Defense chiefs of S. Korea, US, Japan also to meet after NK’s failed satellite launch

Seoul plans to commence mass production of L-SAM in 2025, which will reinforce existing low-tier missile defense system

South Korea succeeded in a test of a key homegrown missile interceptor under development earlier this week, the third such success out of four tests so far, as it is cranking up efforts to deter evolving North Korean threats. On Tuesday, the state-run Agency for Defense Development revealed to the press corps the whole process of the interception test on the Long-range Surface-to-Air Missile at its Anheung testing site in Taean, 109 kilometers southwest of Seoul, for the first time. The L-SAM is

WASHINGTON -- The United States "strongly condemns" North Korea's attempt to launch a spy satellite into space, the White House said, calling it a "brazen violation" of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions. The statement issued by Adam Hodge, spokesperson of the White House National Security Council, added that US President Joe Biden and his national security team are "assessing the situation in close coordination with our allies and partners."

The National Security Council on Wednesday condemned North Korea's rocket launch as a grave violation of UN Security Council resolutions and a serious provocation threatening peace on the Korean Peninsula and beyond, the presidential office said. The presidential office convened an emergency NSC standing committee meeting led by National Security Adviser Cho Tae-yong to discuss North Korea's "long-range ballistic missile launch under the pretext of a so-called satellite," it

A rocket launch detected from North Korea early Wednesday may have failed and Seoul is analyzing the issue, the South Korean military said. According to reports the rocket disappeared from South Korean authorities' radar before reaching a point in the trajectory the North had earlier announced. Seoul's military is currently analyzing the data for all possibilities including the projectile exploding and possible debris.

North Korea fired a projectile at about 6:32 a.m., South Korea’s military said Wednesday. The projectile, which the North claims is a space launch vehicle, was launched in the southwesterly direction, setting off warnings across regions in the South, including Seoul. President Yoon Suk Yeol called an emergency National Security Council meeting. The North had earlier announced that a space launch vehicle carrying a military satellite will be launched between May 31 and June 11. At about 6:5

South Korea on Monday "strongly warned" against North Korea's plan to launch a satellite in the coming weeks, vowing to make Pyongyang pay "due prices" if it goes ahead with the launch. "We strongly warn against North Korea's announcement of provocative actions that threaten regional peace and urge them to immediately withdraw their illegal launch plan," Lim Soo-suk, spokesperson of Seoul's foreign ministry, said in a statement. Lim warned the North will be made to

A Japanese warship arrived in South Korea on Monday to participate in a multinational naval drill this week aimed at preventing the trafficking of weapons of mass destruction, according to officials. Japan's JS Hamagiri destroyer arrived in the southeastern port city of Busan to participate in the Eastern Endeavor 23 exercise Wednesday in the international waters southeast of South Korea's Jeju Island. South Korea, the US, Australia, Japan, Canada and Singapore will join the exerci

The US Air Force started positioning unmanned reconnaissance aircraft at an air base in Japan earlier this month as part of a rotational deployment, the armed service has said. The RQ-4 Global Hawks began arriving at Yokota Air Base in Japan from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam last Monday, the US Pacific Air Forces said in a release Thursday. The rotational deployment came at a time when North Korea has completed preparations to launch its first military spy satellite. Last week, the North'

The South Korean military will implement mandatory drug testing for all prospective and current enlistees and military officials, as part of efforts to combat the increasing drug-related crimes within and outside of the barracks. The Defense Ministry on Tuesday announced the new set of measures aimed at fostering a "drug-free, healthy barracks culture." The ministry recognizes the pressing need to formulate and implement measures in light of a continuing rise in drug-related crimes, pr

Herald Corp. is hosting a forum in Seoul on Wednesday to commemorate seven decades of the Korea-US alliance, forged in the wake of the 1950-53 Korean War. The forum, titled “The ROK-US Alliance Plus,” will be held from 2.30 p.m. through 8 p.m. at the Shilla Hotel Dynasty Hall in Seoul and will also commemorate the 70th anniversary of The Korea Herald’s foundation. Renowned international personalities, including former US Vice President Al Gore and former Tokyo Gov. Yoichi Masuz

The South Korean Air Force's Black Eagles aerobatic team will stage a friendship flight with Malaysian jets Tuesday over an airport in the Southeast Asian country, in a move to bolster bilateral defense ties, officials said. The aerobatic team is scheduled to conduct the flight later in the day after arriving in the country last Thursday to join the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition at Langkawi International Airport from Tuesday through Saturday. After the air show�

A soldier in his 20s was shot dead during a regular shooting exercise at an Army base in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, the Army said Monday, calling the incident an accident. The private first class, whose name was withheld, was shot by an assault rifle in the head and was in a state of cardiac arrest when first responders arrived at the scene. He died after he was taken to a nearby civilian hospital. “We will closely work with civilian police and offer whatever help necessary to the investig

The South Korean government has initiated a review to select nonlethal military aid and equipment to send to Ukraine, a military official with knowledge of the matter confirmed Monday. The related government agencies, including the Defense Ministry, have commenced a working-level process following the first in-person meeting between South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The meeting took place on Sunday in Hiroshima, Japan on the sidelines of the Group