Army eyes 24-hour child care services for military families

South Korea’s Army is moving to establish a child care support system that would allow the children of active-duty personnel and military civilian employees to receive 24-hour care services. According to military authorities on Monday, the Army has commissioned a research project on a “24-hour child care system for military families,” aimed at building an institutional care framework. The military said that the move is intended to address difficulties service members and military civilian staff

Feb. 10, 2026

Defense ministry to push for special law on building nuclear subs

The defense ministry is pushing to propose a special law supporting the introduction of nuclear-powered submarines, officials said Tuesday, as the United States has allowed South Korea to secure fuel for nuclear-powered submarines. As part of the plan, the ministry recently commissioned a research project on the special law, with an aim to begin procedures to legislate the law as early as in the first half, according to the officials. Given that building a nuclear-powered submarine requires mass

Feb. 10, 2026

Two killed in military helicopter crash

Two South Korean Army helicopter crew members were killed Monday after a military helicopter crashed during a training exercise in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province. The crash occurred at around 11:04 a.m. when an AH-1S Cobra attack helicopter belonging to a battalion under the Army’s 15th Aviation Group went down for reasons yet to be determined, according to military officials. The helicopter was conducting emergency procedures training at the time of the accident. The drill simulates abnormal fligh

Feb. 9, 2026

First female deputy commander named to allies' Combined Division

Brig. Gen. Moon Han-ok of the South Korean Army has assumed the post of deputy commander of the Korea-US Combined Division, becoming the first female general to hold the Korean position, the military said Monday. Under the binational unit, South Korean and US forces form a single combat division in the event of a contingency and conduct joint operations. The division commander is a US major general, while the deputy commander is a South Korean brigadier general. Moon, commissioned in 1997, has b

Feb. 9, 2026

S. Korea, US stage regular joint aerial exercise this week at Osan Air Base

The South Korean and US air forces will kick off a joint aerial exercise this week in a bid to enhance interoperability, the South's armed forces said Monday. The Buddy Squadron exercise will take place at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, some 65 kilometers south of Seoul, from Monday through Friday, according to the Air Force. It will involve South Korea's KF-16 fighter jets and the US F-16 fighters, along with the F-35A fighter jet and the FA-50 light attack fighter, to be deployed for a combined

Feb. 9, 2026

Seoul’s defense chief to attend Saudi defense show, hold talks

South Korea’s Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back will travel to Saudi Arabia on Friday to attend the World Defense Show and to hold talks with top Saudi defense officials, Seoul’s Ministry of National Defense said Thursday. Ahn will be accompanied by Air Force chief of staff Gen. Son Sug-rag. During the trip, scheduled from Friday to Feb. 10, Ahn will meet with Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman Al Saud and Minister of the National Guard Abdullah bin Bandar Al Saud. According to Seoul’s Defense

Feb. 5, 2026

Cho, US energy chief stress progress on nuclear submarines, as trade tensions cloud outlook

Seoul and Washington reaffirmed the need to accelerate progress on civilian uranium enrichment, spent nuclear fuel reprocessing and nuclear-powered submarines during talks between Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and US Energy Secretary Chris Wright in Washington, even as unresolved trade tensions cast uncertainty over the pace of broader strategic cooperation. Recent high-level diplomatic talks have yielded little progress on trade issues, while Seoul officials say Washington is reviewing steps to for

Feb. 5, 2026

Defense Ministry calls for joint management of DMZ with UNC

South Korea's Defense Ministry confirmed Thursday that consultations regarding joint management of the demilitarized zone with the United Nations Command are underway. At present, the UNC is the sole body managing affairs related to the Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas. The confirmation came after local reports said that Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back had proposed to UNC Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson that the two sides jointly manage the DMZ. According to the reports, the ministry propo

Feb. 5, 2026

Hanwha Aerospace proposes ground defense solutions to Canadian minister

Hanwha Aerospace, a South Korean defense company, proposed an integrated ground defense solution to Canada's defense procurement minister during his visit to the company's production facilities on Tuesday, the company said. Stephen Fuhr, Canada's secretary of state for defense procurement, visited Hanwha Aerospace's plants in Changwon, about 360 kilometers south of Seoul, following a visit to Hanwha Ocean's shipyard in Geoje the previous day. The visit was aimed at assessing South Korea's defens

Feb. 3, 2026

Defense chief stresses air defense, anti-terror readiness

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back on Monday visited the command in charge of defending the capital area to inspect military readiness for air defense, counterterrorism and other contingencies, the defense ministry said. Ahn made the visit to the Capital Defense Command in southern Seoul, where he urged the command to focus on its "innate mission" in order to restore public trust, according to the ministry. "Now is the time to move beyond the scars of the Dec. 3 insurrection and, with a spirit of sel

Feb. 2, 2026

Bipartisan military AI bill proposed at National Assembly

South Korea’s first bill dedicated to military artificial intelligence was introduced Monday at the National Assembly, as bipartisan lawmakers moved to establish a legal framework for defense AI. In the bill’s preamble, lawmakers describe artificial intelligence as “a core foundation of national competitiveness,” noting that in the defense sector it is emerging as a key factor shaping future military capabilities. The bill added that AI is expected to “drive innovation in military operations, en

Feb. 2, 2026

S. Korea, Japan defense chiefs agree to deepen ties: ministry

South Korea and Japan have agreed to hold annual defense ministerial talks, reaffirming their commitment to closer security cooperation amid a deteriorating regional security environment, Seoul’s Defense Ministry said Friday. According to the ministry, the agreement was reached during a meeting between South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and Japanese Defense Minister Koizumi Shinjiro in Tokyo on Friday. The ministry said the ministers underscored "the importance of advancing bilateral def

Jan. 30, 2026

Army’s new drone unit raises efficiency concerns

South Korea’s Army has launched a new drone unit, marking the first newly established drone-related unit across the armed forces since a Defense Ministry advisory panel proposed dismantling the Drone Operations Command, a joint body integrating the Army, Navy and Air Force. According to the military on Friday, the Army held a launch ceremony Wednesday for the so-called drone unit under the 11th Infantry Division. The unit, at the company level, is described by the Army as an experimental formati

Jan. 30, 2026

New rotational US Stryker unit arrives in Korea

A new US rotational force employing the Stryker armored fighting vehicle has arrived in South Korea earlier this week, the US Forces Korea said Thursday. Soldiers from the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team of the 2nd Infantry Division arrived at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, about 60 kilometers south of Seoul, on Tuesday as part of a routine troop rotation, according to the USFK. The transition "supports an enduring presence in the ROK and reinforces readiness in the Indo-Pacific region," the USFK

Jan. 29, 2026

UNC voices concern over ruling party-backed DMZ bill

The United Nations Command, a US-general-led unit that oversees affairs within the Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas, on Wednesday raised concerns over a ruling party-backed bill aimed at expanding South Korea's authority over access to the area. The bill, introduced in August last year by ruling Democratic Party of Korea Reps. Lee Jae-gang and Han Jeoung-ae, seeks to allow the South Korean government to actively utilize the DMZ for nonmilitary, peaceful purposes, including inter-Korean

Jan. 28, 2026