North Korea behind two-thirds of global crypto stolen in H1: report

North Korea-linked hacking groups were responsible for about two-thirds of cryptocurrency stolen worldwide in the first half of this year, a report by San Francisco-based blockchain analysis firm TRM Labs showed Friday. According to the report, North Korea-linked actors stole $643 million worth of cryptocurrency during the January-June period, accounting for 66.2 percent of the $972 million in global crypto hack losses. TRM Labs attributed much of the stolen value to two major decentralized fina

2026-07-03 13:40:48:00

Army vows improved safety after reservist’s death in training

South Korea’s Army pledged Thursday to strengthen safety controls and medical support for reservists during training, after concluding that a reservist who died during a mobilization exercise in May had died from a preexisting medical condition. The announcement came amid growing public criticism of the military’s handling of the case. A public petition calling for the impeachment of Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, uploaded on June 18, had gained more than 260,000 signatures as of Thursday. The p

2026-07-02 14:15:31:00

Indonesia completes payment for KF-21 joint development

Indonesia has paid its share of costs for the joint development of South Korea’s KF-21 fighter jet, Seoul officials said Tuesday. According to South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration, Indonesia completed payment of its 600 billion won ($387 million) contribution to the KF-21 project on June 25. The payment came after Jakarta pledged earlier this year to settle the remaining 64 billion won by the end of June. Indonesia had paid about 536 billion won as of April. The 600 billion w

2026-06-30 11:19:10:00

Military investigation agency seeks stronger oversight under reform

South Korea's military investigative agency has commissioned a policy study on democratic oversight as it prepares to assume broader investigative powers following the breakup of the Defense Counterintelligence Command, officials said Monday. According to military sources, the Criminal Investigation Command, an agency under the Defense Ministry, recently launched a research project to examine control mechanisms after it absorbs the DDC's security investigation unit. The move comes as the Crimina

2026-06-29 15:23:56:00

Assembly petition demanding impeachment of Lee collects over 100,000 signatures

The number of signatures that a National Assembly petition calling for President Lee Jae Myung’s impeachment collected has surpassed 100,000 signatures in two days as of Sunday. Under the Assembly’s public petition system, a petition that gains at least 50,000 signatures within 30 days is formally referred to the relevant standing committee. The committee may decide whether to refer the petition to the plenary session. Despite meeting the criteria, it is unlikely the petition will lead to an imp

2026-06-28 17:28:01:00

S. Korea, Japan defense chiefs sidestep logistics pact

The defense chiefs of South Korea and Japan on Sunday agreed to continue bilateral and trilateral security cooperation with the United States, while avoiding any mention of a politically sensitive military logistics pact that Tokyo has long sought. South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and his Japanese counterpart Shinjiro Koizumi “reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of permanent peace,” while agreeing to continue bilate

2026-06-28 15:09:49:00

Just 3 of 26 S. Korean-operated vessels still stuck in gulf

Two more South Korean-operated vessels have exited the Strait of Hormuz, Seoul’s Oceans Ministry said Sunday, leaving only three Korean ships inside the Persian Gulf after weeks of disruption caused by war in the Middle East. At the outbreak of the conflict, 26 South Korean-operated ships were stranded in the Gulf. As of Sunday, a total of 23 vessels had transited the key waterway, all of which were planning to exit immediately after a ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran. Acco

2026-06-28 11:08:43:00

No Korean casualties reported in Venezuela earthquake: Seoul

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday expressed condolences to those affected by a recent earthquake in Venezuela, saying it was checking whether any Korean nationals had been affected. Speaking to reporters at the ministry headquarters in Seoul, ministry spokesperson Park Il offered sympathy to the Venezuelan government and people. “We extend our condolences to the government and people of Venezuela over the severe damage caused by the earthquake, and express our deepest sympathy to the vi

2026-06-25 17:14:20:00

Why Seoul, UNC see North Korea's DMZ activities differently

South Korea and the United Nations Command's interpretations of North Korea's recent activities inside the Demilitarized Zone reflect contrasting views of what constitutes a violation of the 1953 Armistice Agreement. The disagreement centers on North Korea's construction of fences, road repairs, land clearing and suspected mine-laying inside the 4-kilometer-wide buffer zone surrounding the Military Demarcation Line, the de facto border between the two Koreas. Seoul says the work, particularly wh

2026-06-25 15:02:00:00

Opposition piles pressure on defense minister as impeachment petition tops 150,000 signatures

The main opposition People Power Party on Wednesday stepped up pressure on Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, calling for his dismissal as two public petitions opposing his reform drive gained traction at the National Assembly. One petition, posted on the National Assembly’s public petition system on June 18, calls for Ahn’s impeachment over his push to dissolve the Defense Counterintelligence Command and the ministry’s handling of the death of a reservist during training in May. It had drawn more t

2026-06-24 14:36:54:00