NK conducts missile provocation following Seoul's unveiling of hypersonic missile

North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Monday, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The JCS said it detected the launches from the Pyongyang area at around 9:20 a.m., with one of the missiles flying more than 900 kilometers. "Based on our analysis so far, North Korea fired several ballistic missiles of different types, and one type is assessed to have flown more than 900 kilometers," Navy Capt. Jang Do-young, spokesperson for the JCS, said during a press bri

2026-10-12 10:08:25:00

Ruling party lawmaker criticizes Korean defense firms for insufficient social contributions

Rep. Kim Byung-joo of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea on Friday criticized South Korea's major defense companies for not spending enough on social contributions despite record earnings fueled by the country's defense export boom. According to data submitted to Kim, a member of the National Assembly's National Defense Committee, by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, the state arms procurement agency, the combined operating profit of five major defense companies — Hanwha Aerospac

2026-10-09 15:59:29:00

Two Koreas clash at UN over DMZ mine blasts

South and North Korea clashed at the United Nations on Thursday over recent land mine explosions in the Demilitarized Zone, with Seoul accusing Pyongyang of violating the Armistice Agreement and demanding an apology while the North denies responsibility. South Korean Ambassador to the UN Cha Ji-hoon raised the Sept. 21 explosions during the general debate of the First Committee of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York, saying three South Korean military personnel were injured. “A joint on-sit

2026-10-09 13:14:34:00

Ruling party lawmaker may miss audit of Korean missions in Americas after failing to obtain US visa

Rep. Jung Chung-rae of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea has failed to obtain a US visa, putting his planned participation in a National Assembly audit of South Korean diplomatic missions in the Americas in doubt. According to local reports Thursday, Jung was the only lawmaker in the Assembly's Americas audit team who had not been issued a US visa as of Thursday. Officials at Jung's office could not immediately be reached for comment. Jung had been scheduled to leave for the United States on

2026-10-08 20:20:47:00

Lee observes S. Korea's first homegrown hypersonic missile test

South Korea conducted its first test launch of a homegrown hypersonic glide vehicle Thursday, a move Seoul described as a significant achievement toward securing a new capability to strike key targets on the Korean Peninsula. President Lee Jae Myung observed the test, according to Cheong Wa Dae, in a rare public appearance by a president at the development of a new strike weapon. The test's location was not disclosed. The launch was conducted by the Agency for Defense Development, the state-run

2026-10-08 18:24:51:00

South Korea recalls envoy to Ukraine amid growing friction

South Korea has decided to recall its ambassador to Ukraine, the Foreign Ministry said Thursday, in an unusually strong diplomatic move as tension continues to mount between Seoul and Kyiv. "The government has decided to recall the South Korean ambassador to Ukraine," the ministry said in a brief statement posted on its official website. "The government hopes that various pending issues between the two countries will be resolved smoothly and will continue consultations with the Ukrainian side to

2026-10-08 18:08:00:00

Korea defense industry faces shifting battlefield demands in Estonia

Korea Herald correspondent TALLINN, Estonia — South Korea's defense industry rode into Europe on fast deliveries, competitive prices and a deep arsenal of conventional weapons, but it may now need to recalibrate that formula as European militaries shift their focus toward drones, air defense and other capabilities shaped by the war in Ukraine. K-defense gained momentum after Russia's invasion of Ukraine exposed gaps left by decades of post-Cold War downsizing in Europe. While many European count

2026-10-08 16:46:41:00

JCS says some US intelligence sharing restricted but readiness unaffected

South Korea's top military officer said Thursday that the United States has restricted some intelligence sharing on North Korea, but that the limits have not affected the South Korean military's overall readiness posture. "Some information is restricted, but there is no problem in maintaining our overall readiness posture," Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung said during a National Assembly audit of the JCS held at the Ministry of National Defense headquarters in Seoul. Jin was res

2026-10-08 15:01:38:00

S. Korea, Egypt elevate ties to strategic partnership

South Korea and Egypt agreed Thursday to elevate bilateral ties to a strategic partnership and begin negotiations on a comprehensive economic partnership agreement as President Lee Jae Myung met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi in Seoul. The summit came during el-Sissi's state visit to South Korea, his first trip to the country in 10 years, following Lee's visit to Egypt in November last year. Lee described Egypt as a key partner in South Korea's SHINE Initiative, a broader Middle East p

2026-10-08 13:57:40:00

Seoul denies helping ease Russia fuel shortage

South Korea on Wednesday rejected claims that petroleum shipments from South Korean ports helped Russia ease a fuel shortage caused by Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries. Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a written statement that Seoul has consistently implemented sanctions and export controls against Russia in close coordination with the international community since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "There has been no change in this position of our government," Kang added. She al

2026-10-07 20:16:37:00