ROK / South Korea
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Northeast Asia
South Korean defense expert shares insights on deterrence efforts, important alliances
Sentry Staff Dr. Hyeongpil Ham, a retired Republic of Korea colonel, has worked for more than 30 years at South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses. He led South Korea’s governmental task force responsible for addressing North Korea’s nuclear threats and developing South Korea’s deterrence and defense strategy. He…
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Northeast Asia
South Korea strengthening three-axis defense system, enhancing readiness
Felix Kim South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) has unveiled plans to significantly bolster the country’s three-axis defense system. The system, a pillar of national security, is designed to counter the persistent threat posed by North Korea through three key components: the Kill Chain preemptive strike system, the Korea Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) system, and the Korea Massive…
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Northeast Asia
U.S., allied navies conduct Pacific Dragon exercise
United States Navy Allied navies joined the United States Navy and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency to conduct the Pacific Dragon 2024 (PD24) ballistic missile defense exercise from July 29 to August 13 around the Hawaiian Islands. Hosted by U.S. 3rd Fleet, the biennial exercise improves the forces’ ability to work together to track and intercept ballistic missiles. It included…
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Northeast Asia
South Korea reaffirms ‘peace through strength’ as North threatens more missile deployments
Felix Kim Facing escalating threats from North Korea — including the regime’s growing nuclear and missile capabilities and its deepening ties with Russia — South Korean defense leaders are reaffirming the nation’s commitment to building an “elite, advanced and powerful military” under the doctrine of “peace through strength.” The strategy focuses on reinforcing South Korea’s longtime alliance with the United…
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Across The Region
Allies Unveil System to Track North Korean Missiles
Japan, South Korea and the United States activated a system in December 2023 to detect and assess North Korea’s missile launches in real time. The announcement came after North Korea said it had tested an intercontinental ballistic missile to gauge the war readiness of its nuclear force. United Nations Security Council resolutions ban Pyongyang’s nuclear and ballistic weapons programs. The…
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Features
Advancing Space Partnerships
Lt. Stephen Schroeder/U.S. Navy, U.S. Space Command Joint Integrated Space Team Pacific The United States and its Allies and Partners are at the forefront of an emerging era of opportunity. Space’s critical role in the global commons has gained considerable attention in recent years, and the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DOD) guidance has never been clearer: “Space is now a…
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Features
Expanding Horizons
FORUM Staff When 200 or so Mongolian pro-democracy activists converged in Sükhbaatar Square on United Nations Human Rights Day in December 1989, there was little to portend the transformation set to unfold. From the square in the capital Ulaanbaatar, peaceful protests would sweep across the country of steppes and deserts. Within three months, Mongolia’s communist regime relinquished power after nearly…
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Features
Understanding the ROK-U.S. Alliance’s Ironclad Commitment
Lt. Col. Alexander S. Park/Army National Guard of the United States The Republic of Korea (ROK)-United States alliance has long been a pillar of stability for the Korean Peninsula and the Indo-Pacific. In April 2023, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden met to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the partnership. The presidents issued the Washington…
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Northeast Asia
Actions fulfilling Japan-South Korea-U.S. summit’s lofty vision
FORUM Staff In the 12 months since Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and United States President Joe Biden met for an unprecedented summit near Washington, D.C., there has been much progress in their nations’ nascent trilateral relationship. At the one-year anniversary of a joint statement released August 18, 2023, the three democracies are strengthening…
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Northeast Asia
Allies, partners enhance all-domain readiness with military exercises across Indo-Pacific
FORUM Staff More than 30 allied and partner militaries deployed personnel, aircraft, ships, submarines, uncrewed vehicles and other assets across the Indo-Pacific in mid-2024. The multinational, near-simultaneous exercises Pitch Black, Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) and Valiant Shield stretched from Oceania and the Western Pacific to Northeast Asia. Tens of thousands of troops joined the all-domain training to build interoperability…
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