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UNC objects to push to grant S. Korea control over DMZ access
The United Nations Command on Wednesday objected to a bill seeking to grant the South Korean government control of non-military access to the Demilitarized Zone, underscoring its role as the "administrator" of the military buffer zone between the two Koreas. The rare lengthy statement by the UNC came amid a debate over a bill proposed by ruling party lawmakers earlier this year that calls for granting the government the authority to regulate non-military access to the DMZ, as part of efforts to
Dec. 17, 2025 -
‘Korean-style Talpiot’ defense science officer academy to open next year
The South Korean military plans to launch a new officer academy next year, apparently modeled after Israel’s elite Talpiot program, which trains top science and engineering talent through military service, officials said Tuesday. According to military authorities, the Defense Ministry has drafted an enforcement decree for the Act on the Establishment of the Advanced Defense Science and Technology Officer Academy and has begun the legislative notification process, with the goal of opening the sch
Dec. 16, 2025 -
Lee orders review over national merit designation linked to Jeju Uprising
President Lee Jae Myung has ordered a review aimed at enabling the withdrawal of a national merit designation granted to a late Army colonel linked to the violent suppression of the Jeju April 3 Incident, the presidential office said Monday. According to the presidential office, Lee instructed the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs to reexamine legal and procedural options for revoking the designation, amid mounting criticism over the decision to honor the late Col. Park Jin-kyung. Park w
Dec. 15, 2025 -
Defense Ministry appoints ex-journalist as spokesperson
The Ministry of National Defense on Monday appointed former journalist Chung Bin-na as its new spokesperson. Chung began her journalism career at Yonhap News Agency in 2011 and later covered the Defense Ministry from 2020 to 2022. Until recently, Chung served as Yonhap’s Brussels correspondent, covering the European Union, NATO and the Russia's war in Ukraine, a post she took up in September 2022. The ministry said Chung was selected based on her extensive reporting experience on defense policy
Dec. 15, 2025 -
USFK chief says Seoul must be more realistic about timing of OPCON transition
The highest-ranking military officer of the United States Forces Korea called on the allies to reassess conditions for the transfer of wartime operational control, stressing that the process should not be driven by political timelines. “I know that right now President Lee says he wants to do this during his term of office,” US Gen. Xavier Brunson, also the commander of the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command, said during a webinar hosted by the Korea Defense Veterans Association on Friday. “W
Dec. 12, 2025 -
US reaffirms commitment to extended deterrence for S. Korea
The United States reaffirmed its commitment to providing extended deterrence to South Korea, pledging to employ the full range of its military capabilities — including its nuclear forces — Seoul's Defense Ministry said Friday. The ministry said the allies held the fifth meeting of the Nuclear Consultative Group, their standing consultative body on nuclear deterrence, Thursday in Washington. The meeting was attended by Kim Hong-cheol, deputy minister for national defense policy, and Robert Soofer
Dec. 12, 2025 -
Authority over DMZ access tests Seoul-UNC coordination
South Korea has begun talks with the United Nations Command on authority over access control to the inter-Korean Demilitarized Zone, amid rising complaints in Seoul that the US-led command maintains excessive control over an area primarily secured by South Korean forces. According to local reports Thursday, South Korea’s Ministry of Government Legislation held a closed-door meeting with the UNC last week to discuss a potential change in who authorizes entry into the DMZ. The meeting, however, en
Dec. 11, 2025 -
US House bill seeks to curb unilateral USFK troop cuts
The US House of Representatives on Thursday passed a sweeping annual defense policy bill that would prevent the Trump administration from unilaterally reducing the 28,500-strong US Forces Korea, a move observers say underscores both congressional concern about alliance stability and the need for Seoul to assess Washington’s wider strategic recalibration. The chamber approved the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2026 in a 312-112 vote, sending the $901 billion measure to the Sen
Dec. 11, 2025 -
South Korea, Peru sign landmark defense framework agreement for major ground equipment deal
South Korea and Peru have signed a wide-ranging framework agreement to supply ground equipment to the Peruvian Army, Seoul’s presidential office announced Tuesday. According to the presidential office, the deal outlines Peru’s plan to acquire 195 pieces of ground equipment — 54 K2 main battle tanks and 141 wheeled armored vehicles — through cooperation among the Peruvian Army, South Korean defense contractors and Peru’s state-owned defense firm. Seoul officials said the framework agreement estab
Dec. 10, 2025 -
9 Chinese, Russian military aircraft briefly enter S. Korea's air defense zone: JCS
Nine Chinese and Russian military aircraft briefly entered and left South Korea's air defense identification zone above waters east and south of the country, South Korea's military said Tuesday. Two Chinese military planes and seven Russian aircraft successively entered the KADIZ at around 10 a.m. prompting the military to dispatch Air Force fighter jets in preparation for a possible accidental situation, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. They did not violate South Korea's air space, the J
Dec. 9, 2025 -
'Not enough pay' keeps recruits away at Korean military
More than half of university students say they would apply to become military officers only if the starting salary were between 40 million won ($27,200) and 50 million won, according to survey results recently released by the Republic of Korea Army. The findings come as voluntary departures among junior officers continue to hit record highs, raising concerns about the stability of the armed forces’ personnel structure. The data was presented Sunday at the Army’s development conference, based on
Dec. 8, 2025 -
S. Korea not mulling joint drills as leverage for inter-Korean talks: official
South Korea is not considering adjusting its joint military drills with the United States as part of efforts to resume stalled talks with North Korea, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said Sunday. Wi made the remarks when asked whether Seoul might review the regular exercises with Washington to help revive inter-Korean dialogue, as Pyongyang has dismissed Seoul's overtures since President Lee Jae Myung's first six months in office. "If we are to resume dialogue, we need to consider what car
Dec. 7, 2025 -
Military Service Act violations abroad on the rise, few prosecuted
The number of Korean men violating the Military Service Act by leaving the country has been rising, with most offenders evading legal consequences, according to data from the Military Manpower Administration released Sunday. The data, released by Rep. Hwang Hee of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, showed that the number of such violations rose from 158 in 2021 to 185 in 2022, 196 in 2023, and 197 in 2024. As of October 2025, the number stood at 176. Of the 912 violations recorded since 2021,
Dec. 7, 2025 -
Ethnic diversity in military is rising, but policies lag, exposing troops to bias, barriers
South Korea's military ranks are being filled by a growing number of soldiers from mixed or foreign backgrounds, but discrimination and barriers persist, with preventative measures falling behind the reality. The military first began conscripting sons of international marriages who held Korean citizenship following legal changes in 2010, which removed long-standing restrictions that had limited “mixed-heritage” men to wartime labor service rather than active-duty roles. That year, the number of
Dec. 6, 2025 -
Ministry probes units over unreported Pyongyang leaflet launch accusations
South Korea’s Defense Ministry has launched an investigation into the military’s psychological operations unit over allegations that it distributed anti-North Korea leaflets over the border without notifying higher command last year, officials said Friday. According to military officials, Defense Ministry investigators conducted on-site inspections on Monday at units stationed on islands in the West Sea and along the western front line near the inter-Korean border. Former and current unit comman
Dec. 5, 2025