Russia voices concern over Seoul’s growing tilt toward NATO

Russia expressed “serious concern” over what it described as South Korea’s growing tilt toward NATO, warning that Seoul’s expanding military cooperation with the alliance could threaten Russian security. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko conveyed the position during a meeting with South Korean Ambassador to Russia Lee Seok-bae in Moscow on Thursday “The Russian side expressed serious concern over Seoul’s increasing drift toward NATO,” the ministry said

2026-07-17 15:25:45:00

KAI delivers six more T-50i jets to Indonesia, bringing total to 22

Korea Aerospace Industries said Friday it has completed the delivery of six additional T-50i advanced jet trainers to the Indonesian Air Force, bringing the total number supplied to the country to 22. KAI said it received the final acceptance certificate for the aircraft Thursday, completing a contract signed with Indonesia in July 2021. Deliveries began in February this year. Indonesia signed its first contract for 16 T-50i aircraft in 2011, becoming the first overseas customer for the Korean-m

2026-07-17 14:25:50:00

S. Korea, US, Japan military chiefs agree to deepen security cooperation

The top military officers of South Korea, the United States and Japan agreed to deepen trilateral security cooperation, including by continuing their annual multidomain exercise Freedom Edge, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said Thursday. South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Jin Yong-sung met US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine and Japan’s Chief of Staff Gen. Hiroaki Uchikura in Washington on Wednesday for the 23rd trilateral meeting of the three countries’ top military officers

2026-07-16 17:51:43:00

Ruling bloc unveils plan for joint military academy in Daejeon

South Korea’s ruling bloc on Thursday outlined a plan to merge the Army, Navy and Air Force academies into a single institution in Daejeon, as part of the Lee Jae Myung administration’s military reform drive. The move came as the ruling bloc has sought to weaken closed networks within the military following former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s Dec. 3, 2024, declaration of martial law, which involved several senior officers linked through military academies. At a government-ruling party meeting at th

2026-07-16 14:10:44:00

S. Korean military chief pays tribute at Arlington ahead of talks with US, Japan counterparts

South Korea’s top military officer paid tribute at Arlington National Cemetery on Tuesday ahead of a trilateral meeting with his US and Japanese counterparts in Washington. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Jin Yong-sung laid a wreath and paid his respects at the cemetery during his visit to the United States, the JCS said Wednesday. Jin also visited the Korean War Veterans Memorial, where he honored US and other United Nations Command personnel who fought during the 1950-53 Korean War. “South Ko

2026-07-15 15:07:37:00

Daejeon awaits decision to be Asia’s first Invictus Games host city

South Korea is awaiting the result of its bid to host the 2029 Invictus Games, a move that officials here say could help expand support for wounded service members and bring the international sporting event to Asia for the first time. Daejeon is competing against Aalborg in Denmark and San Diego to host the international sporting competition founded by Britain’s Prince Harry for wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans. The Invictus Games Foundation has said the winning city will

2026-07-15 13:56:48:00

China’s No. 4 official to visit North Korea

A Chinese party and government delegation led by Wang Huning, China’s fourth-ranking official, will visit North Korea from Wednesday through Friday, Pyongyang’s state media reported Tuesday. The Korean Central News Agency said the delegation was invited by the Central Committee of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party and the government. Wang is a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and chairman of the National Committee

2026-07-14 13:27:45:00

KF-16s to make 5,900-km nonstop flight for Australia-led air exercise

Six South Korean KF-16 fighter jets will fly about 5,900 kilometers nonstop to Australia with aerial refueling support before joining aircraft from 16 countries in a major multinational air exercise, the Air Force said Tuesday. The aircraft will participate in Exercise Pitch Black 2026, hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force. The South Korean contingent will comprise six KF-16s and about 100 personnel from the 20th Fighter Wing in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, and the 38th Fighter Group

2026-07-14 12:16:02:00

Allies hold 1st tabletop exercise against wartime disinformation

South Korea and the United States held their first joint exercise for countering foreign disinformation and coordinating strategic communications during a crisis last week. According to military officials on Monday, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, US Forces Korea, the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command and the United Nations Command held the exercise at the JCS headquarters in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Thursday. Led by the JCS, the exercise also brought together South Korean officials from the

2026-07-13 14:19:02:00

Missing Navy sailor found dead in East Sea

A South Korean Navy sailor who went missing from a frigate near the eastern maritime border with North Korea was found dead Monday, less than a day after he was reported missing, the Navy said. The Navy said the sailor’s body was found at 5:58 a.m. about 52 kilometers off the coast of Geojin in Goseong, Gangwon Province, and recovered at 6:43 a.m. The body was transferred to another frigate, which was scheduled to arrive at the Navy’s East Sea base later Monday morning. The sailor was not wearin

2026-07-13 13:58:50:00