S. Korea seeks to cut reliance on foreign defense chips

South Korea’s arms procurement agency outlined a plan Thursday to accelerate the domestic development and production of defense semiconductors, with an aim to reduce the country’s heavy reliance on overseas suppliers. The strategy was reviewed at the 11th ministerial meeting on science and technology held Thursday, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. Under the plan, the government will use stable demand generated by future weapons acquisition programs to support the rapi

2026-07-23 15:35:15:00

[단독] 전작권 전환, 한미 간 남은 이견은 ‘고고도 방어’

한국군의 고고도 미사일 방어 능력을 둘러싼 한미 간 인식 차이가 전시작전통제권 전환 목표 연도를 정하는 데 걸림돌로 작용하고 있는 것으로 전해졌다. 22일 코리아헤럴드 취재를 종합하면, 양측은 한국군의 고고도 미사일 방어 관련 전력이 아직 실전 배치되지 않은 상황에서 전환 목표 연도를 먼저 정할 수 있는지를 두고 판단을 달리하고 있는 것으로 파악됐다. 국방부 한 관계자는 “한미 간 판단이 엇갈리는 부분은 한국군의 고고도 방어 능력”이라며 “미국은 해당 능력이 실제로 갖춰지고 검증돼야 한다고 보는 반면, 한국은 전력화 계획이 진행되고 있는 만큼 목표 연도를 정하는 데 문제가 없다는 입장”이라고 말했다. 임기 내 전작권 전환을 주요 국정 목표로 내건 이재명 정부는 올해 안에 구체적인 전환 목표 연도인 이른바 ‘X연도’를 제시하는 방안을 추진해왔다. 그러나 미국은 ‘조건에 기초한 전작권 전환’ 원칙을 강조하며, 한국군이 필요한 능력을 실제로 갖추고 운용 능력까지 검증받기 전에는 구체적인

2026-07-22 11:56:18:00

[Exclusive] Seoul's lacking high-altitude missile defense a hurdle in OPCON transfer

A difference between South Korea and the United States over Seoul’s high-altitude missile defense capabilities is complicating efforts to set a target year for the transfer of wartime operational control, or OPCON. According to multiple sources, the two sides differ over whether a timeframe for the transfer can be set without South Korea first fielding and operationally verifying the necessary high-altitude missile defense capabilities. “The area where South Korea and the United States differ in

2026-07-22 11:54:13:00

Personal data of nearly all S. Korean diplomats may have been exposed in cyberattack

The personal information of nearly all South Korean diplomats may have been exposed after hackers gained access to an online training system used by Foreign Ministry personnel and remained inside it for about 10 months, officials said Tuesday. The breach involved an online education platform operated by the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, a ministry-affiliated institution responsible for training diplomats and conducting foreign affairs research. The compromised system contained about 10,000

2026-07-21 15:14:00:00

S. Korea strips honors from 76 linked to Chun Doo-hwan’s coup, Gwangju crackdown

South Korea will revoke military decorations awarded to 76 people for their involvement in the Dec. 12, 1979, military coup, the suppression of the 1980 Gwangju Democratic Uprising and related martial law operations, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday. In the Dec. 12 coup, former President Chun Doo-hwan led a rebellion with other officers to seize control of the armed forces. The group later expanded martial law nationwide and deployed troops to suppress pro-democracy protests in the southwestern

2026-07-21 15:01:31:00

Daejeon wins bid to host 2029 Invictus Games

Daejeon has been selected to host the 2029 Invictus Games, making the country the first in Asia to stage the international sporting event for wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans. The Invictus Games Foundation’s board of trustees unanimously selected Daejeon as the host city, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs and the Daejeon city government said Monday. Daejeon was chosen over San Diego in the United States and Aalborg in Denmark. The Games are scheduled to take

2026-07-20 17:55:28:00

North Korea accelerates military buildup across land, sea and space

North Korea appears to be accelerating military modernization across land, sea and space: recent satellite imagery points to new frontline facilities, expanded shipbuilding infrastructure and renewed rocket engine testing. The moves have raised concerns in Seoul that Pyongyang may be stepping up preparations for a possible conflict. Experts, however, say the developments are better understood as an acceleration of North Korea’s longstanding military buildup than as evidence of a sudden change in

2026-07-20 15:29:37:00

N. Korea reaps tungsten windfall but fails to contain inflation: report

North Korea earned a windfall from soaring tungsten prices, largely thanks to China’s tighter export controls on the mineral in the first half of this year, but the gains were too small to offset a sharp slide in its currency and rising inflation, a report showed. Between January and May, North Korea’s exports to China rose to $287 million, up 68 percent on-year from about $171 million. Tungsten ore accounted for $88 million, or nearly one-third of the total, according to a report released last

2026-07-20 13:58:54:00

North Korea appears to have built rocket launcher facilities near DMZ: report

North Korea appears to have constructed multiple storage and maintenance facilities for multiple rocket launchers near the inter-Korean border, according to a report based on commercial satellite imagery. The US-based Radio Free Asia reported Friday that satellite images taken between 2023 and 2025 showed 21 elongated buildings, each about 52 meters long, built at small North Korean military bases south of Kaesong and north of the Han River. The sites are located about 50 kilometers from Seoul i

2026-07-17 17:00:23:00

North Korea threatens Seoul over RIMPAC role

North Korea on Friday denounced South Korea’s leading role in a recent US-led multinational maritime exercise, warning that the drills would trigger “proportional countermeasures” from countries in the region. In a commentary carried by the Korean Central News Agency, Pyongyang accused participants in the Rim of the Pacific Exercise, or RIMPAC, of escalating military tensions in the Pacific. “The reckless acts of international outlaws are bound to prompt a chain of proportional countermeasures b

2026-07-17 16:19:17:00