the voice recorder to a private company for data extraction after the aircraft crash in Pohang, about 270 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on May 29, which killed all four crew members on board. The company, however, notified the Navy on J
June 13, 2025 -
Korea, Indonesia finalize deal to cut Jakarta’s KF-21 contribution
South Korea and Indonesia have finalized an agreement to set Jarkarta’s contribution to the joint development of the KF-21 Boramae fighter jet at 600 billion won ($437 million), the Defense Acquisition Program Administration said Friday. The agreement, signed during the Indo Defence exhibition in Jakarta earlier this week, follows more than a year of negotiations and delays surrounding payment terms and a diplomatic row over a technology leak. Indonesia has so far paid around 400 billion won. Th
June 13, 2025 -
S. Korea, Indonesia finalize deal to cut Jakarta's payments for KF-21 fighter jet project
South Korea and Indonesia have finalized a deal to slash Jakarta's contribution to the joint KF-21 fighter jet project to 600 billion won ($443 million), less than one-third of the original amount, Seoul's defense procurement agency said Friday. The two sides signed the agreement at an arms exhibition in Jakarta on Wednesday, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration said, clearing uncertainties over the financing of the 8.1 trillion-won project. The project, launched in 2015, is designed t
June 13, 2025 -
Military to begin Hwarang defense drills next week against NK threats
The military will kick off the annual Hwarang drills with local governments, police and firefighting authorities next week in efforts to hone an integrated defense posture against North Korea's threats, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Friday. The first segment of the exercise will take place in Incheon, west of Seoul, and Gyeonggi Province that surrounds the capital, from Monday through June 20, and continue in four other areas, including the capital, through November, according to the JCS. This
June 13, 2025 -
KF-16 damaged in Alaska, no casualties reported
A South Korean KF-16 fighter jet was damaged during a multinational air combat drill in the United States, the South Korean Air Force said Wednesday. According to the military, the incident occurred around 4 p.m. during takeoff at Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks, Alaska. A fire broke out in the aircraft, causing partial damage, and an emergency ejection was carried out. The flight was part of the Red Flag-Alaska exercise hosted by the United States Pacific Air Forces. The KF-16, a twin-sea
June 11, 2025 -
S. Korean, US troops conduct deployable bridge drills
South Korean and US military engineers practiced installing a deployable bridge at a major US base in South Korea this week as part of efforts to strengthen joint capabilities in maintaining supply lines during wartime, officials said Monday. The five-day exercise began Monday at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, about 60 kilometers south of Seoul, involving some 50 personnel from the South Korean Army's 1117th Engineer Corps and the 11th Engineer Battalion of the US 2nd Infantry Division. The drill
June 11, 2025 -
Will S. Korea see first 'civilian' defense minister in decades?
One of President Lee Jae-myung’s key campaign pledges over the last months was to appoint a “civilian” defense minister, referring to a nominee with zero to brief military experience. His pledge came as several high-ranking military officials, including former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, are currently on criminal trial for charges of conspiring in insurrection and abuse of official authority tied to impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol’s failed martial law bid on Dec. 3, 2024. The position is c
June 9, 2025