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Korea stages defense drills near Dokdo for 1st time this year

The Korean Navy on Thursday conducted defense drills near the country's easternmost islets of Dokdo, marking the first such exercise this year, the armed service said. "Our military has conducted East Sea defense drills on a regular basis each year," the Navy said, adding the exercise was aimed at responding to threats against the country's territory, people and property. The latest exercise was similar in scale and method compared to previous drills, according to the Navy. It marked the third such exercise under President Lee Jae Myung. The drills came days after Japan renewed its territorial claim to Dokdo in its latest defense white paper, prompting Seoul's foreign ministry to lodge a protest. The Japanese government has long protested against the drills near Dokdo in the past.

Aug 6, 2026By Yonhap
Korea stages defense drills near Dokdo for 1st time this year

To match soldiers' tastes, military brings wider ice cream selection to barracks

For a young conscript enduring the muggy heat of Korean summer, few moments in basic training rival the quiet comfort of a cold dessert. But for decades, that brief respite came with a mandatory catch: you ate whatever single, government-contracted ice cream bar landed in your mess hall, whether you liked it or not. Now, in a subtle yet telling sign of how Korea’s armed forces are adapting to a new generation of recruits, the military is giving soldiers something rarely associated with military life: freedom of choice. The Public Procurement Service said Thursday it is scrapping its long-standing single-vendor contract system for military ice cream. In its place, the agency is introducing a multisupplier contract framework that allows individual military units to order a tailored roster of popular commercial treats directly through an internal procurement marketplace. The policy shift is aimed squarely at satisfying the changing palates of Gen Z recruits. Today's soldiers, born around the turn of the millennium, grew up in one of the world's most competitive food markets, where conven

Aug 6, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
To match soldiers' tastes, military brings wider ice cream selection to barracks

US Marines hold first FPV suicide drone live-fire drill in Korea

POCHEON, Gyeonggi Province — A voice over the radio quietly called out, “Splash.” About three seconds later, an explosion echoed across Rodriguez Live-Fire Complex as a first-person view (FPV) attack drone slammed into a target about 2.5 kilometers from the observation post. The U.S. Marine Corps on Wednesday publicly conducted its first live-fire exercise with FPV attack drones on the Korean Peninsula, using the Neros Archer as part of the Korea Marine Exchange program (KMEP). Marines from the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment launched six quadcopter-style drones, all six of which struck targets about 900 meters away. Operated in hit-to-kill mode, the explosive-laden drones were designed to crash directly into their targets, effectively functioning as one-way attack, or "suicide," drones. They were guided through onboard cameras until impact, allowing operators and reporters at the observation post to watch the flights in real time from the drones’ perspective before the video feed cut out abruptly. Roughly the size of a backpack, the Neros Archer has a maximum range of 25 kilo

Aug 6, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
US Marines hold first FPV suicide drone live-fire drill in Korea

Korea seeks to set OPCON transfer timeline at October security talks with US

Korea is seeking to set a target year for wartime operational control (OPCON) transfer from Washington to Seoul during a Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) with the U.S. this October, the Ministry of National Defense said Wednesday. The move follows earlier attempts by the Korean government to complete the transfer by 2028 or even as early as the end of 2027 — a push that has drawn concern from U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), which firmly maintains the position that the transfer should remain conditions-based. The ministry presented the plan to President Lee Jae Myung during a policy briefing at the presidential office in Seoul. It said it would complete the road map for OPCON transition in the second half of the year and seek a decision on the target year at the 58th SCM. It will also report the results of its assessment of Full Operational Capability (FOC), the second stage of the three-stage transfer conditions, and seek certification of second-stage completion. Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said the two countries had built consensus on accelerating the transfer through high-level consul

Aug 5, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
Korea seeks to set OPCON transfer timeline at October security talks with US

Veterans ministry to expand state awards to independence activists

The veterans ministry said Wednesday it will seek to identify more independence activists who have yet to be recognized for their role in achieving Korea's independence from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule and award state honors to them. In a policy briefing to President Lee Jae Myung, the ministry said it plans to award more than 600 independence activists previously not recognized by the state, up from 502 in 2025, according to the ministry. The government is also pushing to reassess the contributions of independence activists by reviewing newly discovered achievements and granting additional state honors based on the findings. "Given that times have changed, I suggested that it may be necessary to revisit the criteria as well," Veterans Minister Kwon Oh-eul told a press briefing on Monday. The ministry is reviewing focusing the reassessment on independence activists who were awarded the Order of the President or the Order of Independence before the 1970s, when historical records and relevant research were insufficient. There are currently about 18,000 people who have been awarded state h

Aug 5, 2026By Yonhap
Veterans ministry to expand state awards to independence activists

White House opposes House defense bill provision restricting use of funds for USFK troop cut

