S. Korean response team begins Nepal mission to locate 9 missing Koreans

South Korea's rapid response team began operations in Nepal on Friday to help locate nine South Koreans missing after massive flooding hit a hydropower plant construction site, marking the start of Seoul's on-site response. The 11-member team, led by Lim Sang-woo, the Foreign Ministry's representative for consular affairs and the protection of Koreans overseas, arrived in Kathmandu late Thursday and began coordinating with South Korean Embassy officials and Nepalese authorities. The ministry sai

2026-08-28 16:57:32:00

South Korea, US, Japan trilateral drill to go ahead as planned despite Trump‘s outreach to Pyongyang

The annual Freedom Edge exercise — a trilateral drill among South Korea, Japan and the US — will be conducted from Sept. 7 to 11 as scheduled, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Friday. According to the JCS, Freedom Edge is a defensive exercise designed to strengthen the three countries' ability to respond to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and safeguard peace and stability in the region. Freedom Edge is a regular multidomain trilateral exercise whose name combines elements of Ulchi Fr

2026-08-28 10:55:26:00

S. Korea opens first sea trial of homegrown suicide drone

BUSAN — South Korea's homegrown suicide drone may have proved itself on land. At sea, it was not quite ready. On Tuesday, the Agency for Defense Development and the South Korean Navy opened the first maritime trial of the domestically developed medium-sized suicide drone to the media aboard the ROKS Marado, a 14,500-ton Dokdo-class amphibious assault ship, in waters south of Busan. The ADD is a state-run defense research agency responsible for developing weapons systems and related technologies

2026-08-26 15:03:24:00

[Key Points] Trump-Kim outreach raises new nuclear risks for Seoul

Trump-Kim reset: Renewed outreach from US President Donald Trump could revive direct diplomacy with Kim Jong-un. Experts expect talks to focus on limiting North Korea’s arsenal rather than immediate denuclearization. Nuclear goals narrow: Washington may increasingly favor freezing nuclear production and pursuing gradual reductions, reflecting doubts that complete denuclearization remains achievable. Pyongyang holds leverage: Stronger military ties with Russia and closer relations with China have

2026-08-24 16:57:45:00

Trump's outreach to Kim signals pragmatic shift in nuclear policy: experts

US President Donald Trump's renewed outreach to North Korea may reflect a broader shift already underway in Washington toward a more pragmatic approach to Pyongyang's nuclear arsenal, potentially leaving Seoul with little to gain, experts say. Kim Young-ho, a professor of security policy at Korea National Defense University, said US President Donald Trump's renewed interest in meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un should not be seen as a sudden shift. "North Korea was probably on his agenda fr

2026-08-24 15:24:45:00

US should take lead in N. Korea talks, switching 2018 roles with Seoul: expert

The United States should take the lead in engaging North Korea, while South Korea should take a supporting role rather than trying to work as the intermediary as it did eight years ago, a Seoul-based expert has said. Lee Sang-sin, director of the Unification Policy Research Division at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said the approach taken in 2018 would be difficult to repeat now, after Pyongyang has cut off all communication with Seoul. The institute is a state-funded think tank

2026-08-23 14:34:46:00

N. Korea to send more troops to Russia, but deployment not imminent: Seoul

North Korea is preparing for a possible additional troop deployment to Russia, but no signs of an imminent deployment have been detected, South Korea's military intelligence agency said Sunday. In a report submitted to Rep. Yu Yong-weon of the People Power Party, the Defense Intelligence Agency under the Defense Ministry said preparations within the North Korean military for a potential additional deployment have continued. "North Korea continues preparations for a troop deployment, but no signs

2026-08-23 10:46:26:00

[Key Points] Trump’s ‘57 nukes’ claim raises questions over changes to North Korea strategy

Number draws scrutiny: Trump said North Korea has “57 very powerful nuclear weapons,” an unusually precise figure that he did not source or define. In April, he had put the arsenal at 45. Estimates run higher: South Korean officials estimate Pyongyang may possess roughly 80-120 nuclear weapons, while a KIDA researcher previously projected 127-150 based on fissile-material production. Language signals shift: Trump’s matter-of-fact description of North Korea’s arsenal, coupled with repeated refere

2026-08-20 20:14:02:00

North Korea fires over 10 SRBMs from Pyongyang toward East Sea: JCS

North Korea launched more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Thursday, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The JCS said it detected the launches from the Pyongyang area at around 5 p.m. Thursday. The missiles flew about 300 kilometers, but their specific type was not immediately disclosed. The military said South Korean and US intelligence authorities had tracked and shared information on the launches from the initial stage, while also sharing information on the

2026-08-20 17:26:48:00

What is behind Trump's claim of '57 North Korean nuclear weapons'?

US President Donald Trump's claim that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un possesses "57 very powerful nuclear weapons" is drawing attention not only for its unusually specific figure, but also for what it could signal ahead of a possible meeting between the two leaders later this year. Trump's remarks treated North Korea's nuclear arsenal as a reality, while stressing his personal relationship with Kim. "The fact that I get along with him — that's a good thing, not a bad thing. He has 57 very power

2026-08-20 15:17:22:00