The Korea Times

'Our secret sauce': Why KATUSA program is backbone of Korea-US military alliance

CAMP CASEY, Gyeonggi Province — Within the 2nd Infantry Division, service as a Korean Augmentation to the U.S. Army (KATUSA) is widely seen as more than just a supporting role. It provides a daily link between American and Korean soldiers and continues to shape relationships long after service ends. Maj. Gen. Charles Lombardo, commanding general of the division, described KATUSA as an essential part of the unit. “They are our secret sauce. They’re our superpower,” he told The Korea Times in an interview at Camp Casey, March 20. He noted that KATUSAs are embedded across the formation, working alongside U.S. soldiers at nearly every level. “Think about the relationships that are strengthened beyond service. There’s a KATUSA with every squad," he said. For Lombardo, their role extends beyond communication and administrative support. They are a defining element of how the combined division operates, helping build trust and cohesion between the two forces. That impact often continues well beyond military service. Kim Jong-wook, headquarters director of the Korea Defense Veterans Ass

Mar 31, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji

'Our secret sauce': Why KATUSA program is backbone of Korea-US military alliance

At Camp Casey, US general commands troops on field named after Korean War hero great-uncle

Politics

Kim Boo-kyum declares Daegu mayoral bid, calls for break with PPP

Former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum announced Monday that he will run for mayor of Daegu in the June 3 local elections, urging voters in the conservative stronghold to rethink their long-standing political alignment. Speaking at a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul, Kim said, “I have decided to once again challenge the Daegu mayoral race,” framing his candidacy as part of a wider effort to address regional imbalance and political stagnation. “Overcoming regionalism and achieving balanced national development is my final political mission,” he said. Kim said he had been urged to run since last fall but initially hesitated. “I felt it would be shameful to avoid this responsibility,” he said. “In the end, the responsibility I must bear lies with Daegu.” He also sharply criticized the People Power Party (PPP), which has long dominated politics in the city. “Daegu has effectively been controlled by a single party, and that has led to a lack of competition,” Kim said. “In a system where party nominations all but ensure victory, politicians have little incent

Mar 30, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji

Kim Boo-kyum declares Daegu mayoral bid, calls for break with PPP

Politics

PPP infighting deepens as ruling party pushes into conservative strongholds

The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) is entering the June 3 local elections with its nomination process still unsettled, as internal disputes continue to spill into the open. At the same time, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is widening its focus to conservative regions, sensing an opportunity. The sharpest turbulence inside the PPP is centered on the Daegu mayoral race. Rep. Joo Ho-young, who was cut from the primary, has taken the matter to court. Others have staged hunger strikes or are shaving their heads in protest against the nomination committee's decisions. The dispute has not remained confined to the race itself. Instead, it has spread across the party, raising questions about how the nominations were handled and who is really in control. The polling numbers are also dropping. A Gallup Korea survey released this week showed the PPP’s approval rating at 19 percent. This marks the first time under the current leadership that the party has fallen below 20 percent. The same survey also showed that in the Daegu and North Gyeongsang region, long considered the party

Mar 29, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji

PPP infighting deepens as ruling party pushes into conservative strongholds

Politics

More than 20% of senior presidential aides own multiple homes

More than one in five senior presidential aides were found to own multiple homes, highlighting a gap between President Lee Jae Myung’s hardline housing policymaking directive and the reality within his own office. According to data released Thursday by the Government Public Ethics Committee, 10 out of 47 senior aides at the presidential office — those at the senior secretary or secretary level — owned two or more homes as of the end of last year, accounting for 21.3 percent. Among them, two of 11 senior secretaries and eight of 33 secretaries were classified as multi-home owners. Kim Sang-ho, chief press secretary, reported owning seven properties, the highest number among the aides. Other senior aides were found to hold multiple apartments or mixed-use residential buildings in Seoul and surrounding areas. The number rises further when broader real estate holdings are included. When officetels, commercial buildings and partial ownership of housing units are counted, 18 aides — or 38.3 percent — were found to hold multiple properties, highlighting the extent of real estate expos

Mar 26, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji

More than 20% of senior presidential aides own multiple homes

Where to draw line on Lee's push to bar officials with multiple homes from housing policymaking?

Defense

Korea weighs noncombat role in Hormuz tension

The Korean government is leaning toward offering diplomatic and other nonmilitary support for freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, rather than sending troops, amid Washington's growing pressure for allies to help stabilize shipping routes in the region. A senior official of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea said Monday that the government’s position on the issue is taking shape gradually, pointing to Korea’s participation in a joint statement led by seven countries as a key example. The foreign ministry said earlier that Korea joined the statement initiated by the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands and Canada, which strongly condemned Iran’s effective closure of the strait and attacks on civilian vessels and energy infrastructure. The official added that Seoul has consistently stressed the importance of safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz and will continue to respond in a measured manner. The presidential office said high-level consultations with the U.S. and other countries are ongoing through multiple channels. At the same time, Seou