WASHINGTON — The White House has expressed its opposition to a provision in an annual defense policy bill that would further restrict the use of funds for reducing the number of U.S. troops stationed in Korea, according to a recent policy statement sent to Congress. In the July 21 document, its Office of Management and Budget (OMB) took issue with several provisions in the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2027, including one concerning U.S. force posture in Korea, arguing that they seek to limit the president's "decision-making" authority. "The Administration strongly opposes sections 1231, 1232, 1233, and 1247 which purport to restrict the President and the Secretary of War's decision-making ability with regard to U.S. global force posture at large," the OMB said in the statement. Of the provisions, Section 1247 concerns the oversight of U.S. military posture on the Korean Peninsula. It contains language that tightens restrictions on the use of funds to curtail the number of U.S. Forces Korea troops below the current 28,500. The White Hous

Aug 5, 2026By Yonhap
White House opposes House defense bill provision restricting use of funds for USFK troop cut

Lost in translation no more: Korea's military unveils multilingual guide for recruits

Learning how to march in sync, fold a uniform with precision and salute with crisp authority is a rite of passage for every young military recruit. But for those who grew up overseas or come from multicultural homes, Korea’s armed forces present an extra, unexpectedly tricky drill: decoding a whole new dialect of military jargon. To help these soldiers hit the ground running, the Ministry of National Defense unveiled a surprisingly approachable fix, Wednesday: a user-friendly military glossary designed specifically to cut through the language barrier. Titled the "Easy-to-Understand Barracks Life Glossary," the guide breaks down 562 essential military terms — ranging from daily basics like "jeomho" (evening roll call) and "gyeongnye" (salute) to tactical training lingo like "yeongjeom-sagyeok" (zeroing a rifle) — into plain, accessible Korean. Crucially, each entry is translated into five languages: English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Spanish and Japanese. To keep things intuitive — and far from a dry rulebook — 231 of the terms feature playful webtoon-style illustrations. The initia

Aug 5, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Lost in translation no more: Korea's military unveils multilingual guide for recruits

Lee cites coup risk from Army elite, calls for swift integration of military academies

President Lee Jae Myung said Wednesday the Army academy has been behind all military coups in South Korea, while remaining largely unaccountable, calling for the swift integration of military academies to reduce the risk of another coup. The president made the remarks while receiving policy briefings from the foreign, unification and defense ministries, as the government seeks to unify the academies of the Army, Navy and Air Force into a single institution. Lee pointed out that graduates from the Korea Military Academy had been behind all of the country's military coups, but that the academy had not been held to account so far. The president, in particular, noted the risk of another coup by Army elites, saying, "Can't they do it again in the future?" "Is it acceptable to separate military branches and nurture them separately when one branch comes to overwhelmingly dominate the military, stages a coup that shakes the country and still remains unaccountable?" he said, adding that integrating the military academies could reduce the possibility. Lee's remarks came as the defense ministry is s

Aug 5, 2026By Yonhap
Lee cites coup risk from Army elite, calls for swift integration of military academies

Marine Corps conducting probe into firearms, ammunition system following gun incident

The Marine Corps said Wednesday it is examining the overall conditions of firearms and ammunition management systems at an amphibious unit on the southeastern coast, after a fatal gun incident raised concerns over firearms being taken off base undetected. A noncommissioned officer with the 1st Marine Division was found dead on Monday with a gunshot wound at an off-base housing unit in Pohang, located about 270 kilometers southeast of Seoul. No signs of forced entry or a struggle were found at the scene, confirming the death was caused by a gunshot wound with no indications of foul play, the Marine Corps said in a statement. The Marine Corps said it is working with relevant law enforcement agencies to determine how the deceased marine could remove the weapon from the base, by reviewing the surveillance footage and access logs. "We take this incident very seriously. We will review firearms and ammunition control systems and the unit management, and take measures to prevent a recurrence," it said.

Aug 5, 2026By Yonhap
Marine Corps conducting probe into firearms, ammunition system following gun incident

Army nearly downed military drone during flight test: lawmaker

A front-line Army unit nearly shot down a South Korean military drone during a flight test earlier this week, an opposition lawmaker said Tuesday, just days after the same unit mistook a U.S. spy drone for an enemy threat. The 1st Army Corps, based along the western front bordering North Korea, issued an air defense alert and stood ready to shoot down the drone as it flew through airspace under its jurisdiction Monday, Rep. Sung Il-jong of the main opposition People Power Party said in a press conference at the National Assembly. The drone was with the Army Test and Evaluation Group conducting a flight test. The test group had notified the 1st Corps of its plan to carry out the trial in advance, the lawmaker claimed. The incident followed a similar mishap involving the same unit and the U.S. military, in which the 1st Corps mistook a U.S. drone for a potential threat due to a communication mix-up and mobilized artillery to take it down. The commander of the 1st Corps has been relieved of duty pending a disciplinary evaluation related to the U.S. drone incident and other issues. Calling th

Aug 4, 2026By Yonhap
Army nearly downed military drone during flight test: lawmaker
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