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Navy holds remembrance ceremony for fallen sailors of 2010 warship sinking by N. Korea
The Navy held a ceremony Wednesday to honor sailors killed during the 2010 sinking of the Cheonan corvette by a North Korean attack in the Yellow Sea. The 1,200-ton warship sank near the western Northern Limit Line, a de facto inter-Korean maritime border, in March 2010, after a North Korean midget submarine fired a torpedo. The attack killed 46 sailors, while 55 others were rescued. About 200 guests, including bereaved family members and surviving sailors, took part in the ceremony marking the
March 26, 2025 -
2 Air Force pilots suspended from air duty for 1 yr after accidental bombing of civilian area
The Air Force on Friday suspended two pilots from air duty for one year after they mistakenly dropped multiple bombs on a civilian village earlier this month, injuring dozens of residents. 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. The Air Force has booked the two pilots on charges of negligence resulting in injury, and conducted a qualifi
March 21, 2025 -
Korea’s arms procurement chief to visit Europe to boost defense exports
Seok Jong-gun, minister of South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration, will visit several European countries starting next week to promote South Korean defense exports amid rising demand for armament in the region. According to the arms procurement agency on Friday, Seok will travel to Norway, Romania and Sweden from Tuesday through March 31. In Norway, which has already imported K9 self-propelled howitzers from Hanwha Aerospace, Seok will hold high-level talks to discuss potential
March 21, 2025 -
S. Korean, US Marines hold combined arms, infantry drills
South Korean and US Marines have conducted a three-week combined arms and infantry exercise to enhance their joint operational capabilities and sharpen combat techniques, the South's Marine Corps said Friday. Some 1,100 troops from South Korea's 1st Marine Division and the US 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force joined the drills conducted in the southeastern city of Pohang and the border cities of Pocheon and Paju from March 3 through Friday, according to the Marine Corps. The drills mobilized air an
March 21, 2025 -
Defense Ministry summons Russia’s military attache over warplanes’ KADIZ entry
South Korea’s Defense Ministry on Thursday summoned Russia’s military attache in Seoul, Col. Nikolai Marchenko, to formally protest multiple Russian warplanes’ entry into South Korea’s air defense identification zone, also known as the KADIZ. In a statement to reporters, the ministry said it summoned Marchenko to protest strongly against the incident and to prevent anything similar in the future. Multiple Russian military planes consecutively entered the KADIZ over the East Sea earlier in the da
March 20, 2025 -
Defense Ministry denies purchasing over 3,000 body bags for Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law
The Defense Ministry on Thursday denied rumors that the Army placed a substantially larger purchase of over 3,000 body bags more than normal to prepare for thousands of deaths during President Yoon Suk Yeol’s Dec. 3 martial law imposition. “The Army typically has body bags reserved and managed in case of war,” a South Korean Army official, who declined to be named, said during the ministry’s regular briefing. “The body bags that were delivered in December last year were aligned with the Joint Ch
March 20, 2025 -
S. Korea, US wrap up key joint military exercise against NK threats
South Korea and the United States wrapped up a major annual combined military exercise aimed at bolstering their defense capabilities against North Korean military threats Thursday, the South's military said. The computer-simulated Freedom Shield exercise drew to an end after an 11-day run in the face of North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats and deepening military cooperation with Russia. This year's exercise marked the first major military exercise by the allies since US President
March 20, 2025 -
Ruling party urges military appointments amid leadership void
The ruling People Power Party on Wednesday called for immediate appointments to fill vacant military leadership posts, attributing recent accidents to a breakdown in discipline stemming from the current leadership vacuum. Several high-ranking officers were suspended for their alleged involvement in President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law declaration on Dec. 3, 2024. “The absence of military leadership has led to ongoing gaps in national security and a breakdown in military discipline, which
March 19, 2025 -
Army drone flights partly suspended after crash with helicopter
Partial suspension won't affect reconnaissance operations, JCS says South Korea’s Army has temporarily suspended parts of its uncrewed vehicle flight operations following a military drone’s crash with a stationary helicopter the previous day, officials said Tuesday. “The Army has partially suspended (its uncrewed vehicle flight operations) to investigate the accident,” Lt. Col. Yang Seung-kwan, a spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs of Staff said during a regular briefing. He declined to elaborate
March 18, 2025 -
Arms agency chief discusses defense industry cooperation with Philippine defense chief
The head of the state arms procurement agency held talks with the Philippine defense chief and other officials in Manila this week to discuss expanding arms industry cooperation, officials said Tuesday. Seok Jong-gun, minister of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, met Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro on Monday, according to DAPA. The Philippines has introduced various South Korean-made weapons systems over the years, including FA-50 light attack aircraft, frigates and co
March 18, 2025 -
Military partially resumes live-fire drills after accidental fighter jet bombing
The defense ministry said Tuesday it has partially resumed live-fire military drills after their full suspension due to an accidental fighter jet bombing earlier this month. On March 6, two KF-16 fighter jets mistakenly bombed a town in Pocheon, some 40 kilometers north of Seoul, during live-fire drills, injuring 38 people and prompting the ministry to suspend all exercises involving live ammunition. The ministry said it will resume live-fire drills involving rifles and smaller firearms Tuesday
March 18, 2025 -
Military drone crash destroys $14m helicopter
A South Korean Army helicopter was destroyed by fire after it was struck by a drone, the Army reported Monday. According to the Army Ground Operations Command, around 1 p.m. Monday at a military airfield in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, a military drone collided with a parked helicopter during landing, sparking a fire. “There were no casualties from the fire,” the command said, adding that the cause of the incident and the full extent of the damage are under investigation. The fire was extinguished
March 17, 2025 -
S. Korea begins annual excavation project for fallen soldiers of Korean War
The defense ministry said Monday it began an annual project to recover the remains of soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War, seeking to find more than 220 missing service members this year. Since 2000, the ministry has been working to excavate and identify the remains of fallen soldiers of the conflict, finding the remains of 11,469 South Korean soldiers and 37 UN troops that fought against North Korean and Chinese forces. For this year, the ministry said it seeks to excavate over 220 se
March 17, 2025 -
Multiple Russian warplanes briefly enter S. Korea's air defense zone during training: JCS
Multiple Russian warplanes entered South Korea's air defense identification zone (KADIZ) in the East Sea on Saturday, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, prompting the South to send its fighter jets in response. The Russian military planes consecutively entered the KADIZ at around 9:20 a.m. before exiting to the eastern and northern areas of the air defense zone, the JCS said in a notice. They did not violate South Korea's airspace, it added. The JCS said it had detected the Russian aircraft b
March 15, 2025 -
Two Air Force pilots booked over Pocheon bombing
Two South Korean Air Force jet pilots were booked Thursday, charged with occupational negligence over their accidental bombing of a civilian village last week, the Defense Ministry said. The Defense Ministry recently confirmed pilot error as the main cause of the accident on March 6, in which two KF-16 fighter jets dropped eight MK-82 bombs on a village in Pocheon, located near the inter-Korean border. The pilots failed to drop the bombs on the training range, which was located in the border cit
March 13, 2025