The leaders of South Korea and Indonesia on Friday agreed to enhance bilateral economic and defense cooperation across a broad spectrum of areas, which includes collaborative efforts in developing an electric vehicle ecosystem and a fighter jet. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Indonesian President Joko Widodo convened for an in-person summit at the presidential palace in Jakarta on the final day of President Yoon's four-day visit to Indonesia. "Both discussed forward-looking and su

North Korea has unveiled its first-ever operational submarine, purportedly capable of launching nuclear-capable ballistic missiles, while the country's leader, Kim Jong-un, has urged for intensified efforts to expeditiously arm the Navy with nuclear weapons against the evolving nature of military actions by adversaries. But South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff have dismissed the claim, assessing that the submarine does not seem to be capable of normal operation. North Korea conducted a ceremony t

A high-level Chinese delegation, led by Vice Premier Liu Guozhong, is set to visit North Korea to participate in events commemorating the 75th anniversary of the country's foundation, North Korean state media said Thursday. But all eyes are fixed on the reasoning behind China's decision to send a seemingly lower-ranking delegation compared to the previous occasion to commemorate North Korea's Sept. 9 anniversary. In September 2018, General Secretary Xi Jinping dispatched Li Zhansh

A potential meeting between the leaders of Russia and North Korea has raised the possibility of an arms deal, with speculations swirling over Moscow providing cutting-edge technology for satellites and nuclear-powered submarines to Pyongyang in exchange for weapons against Ukraine in the ongoing war. US officials have revealed the possibility of this meeting taking place during the Eastern Economic Forum, scheduled to run from Sept. 10 to 13 in the far-eastern Russian port city of Vladivostok. I

North Korean state media's ongoing efforts to spotlight Kim Ju-ae, the daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, primarily serve to underscore Pyongyang's commitment to upholding fourth-generation hereditary succession, rather than indicating her formal designation as the heir apparent, South Korea's Unification Ministry said Tuesday. The Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea that mainly targets North Korean audiences, reported a total of 15 public

CAMP HUMPHREYS, Gyeonggi Province — Despite seven decades having passed since the armistice, the countries that once valiantly deployed their combat forces in defense of South Korea in the 1950-53 Korean War still provide steadfast support for the security of the Korean Peninsula. The United Nations Command was founded in July 1950, one month after North Korea's surprise illegal invasion of South Korea, under UN Security Council Resolutions 82, 83 and 84. The situation marked the firs

Kim Gi-cheol remembers his son's determination to fulfill his military duty as a South Korean citizen, despite having the opportunity to secure an exemption by acquiring foreign nationality. Having spent an extended period abroad, his son was relatively unfamiliar with the Korean language and culture. Nevertheless, Kim never imagined that his son, who was proud to serve his home country, would be dead just three months after enlisting. In November 2022, while stationed at a general post in

North Korea conducted a purported live-fire drill simulating a "tactical nuclear attack" early Saturday by launching long-range strategic cruise missiles toward the West Sea, its state media claimed Sunday. However, the South Korean military dismissed the report as an "exaggeration," saying that North Korea may have failed to detonate a mock nuclear warhead in midair. The latest drill is the second nuclear attack simulation in three days, which North Korean state media has la

The Korea Military Academy on Thursday announced it would relocate the statue of Gen. Hong Beom-do, a prominent figure in Korea's independence history, amid the intense ideological debate stirred by the plan. The debate centers on whether Gen. Hong joining the then Vladmir Lenin-led Soviet Communist Party in 1927 is a legitimate enough reason to remove it from the institution in Nowon-gu, Seoul, even in light of his notable role as an independent fighter throughout the Japanese Occupation o

North Korea has publicly launched military exercises that involve simulating the occupation of the entirety of South Korean territory through armed attacks in case of contingencies in the presence of the country's leader, Kim Jong-un, its state-run Korean Central News Agency reported Thursday. The General Staff of the Korean People’s Army on Tuesday commenced a command post exercise, or CPX, involving its entire army. The CPX aims to evaluate and examine the operational planning, orga

