Audit agency refers ex-security adviser to probe over delayed deployment of THAAD

The state audit agency said Monday that it referred a former national security adviser and three others to the prosecution as they had abused their powers to intentionally delay the deployment of an advanced US missile defense system in a southeastern county. According to the Board of Audit and Inspection, Chung Eui-yong, who also served as foreign minister under the former Moon Jae-in administration, and other senior government officials were found to have intentionally delayed the publication

Nov. 18, 2024

South Korea to launch 3rd spy satellite from Vandenberg base by year-end

The South Korean military is close to launching a third spy satellite, to be a key asset in monitoring North Korea. The third military reconnaissance satellite will be carried into orbit atop Space X’s Falcon 9 rocket, like the first two, around the third week of December from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, according to the Ministry of National Defense on Monday. The upcoming launch is part of the South Korean military’s project to place five reconnaissance satellites

Nov. 18, 2024

S. Korea's homegrown long-range radar approved for combat suitability

A new long-range radar system developed with homegrown technology has been approved for combat suitability, the state arms procurement agency said Monday, with the equipment expected to bolster surveillance of aircraft in the country's air defense identification zone (KADIZ). The new radar system is capable of conducting around-the-clock surveillance in KADIZ and transmitting real-time data to the Air Force's Master Control and Reporting Center, the Defense Acquisition Program Administ

Nov. 18, 2024

Kim Jong-un oversees ‘suicide attack drone’ tests, calls for mass production

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw performance tests of newly developed “suicide attack drones of various types” at a test site on Thursday, where he underscored the urgency of establishing a serial production system “as early as possible” to commence full-scale mass production, North Korean state media reported Friday. The suicide drones, developed by an unnamed institute affiliated with the Unmanned Aerial Technology Complex and other unspecified enterprises, are d

Nov. 15, 2024

[Security Forum] Uncertainties cloud security on Korean Peninsula, experts say

A second Donald Trump administration is expected to bring a slew of uncertainties to the security situation on the Korean Peninsula, which calls for Seoul to bolster its alliance with Washington and find a key role in the US’ potential policy shifts, experts pointed out Wednesday. During a panel discussion at the Korea Herald Security Forum titled "Alliance After US Election 2024: A Seoul Perspective" held at the National Assembly in Seoul, four experts addressed looming concerns

Nov. 14, 2024

Proactive, calm approach needed in response to Trump 2.0

As US President-elect Donald Trump’s second term augurs the resurgence of his "America First" policy, a consistent message resonated at a timely Korea Herald forum: Seoul must forge a strategic pivot, carefully balancing its role as a US ally with its own autonomy and core interests. At the “Alliance After the US Election 2024: A Seoul Perspective” security forum held Wednesday at the National Assembly Museum, a pressing question took center stage: How can South Korea

Nov. 14, 2024

[Herald Interview] 'Korea, don't repeat Hong Kong's mistakes on foreign caregivers'

Fifty-one years ago, during Hong Kong's "golden era" of social reform, then-Gov. Murray MacLehose established a framework to bring in low-wage foreign workers for domestic and care work. This policy aimed to encourage educated, upper- and middle-class local women to enter the workforce — a rationale similar to that of the Seoul city government's foreign caregiver pilot program today. Though now facing different socioeconomic conditions, some South Korean politicians and

Nov. 13, 2024

S. Korea, US, Japan to hold 2nd trilateral Freedom Edge exercise this week

South Korea, the United States and Japan were set to begin their second trilateral multi-domain exercise on Wednesday, the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said, in ongoing efforts to strengthen security cooperation against North Korea amid its deepening alignment with Russia. The three-day exercise will take place in international waters south of South Korea's southern resort island of Jeju, the JCS said, around four months after the inaugural exercise was conducted in accordance with an

Nov. 13, 2024

Yoon launches group to prepare for Trump’s return

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Sunday directed the immediate launch and operation of an ad hoc consultative body spanning finance, trade and industry to prepare for major shifts and potential ramifications expected with the inauguration of the Trump administration’s second term in January. Yoon highlighted that "significant changes in the global economy and security landscape" are expected as the second Trump administration takes office in Washington and sets its policy

Nov. 10, 2024

S. Korea holds live-fire ballistic missile drills after N. Korean missile launches

South Korea fired a Hyunmoo-II surface-to-surface ballistic missile into the Yellow Sea this week in a show of force after North Korea's recent series of missile launches, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Friday. The live-fire exercise took place Thursday in the western coastal county of Taean, 108 kilometers southwest of Seoul, days after North Korea fired short-range ballistic missiles Tuesday and a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) last week. Under a scenario of a North Korean

