Lawmaker to undergo 3-day Army boot camp

Reform Party floor leader Chun Ha-ram is set to enter an Army training center in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, on Wednesday to experience the conditions facing young service members firsthand. Chun, a member of the National Assembly's National Defense Committee, had his hair cut at a barbershop inside the National Assembly earlier that day as part of preparations for his two-night, three-day stay at the Army's 27th Recruit Training Regiment. He is scheduled to arrive at the training center

2026-08-12 17:15:12:00

North Korea resumes long-delayed naval base construction amid fleet modernization

North Korea appears to have resumed construction of a long-delayed naval base on its east coast, as Pyongyang accelerates efforts to modernize its fleet with new destroyers and a nuclear-powered submarine. New structures, believed to be temporary housing or tents for construction workers, appeared between Aug. 6 and 9 at the Tapchon Bay naval base site in Munchon, in North Korea's Kangwon Province, according to an analysis of Planet Labs satellite imagery by NK News. The outlet said the structur

2026-08-12 15:23:37:00

Army seeks to automate field maintenance as staff shrinks

South Korea’s Army is looking to automate more of its field maintenance and logistics operations using artificial intelligence, robotics and autonomous systems, as the military prepares for a sustained decline in available personnel. According to military officials Wednesday, Army Headquarters has commissioned a study on converting key maintenance functions to automated systems as part of efforts to build what it calls a “smart field maintenance support system.” The project is tied to ArmyTiger

2026-08-12 14:30:35:00

North Korea fires ballistic missile into East Sea: JCS

North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the East Sea on Wednesday, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The military said it detected the launch at around 6 a.m., but did not immediately disclose the location. The missile flew about 700 kilometers, the military said. Its altitude was not disclosed. “Our military has strengthened surveillance and vigilance against possible additional launches, while South Korea, the United States and Japan are closely sharing information on the North Kore

2026-08-12 06:11:50:00

Lee calls for faster work on Sejong office, AI industrial hubs

President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday called for accelerating the construction of a presidential office in Sejong, reaffirming his goal of shifting more of the country’s core administrative functions away from Seoul. Speaking at a Cabinet meeting at the Government Complex Sejong, Lee said the city should firmly establish itself as a central hub of state affairs as part of the government’s push for balanced regional development. “Efforts must be made to ensure the stable relocation of key national f

2026-08-11 15:15:55:00

China's top diplomat likely to visit S. Korea next week

China's foreign minister will likely visit South Korea next week for talks expected to focus on North Korea's nuclear program, bilateral ties and regional security issues, sources said Monday. Seoul and Beijing are in final-stage consultations over a possible two-day visit by Wang Yi, who is also a member of the Communist Party's Political Bureau, from Aug. 19-20, according to sources familiar with the matter. If finalized, the trip would mark the first visit to South Korea by a senior Chinese f

2026-08-10 15:32:33:00

Allies set to kick off annual joint exercise

South Korea and the United States will conduct their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise from Aug. 17-27 to strengthen their defense posture against potential contingencies on the Korean Peninsula, the allies announced at a press conference Monday. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff and the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command announced the schedule for this year's UFS, describing it as an "annual exercise of a defensive nature." The exercise will incorporate realistic scenarios reflecting l

2026-08-10 15:18:12:00

Report on US missile shortage raises concerns over South Korea's air defenses

Concerns are growing in South Korea over the possibility that the United States could draw down key air defense assets on the Korean Peninsula, following a New York Times report that US missile stockpiles have been depleted by the war with Iran. The New York Times reported Saturday, citing senior US officials and people briefed on weapons stockpiles, that supplies of key precision weapons and air defense missiles had fallen to "troubling levels." According to the report, more than 1,500 Patriot

2026-08-09 15:09:07:00

North Korea launches SRBM into East Sea: JCS

North Korea fired one short-range ballistic missile into the East Sea on Thursday, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff. The military said it detected the launch at around 5 p.m. from the area of Wonsan, Kangwon Province, on North Korea's east coast. The military did not immediately disclose details such as the type or flight range of the projectiles. Thursday's launch marks North Korea's 10th ballistic missile launch event this year, coming 42 days since the North test-fired tactica

2026-08-06 17:17:54:00

Army seeks counterintelligence overhaul against AI-based threats

South Korea’s Army has begun work to overhaul its counterintelligence system to respond to increasingly sophisticated intelligence activities, particularly those involving artificial intelligence, by North Korea and neighboring countries, the military said Thursday. According to the military, the Army Headquarters recently commissioned a policy study on the future organization and operational concept of its counterintelligence capabilities in light of advances in technology and changes in the se

2026-08-06 13:58:10:00