North Korea fired two ballistic missiles toward the waters off its east coast late Wednesday night in an apparent protest against the ongoing regular military exercises conducted by South Korea and the US. The two short-range ballistic missiles were launched from the area of Sunan district in the capital city of Pyongyang between 11:40 p.m. and 11:50 p.m., according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff. The missiles flew around 360 kilometers before splashing down in the East Sea, the JCS said

OSAN AIR BASE, Gyeonggi Province – The newly established United States Space Forces Korea has taken up the vital role of being the watchful eye and strategic compass of the US military and South Korea, the deputy commander said Wednesday. The essential responsibility is carried out through the operation of cutting-edge space assets, which facilitate the adept tracking of adversary activities in times of peace and the precise identification and targeting of an enemy in the event of continge

Defense South Korea's Defense Ministry has proposed to raise expenditures by around 17 percent to advance the development of an indigenous three-axis defense system, aimed at countering North Korean missile and nuclear threats and retaliating in the event of an attack. Total defense spending is estimated at approximately 59.6 trillion won ($45.1 billion), a 4.5 percent increase from last year, according to the ministry. An estimated 41.8 trillion won is earmarked for expenditures related to

A heated debate is unfolding over the conservative Yoon Suk Yeol administration's plan to relocate the statue of an independence activist, once again placing ideological divisions in the political spotlight. At the center of the renewed controversy is the statue of Hong Beom-do, a prominent figure in Korean independence history, who was associated with the Soviet Communist Party during his time in the Soviet Union. The debate was sparked when the Defense Ministry on Saturday openly acknowle

Contradicting North Korea's assertions, the second-stage flight of the country's space launch vehicle, which was carrying a purported spy satellite, exhibited anomalies during a second launch on Thursday, South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup said Friday. Lee publicly dismissed Pyongyang's claims that the first and second-stage flights of a satellite launch vehicle Chollima-1, which was carrying the Malligyong-1 military reconnaissance satellite, operated successfully. North

North Korea's state media, which is primarily meant for internal audiences, has not yet reported on its second failed attempt Thursday to launch a purported spy satellite into orbit. The action shows a stark contrast with North Korea’s prompt external acknowledgment of the launch failure, detailed explanations of the primary cause, and the announcement of its intention to conduct a third satellite launch in October via the Korean Central News Agency. The KCNA, which predominantly targ

North Korea admitted an attempt to launch a military reconnaissance satellite into orbit ended in failure Thursday, but pledged to conduct another launch in October. North Korea’s National Aerospace Development Administration launched a Malligyong-1 spy satellite using a Chollima-1 space launch vehicle at Sohae Satellite Launching Station in the Tongchang-ri area of North Pyongan Province, according to North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency. The first- and second-stage fl

North Korea has been placing a high priority on stabilizing food security amid unfavorable weather conditions, while its trade with China has not fully recovered to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels, South Korea's Unification Ministry said Wednesday. "North Korea has fully mobilized resources and manpower for grain production which has been designated as the No. 1 task among 12 major economic priorities for this year," reads a report submitted by the ministry to the National Assembly.

North Korea has notified Japan of its plans to launch a satellite between Thursday and Aug. 31, sparking immediate condemnation from Seoul and Tokyo who called it a clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions. The launch window also aligns with the ongoing 11-day joint, interagency Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercise between South Korea and the US, which is scheduled to continue until the end of August and is accompanied by more than 30 field training exercises. North Korea has identif

The South Korean military on Monday refuted a belated report from North Korean state media that "strategic cruise missiles" were fired from a newly revealed naval corvette as part of its live-fire drills. Earlier in the morning, North Korean state media reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had inspected the Guards 2nd Surface Ship Flotilla of the East Sea Fleet of the Navy of the Korean People's Army. Without elaborating on the date, the report also mentioned his observat