Mar 23, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji

Korea weighs noncombat role in Hormuz tension

Defense

Korea ramps up bid for Canada's $44 bil. submarine deal

Korea is ramping up efforts to secure Canada’s submarine procurement project, with Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) Minister Lee Yong-cheol saying the outcome remains too close to call. “It is difficult to say at this point whether we will win or lose,” Lee said during a press briefing at MND Center in Yongsan, Seoul, Thursday. Still, he emphasized the strategic importance of the project, noting that a successful bid could significantly elevate Korea’s position in the global defense market. “If we secure the deal, it could fundamentally change the landscape of Korea’s defense industry,” he said. Canada is seeking to replace its aging submarine fleet with up to 12 next-generation vessels under a project estimated at around 60 billion Canadian dollars ($43.7 billion). Korea and Germany have emerged as the leading contenders, with Berlin proposing an industrial package that combines submarine sales with automotive and battery investments, in line with Ottawa’s push to attract broader manufacturing investment alongside defense contracts. The Canadian submarine

Mar 20, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji

Korea ramps up bid for Canada's $44 bil. submarine deal

Defense

Drone warfare poses new security threats to South Korea, experts warn

North Korea is rapidly absorbing drone warfare tactics and combat experience through its participation in Russia's war against Ukraine, raising new security concerns for South Korea, experts said Thursday. They warned that the growing role of low-cost unmanned systems is reshaping modern warfare and could directly affect the security environment on the Korean Peninsula. The remarks were made at a seminar hosted by Rep. Yu Yong-weon of the People Power Party at the National Assembly in Seoul. The event brought together Ukrainian and South Korean security experts to assess how recent conflicts are transforming the nature of warfare. Yu said the global security environment is undergoing what he described as a fundamental shift, with unmanned systems emerging as a central driver of change on the battlefield. He pointed to cases in which relatively inexpensive drones are used to destroy high-value targets, noting that such developments are challenging long-standing assumptions about military power and deterrence. “The rules of warfare are being rewritten,” Yu said, emphasizing that the gap

Mar 19, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji

Drone warfare poses new security threats to South Korea, experts warn

Defense

Korea's Hormuz deployment, if decided, could take up to 3 months

Should Korea decide to send a mine countermeasure vessel to the Strait of Hormuz, just reaching the area could take three months or longer, military officials said, highlighting the operational challenges facing any potential naval deployment. Officials familiar with the matter said that even if a decision is made, the timeline and preparation for getting assets into position would be shaped not only by the challenges of transit, but also by the difficulties of moving vessels through a high-risk environment. While some have raised the possibility of redirecting the Cheonghae Unit — currently operating in the Gulf of Aden — to the Hormuz mission, the unit is not equipped with the mine-sweeping helicopters needed to safely operate in a mine-threat environment. Deploying a dedicated mine countermeasure vessel or an Aegis destroyer from a Korean port would therefore require a separate deployment process. “One thing is sending a vessel, but once you factor in mine-clearing operations in the area, the situation becomes far more complicated,” a defense ministry official said. Another of

Mar 18, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji

Korea's Hormuz deployment, if decided, could take up to 3 months

People & Events

Off-duty firefighter saves co-passenger on honeymoon return flight

A firefighter rushed to help a passenger who collapsed just minutes before takeoff on a flight home from his honeymoon, quickly recognizing the emergency and restoring her breathing. According to the Haenam Fire Station in South Jeolla Province, Jeong Mu-woong, a 34-year-old firefighter assigned to a 119 safety center in Haenam, encountered the emergency on Feb. 14 aboard a flight from Sydney to Incheon. A Korean woman in her 40s suddenly collapsed after showing seizure-like symptoms and lost consciousness, as flight attendants prepared to perform CPR. Jeong immediately checked her pulse and determined that she was not in cardiac arrest but that her airway was blocked by her tongue. “With cases like this, every second matters,” Jeong said. “I focused on securing the airway first because breathing had to be restored quickly.” With the patient’s jaw stiffened following the seizure, he used a jaw-thrust maneuver to open her airway. He then worked with a nurse on board and used a device to keep her airway open and help maintain her breathing. The passenger regained spontaneous breath

Mar 18, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji

Off-duty firefighter saves co-passenger on honeymoon return flight

Politics

PPP reform drive questioned as incumbents cut while Seoul mayor is courted

The People Power Party's (PPP) local election nomination committee is facing criticism for its contradictory approach — barring incumbents from the race in some regions while repeatedly reopening registration in Seoul to recruit current Mayor Oh Se-hoon. This inconsistency has fueled concerns that the main opposition party’s “reform” drive may be motivated more by internal political calculations than by a desire to be more competitive. The party’s committee on Monday decided to cut off incumbent North Chungcheong Governor Kim Young-hwan from the nomination process and reopen candidate registration before selecting a final nominee. This is the first time the committee had excluded a current metropolitan-level head since its launch. Nomination committee chief Lee Jung-hyun defended the decision, saying the party must show voters a willingness to change rather than settling for stability. “What the PPP needs to demonstrate is not politics as usual, but politics that shakes itself up and transforms,” Lee told reporters, emphasizing the need for political renewal. Kim immediately

Mar 17, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji

Bahk Eun-ji

Read more

'Our secret sauce': Why KATUSA program is backbone of Korea-US military alliance

Kim Boo-kyum declares Daegu mayoral bid, calls for break with PPP

PPP infighting deepens as ruling party pushes into conservative strongholds

More than 20% of senior presidential aides own multiple homes

Korea weighs noncombat role in Hormuz tension

Korea ramps up bid for Canada's $44 bil. submarine deal

Drone warfare poses new security threats to South Korea, experts warn

Korea's Hormuz deployment, if decided, could take up to 3 months

Off-duty firefighter saves co-passenger on honeymoon return flight

PPP reform drive questioned as incumbents cut while Seoul mayor is courted

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