Vietnamese deputy defense minister accused of sexual misconduct during Seoul visit

A Vietnamese senior military official was accused of sexually harassing a South Korean military official in September during a dinner event in Seoul, South Korean military officials revealed Monday. According to local media reports citing military sources, Vietnamese Deputy Defense Minister Hoang Xuan Chien made inappropriate physical contact with a female South Korean official during a dinner held on Sept. 11 on the sidelines of the Seoul Defense Dialogue. The Seoul Defense Dialogue is a multil

Oct. 21, 2025

S. Korea inks MOU with Brazil's aerospace firm to expand arms cooperation

The state arms procurement agency said Monday it signed a memorandum of understanding with Brazil's aerospace company Embraer to expand industrial cooperation. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration inked the agreement on the sidelines of the ongoing Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition 2025 at KINTEX in Goyang, just northwest of Seoul. Under the MOU, the two sides will work together to expand the participation of South Korean parts suppliers in Embraer's global supply chai

Oct. 20, 2025

S. Korea's defense chief holds talks with officials from NATO, Saudi Arabia

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back on Monday held back-to-back bilateral talks with senior officials from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Romania and Saudi Arabia to discuss ways to expand defense and arms industry cooperation, his office said. In his meeting with Radmila Shekerinska, deputy secretary general of NATO, Ahn underscored the importance of their cooperation and requested support for efforts to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula, according to the defense ministry. The defense

Oct. 20, 2025

Airpower on display at ADEX 2025

Roaring fighter jets filled the skies over Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, on Sunday as the Republic of Korea Air Force’s Black Eagles performed a dynamic air show at the 2025 Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX). The three-day event, running Friday to Sunday, showcased South Korea’s latest defense technologies, including KAI’s KF-21 fighter, LAH and FA-50 aircraft, and the KUH-1 Surion helicopter. Families, veterans and defense officials watched as aircraft

Oct. 19, 2025

S. Korea's major defense exhibition kicks off with record number of participating firms

South Korea's international defense exhibition kicked off Friday with a record number of companies expected to showcase advanced military technologies. The Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition 2025, which will run through next Friday, opened at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, south of Seoul. The second segment of the event will take place at KINTEX in Goyang, just northwest of Seoul, starting Monday. ADEX is South Korea's largest aerospace and defense trade exhibition, designed to boos

Oct. 17, 2025

Military chiefs of S. Korea, US discuss alliance, cooperation in phone talks

The top military officers of South Korea and the United States held phone talks on Friday and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation for their alliance, the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. JCS Chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung and his US counterpart, Gen. Dan Caine, noted the security situation on the Korean Peninsula remains stable on the back of their ironclad alliance and concurred on the importance of deterring North Korean threats through the South Korea-US combined defense posture, the JCS

Oct. 17, 2025

USFK sends protest letter to Seoul over special counsel raid on Osan base

The top US Air Force officer in South Korea has lodged a protest with Seoul’s Foreign Ministry over a raid by a special counsel team at Osan Air Base, which Washington says violated procedures under the bilateral Status of Forces Agreement. Lt. Gen. David Iverson, deputy commander of US Forces Korea and head of the US 7th Air Force, sent the letter on Oct. 3, expressing concern over the search linked to an investigation into former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration on Dec. 3, 202

Oct. 16, 2025

Could military rescue be solution to Cambodia abductions?

Growing concern over a string of reported abductions targeting South Koreans in Cambodia has prompted lawmakers across party lines to urge that the government take stronger measures, specifically a military rescue operation, to withdraw those held in captivity. However, experts and government officials lean towards using diplomatic channels or investigative cooperation between the two countries instead of force to resolve the issues. The main opposition People Power Party floor leader, Rep. Song

Oct. 14, 2025

JCS chief apologizes for military’s role in Yoon’s martial law decree

South Korea’s top military officer issued a rare public apology on Tuesday for the armed forces' role in former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s illegal declaration of martial law last year. Jin Yong-sung, chair of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during a parliamentary audit that he regarded the military’s involvement in the Dec. 3 decree as “an act of rebellion” against the state. “As a soldier in uniform, I failed in my duty to protect the nation and its people by premeditating and actively

Oct. 14, 2025

JCS chairman vows firm readiness following N. Korea's military parade

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff pledged to ensure a robust readiness posture against security threats, including the North's display of new weapons systems during a recent military parade. The remarks by JCS Chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung came days after North Korea showcased its latest Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile under development and other modernized weapons systems during a military parade held in Pyongyang last week. "North Korea's nuclear and missile capabilities ar

Oct. 14, 2025

Seoul seeks to expand US shipbuilding cooperation to add warships

South Korea’s Defense Ministry said Monday that it is moving to widen its maritime industrial partnership with the US from routine maintenance contracts to the construction of naval combatants, as the two allies seek to modernize their security ties. According to the ministry’s plan submitted to lawmakers ahead of a parliamentary audit, Seoul’s defense authorities are seeking to “first secure a stable volume of MRO work,” or maintenance, repair and overhaul, and to open talks on building US Navy

Oct. 13, 2025

Alliance with South Korea poses military burden, but boosts chip supply competition for US: think tank

While the South Korea-US alliance remains vital to Washington’s strategic posture of deterring threats from China, it is both an asset and a liability, a US think tank said Thursday. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace called the decadeslong alliance militarily burdensome yet indispensable for safeguarding global semiconductor and critical mineral supply chains, in its report “Legacy or Liability? Auditing US Alliances to Compete with China.” The report assessed seven key US treaty al

Oct. 9, 2025

JCS chairman urges vigilance during extended Chuseok holiday in command call

Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung on Monday called for maintaining a firm defense posture during the extended Chuseok holiday, the JCS said. Jin made the remarks during a command call with troops and civilian personnel in charge of operations across land, sea, air, cyber and counterterrorism units as the extended holiday runs through Thursday this year. "Thanks to each of you faithfully carrying out your duties during the holiday, with a strong sense of mission to protect the nat

Oct. 6, 2025

South Korean peacekeepers mark UN Command’s 75th anniversary with roles in Lebanon, Sudan

South Korean troops in Lebanon and South Sudan are quietly carrying out a mission that their commanders say reflects not only the country’s growing global role but also a debt owed to the international community, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Saturday. As the United Nations Command commemorates its 75th anniversary, Seoul has emphasized its contributions to international peacekeeping operations — pointing to the “Dongmyeong” Unit in southern Lebanon and the “Hanbit” Unit in South Sudan as symbo

Oct. 4, 2025

JCS chief vows to continue field training near inter-Korean border

Jin Young-seung, chair of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, reaffirmed Thursday his commitment to field training near the inter-Korean border, stressing that the military must remain strong in supporting the government’s push for reconciliation with North Korea. “If trust-building between the two Koreas is needed as a matter of policy, the military should actively support it,” Jin said during his visit to the Defense Ministry’s press room in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul. “However, the military m

Oct. 2, 2025