ROK / South Korea
-
Global Commons
South Korean peacekeepers support infrastructure, agriculture initiatives in South Sudan
Felix Kim From civil engineering projects to dispensing medical supplies and introducing a new variety of rice, South Korean peacekeepers are helping enhance South Sudan’s infrastructure and supporting the young nation’s population. Known as the Hanbit Unit, Seoul’s peacekeepers first deployed to the Central African nation in 2013 to help improve living conditions, boost security and foster development within the…
Read More -
Global Commons
South Korea launches second reconnaissance satellite amid tensions with North Korea
The Associated Press South Korea recently launched its second reconnaissance satellite, days after North Korea reaffirmed its plan to launch multiple spy satellites in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions. South Korea’s Defense Ministry said the reconnaissance satellite, which launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, entered orbit and communicated with an overseas ground station. With the early April…
Read More -
Conflicts - Tensions
Russia’s arms sales plummet as India, others seek new suppliers
FORUM Staff Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine continues to impose a heavy toll on Moscow beyond the battlefield, as international sanctions bite into the regime’s arms exports and qualms about quality and reliability prompt longtime customers in the Indo-Pacific and elsewhere to seek new weapons suppliers. Moscow’s arms exports plummeted by 53% over the past decade, dropping Russia out of…
Read More -
Conflicts - Tensions
PRC greatest threat to Free and Open Indo-Pacific, USINDOPACOM Commander says
FORUM Staff United States Navy Adm. John Aquilino, Commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), recently delivered an imperative message to the U.S. Congress: The People’s Republic of China (PRC) will be ready to invade Taiwan in three years. Unprecedented actions by the increasingly connected regimes in the PRC, Russia and North Korea are challenging international norms and advancing authoritarianism,…
Read More -
Conflicts - Tensions
South Korea’s growing support for Taiwan signals regional shift
Felix Kim South Korea is boosting its support for Taiwan in the face of Beijing’s threats to annex the self-governed island, a global hub for semiconductor manufacturing. Public statements by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, official and semi-official delegation visits from Seoul to Taipei, and enhanced defense alignments with the United States and other allies and partners demonstrate the…
Read More -
Northeast Asia
ROK, U.S. commandos at Freedom Shield 24 prepare for the unexpected
Reuters Republic of Korea (ROK) and United States troops in South Korea for the recent Freedom Shield exercise trained for unexpected threats as global crises are increasingly interconnected, military leaders said. The United States Army’s Republic of Korea (ROK)-U.S. Combined Division and the ROK Navy 2nd Fleet conduct maritime operations in South Korea during Freedom Shield 2024. VIDEO CREDIT: SONGHO…
Read More -
Northeast Asia
South Korea strengthens defense ties in Middle East
Felix Kim South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik demonstrated the value of defense diplomacy with a tour of three Middle Eastern countries in February 2024, where he signed defense agreements and a $3.2 billion arms deal. Shin’s trip to Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) followed South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s visits to the region in…
Read More -
Partnerships
Multilateral Cobra Gold returns to Thailand with all-domain drills, humanitarian focus
FORUM Staff More than 9,500 participants and observers from 30 nations joined forces in Thailand in February and March 2024 for exercise Cobra Gold, the largest post-pandemic edition of the annual security cooperation drills co-hosted by Thailand and the United States. Cobra Gold kicks off in Thailand in late February 2024 with opening ceremonies, live-fire and medical evacuation training, and…
Read More -
Northeast Asia
South Korea, U.S. begin Freedom Shield exercise to solidify military readiness
The Associated Press South Korea and the United States are conducting the annual Freedom Shield exercise to bolster military interoperability amid North Korea’s nuclear threats, missile tests and rhetoric. Republic of Korea (ROK) and U.S. forces in early March 2024 began 11 days of computer-simulated command post training and field exercises, the South Korean National Defense Ministry said. Republic of Korea…
Read More -
Northeast Asia
U.N. report: North Korea financing weapons program with cybercrime
United States Strategic Command United Nations investigators say North Korea has stolen billions of dollars in cyberattacks to fund the regime’s weapons of mass destruction. The U.N. found 58 suspected North Korean cyberattacks between 2017 and 2023, valued at about $3 billion, The Associated Press (AP) reported in February 2024. Hacking groups reporting to Pyongyang’s primary foreign intelligence organization continue…
Read More