Nov. 8, 2024

Cyberattacks suspected in Seoul military website glitches

South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense website went down Tuesday afternoon after suffering potential cyberattacks. The Defense Ministry said Wednesday its website was targeted by a suspected distributed denial-of-service attack, which is when service is disrupted by a flood of traffic. The website of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was temporarily inaccessible Wednesday morning, with the Cyber Operations Command investigating whether attacks by foreign sources are responsible. While the JCS

Nov. 6, 2024

Yoon touts defense cooperation between S. Korea, Saudi Arabia

President Yoon Suk Yeol said Tuesday the defense industry cooperation between South Korea and Saudi Arabia will play a pivotal role in advancing the two countries' relations in a broad range of fields. Yoon called the oil-rich country a "key partner" for South Korea's economy and energy security during a meeting with Abdullah bin Bandar Al Saud, Saudi minister of the National Guard, at the presidential office. "The defense collaboration between the two countries would no

Nov. 5, 2024

North Korea fires ballistic missiles hours before US Election Day

North Korea on Tuesday fired short-range ballistic missiles into the sea east of the Korean Peninsula, hours before the US goes to the polls to elect its next president. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a brief announcement the missiles were launched at around 7:30 a.m. from a province south of Pyongyang and traveled 400 kilometers before landing in the waters. South Korean and US military and intelligence officials are analyzing details of the launch, including their type and rang

Nov. 5, 2024

US flies long-range bomber in drill with S. Korea, Japan in reaction to the North's missile test

The United States flew a long-range bomber in a trilateral drill with South Korea and Japan on Sunday in response to North Korea’s recent test-firing of a new intercontinental ballistic missile designed to strike the US mainland, South Korea’s military said. North Korea on Thursday tested the newly developed Hwasong-19 ICBM, which flew higher and stayed in the air longer than any other missile it has fired. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called it “an appropriate military acti

Nov. 3, 2024

Korea Herald to co-host forum on impact of Trump’s return through Seoul’s lens

The Korea Herald will co-host a forum on Nov. 13 to unpack the foreign policy, security, economic and trade implications of Donald Trump’s return to the White House for Seoul and the Korea-US alliance, while exploring strategic responses to tackle emerging challenges and seize new opportunities. The timely forum, titled "Alliance after US Election 2024: A Seoul Perspective," will be held at the National Assembly Museum in partnership with the Bipartisan Forum for Advanced Diplo

Nov. 3, 2024

EU's Borrell vows to advance security, defense ties with S. Korea

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Sunday he will discuss ways to advance the EU's security and defense cooperation with South Korea during his visit to Seoul. Borrell, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, wrote on social media platform X earlier in the day that he arrived in Seoul to co-chair the first Strategic Dialogue with Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul. "Over the past years, we have become even closer partners making signif

Nov. 3, 2024

S. Korea not considering troop dispatch to Ukraine: nat'l security adviser

National Security Adviser Shin Won-sik said Friday that South Korea is "not considering the dispatch of troops to Ukraine at all," amid reports of North Korea's imminent participation in the war to support Russia. Shin made the remark during a parliamentary audit when lawmakers asked him about the possibility of South Korea sending troops to Ukraine. The adviser, however, noted that he believes the deployment of a South Korean team of observers and analysts to Ukraine is essential

Nov. 1, 2024

Allies say 1953 mutual defense treaty extends to cyber, space threats

South Korea and the United States have, for the first time, explicitly confirmed that cyber and space threats to either country could trigger mutual defense actions under their bilateral treaty signed in 1953, which forms the basis of their military alliance. The commitment was outlined in a joint statement following the South Korea-US '2+2' foreign and defense ministerial meeting held Thursday in Washington, notably amid rising concerns over deepening security cooperation between Russia and Nor

Nov. 1, 2024

S. Korea conducts 1st interagency field training against space debris risks

South Korea on Thursday conducted its first interagency field training exercise aimed at coping with potential hazards from space debris, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. The exercise, organized by the JCS, was conducted at the Air Force's 20th Fighter Wing, attended by relevant agencies, including the Korea Aerospace Administration and the National Fire Agency, officials said. Under a scenario of space debris falling on South Korean territory, participating agencies and the military

Oct. 31, 2024

5 days to US election, North Korea fires ICBM with longest flight yet

North Korea fired what could be a new intercontinental ballistic missile toward the sea east of the Korean Peninsula on Thursday, a day after South Korean defense intelligence authorities warned of Pyongyang preparing to stage large-scale provocations in the run-up to the US presidential election. The missile flew for approximately 86 minutes, the longest time of any North Korean missile to date, traveling about 1,000 kilometers before falling into the waters between North Korea and Japan, accor

Oct. 31, 2024