AJU PRESS ASIA FIRST NEWS AGENCY

Journalist

Kim Hee-su
Kim Hee-su김희수
ReporterMinistry of Foreign Affairs, Seoul City Hall & Defense, Foreign Affairs
Kim Hee-su is a bilingual reporter at AJU Press, covering defense and foreign affairs. Before joining AJP in 2025, she worked at The Korea Times, where she wrote interview stories, including a profile of North Korean defector Kim Gum-hyok, and produced digital content. She also previously worked as a researcher for KBS News 9’s International News Department, supporting correspondents in 10 countries around the world. She graduated from the University of Toronto in Canada with a double major in Book and Media Studies and East Asian Studies. "I'm driven by storytelling."
Latest by Kim Hee-su
  • Taiwan drone defense gaps emerge as US-Korea drills scale back
    Taiwan drone defense gaps emerge as US-Korea drills scale back SEOUL, August 24 (AJP) - As the United States and South Korea scaled back their largest summertime military exercise, defense experts in Taiwan were highlighting gaps exposed by their own drills, calling for stronger layered air defenses against drones and other low-altitude threats. Taiwan's assessment follows its annual Han Kuang exercise, held from Aug. 5 to 14 to test the island's ability to respond to a potential Chinese attack. Hsiao-Huang Shu, an associate research fellow at Taiwan's Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said this year's exercise showed improvements in both drone operations and counter-drone training but also exposed significant weaknesses. "Training involving both the use of drones and defense against them clearly increased during this year's Han Kuang exercise," Shu said, according to Taiwan's United Daily News. "Although the military has begun improving its defenses against drones, its active defense capability at low altitudes remains very limited, while its own use of drones is still at an early stage," he said. The assessment comes just days after South Korea and the United States cut short the command-post portion of their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise following an order from U.S. President Donald Trump to substantially reduce the drills. UFS had originally been scheduled to run from Aug. 17 through 27 with about 18,000 South Korean troops participating. The exercise was designed to rehearse combined and all-domain operations against threats on the Korean Peninsula, with scenarios incorporating drone attacks, GPS disruption and cyberattacks, capabilities that U.S. officials said reflected lessons North Korea has gained from its involvement in the war in Ukraine. The allies had also planned 14 battalion-level or larger field exercises under the broader training program. Traditionally, the first part of UFS focuses primarily on defending against an enemy attack, while the second shifts toward counteroffensive operations. But after Trump's directive, the command-post exercise was shortened from 11 days to five and ended Aug. 21. The second-phase counterattack portion was dropped, leaving this year's command-post training concentrated largely on defensive operations. Only seven of the 14 planned combined field exercises remained on the original schedule. The other seven were removed from the UFS schedule and are expected to be rearranged through consultations between Seoul and Washington. South Korean military officials have not publicly identified each of the seven affected field drills, meaning it remains unclear which specific live-training scenarios were lost during UFS itself. The Pentagon said some associated live events were reduced, canceled or converted into simulations. Jyh-Shyang Sheu, another INDSR researcher, said Taiwan also appeared to lack sufficient mobile battlefield air defense equipment to counter drones and other low-altitude threats, calling the construction of a multi-layered integrated air defense system an urgent priority. Taiwan is already developing such a network under President Lai Ching-te's proposed T-Dome architecture, intended to integrate defenses against ballistic missiles, aircraft, long-range weapons and unmanned systems. Taiwan already operates U.S.-made Patriot missiles and locally developed Sky Bow systems for higher-altitude threats and is acquiring NASAMS to strengthen its medium-range defenses. Shorter-range weapons form another layer against low-flying aircraft and drones. 2026-08-24 17:49:17
  • U.S. artillery setbacks open door for Koreas K9 
    U.S. artillery setbacks open door for Korea's K9  SEOUL, August 24 (AJP) - U.S. artillery helped South Korea withstand North Korea's invasion in the Korean War. More than seven decades later, the U.S. Army is testing a South Korean gun to help modernize its own firepower. The U.S. Army's decision to select Hanwha Aerospace's K9-based artillery system for prototype testing is more than a breakthrough for the South Korean defense company. It also reflects years of difficulty modernizing U.S. artillery after repeated development setbacks and a long military focus on counterterrorism. The Army selected Hanwha Defense USA's K9 Mobile Howitzer (K9MH) for its Mobile Tactical Cannon (MTC) program on Aug. 18, ordering six prototype systems with an option for another 12. The initial agreement is valued at $100.3 million and has a cumulative ceiling of $262.9 million if the additional systems are ordered. Unlike the tracked K9 Thunder operated by South Korea and a growing number of overseas customers, the K9MH places technology derived from the K9 family on a wheeled platform designed to meet U.S. requirements for greater tactical mobility. American soldiers will put the systems through operational experiments over an estimated four-year period, assessing performance, reliability and supportability under realistic combat conditions. If the Army eventually approves the system for fielding, the MTC is expected to replace M777 155 mm towed howitzers in selected formations. The goal is straightforward: give artillery units greater mobility and survivability on battlefields where drones, sensors and precision weapons can expose and strike a firing position within minutes. For a U.S. military accustomed to developing major land-combat systems at home, moving a foreign-derived platform into prototype testing is notable. It also comes after years of difficulty modernizing American tube artillery. "After 9/11, the United States shifted its military strategy away from preparing primarily for large-scale conventional warfare and toward counterterrorism and smaller conflicts," said Jeong Kyung-woon, a research fellow at the Korea Association of Military Studies. "As the Army moved from a division-centered structure toward brigade-centered operations, the priority given to the development of traditional ground-fire support, including 155 mm artillery, also declined relatively," Jeong said. The post-9/11 wars accelerated a broader Army shift toward brigade combat teams that could deploy and operate more independently. At the same time, major attempts to transform U.S. self-propelled artillery repeatedly failed to reach the battlefield. The Crusader program, launched in the 1990s as a possible successor to the M109 Paladin self-propelled howitzer, was canceled in 2002. The Non-Line-of-Sight Cannon, developed under the Army's ambitious Future Combat Systems program, met the same fate when that program was restructured and canceled in 2009. The most recent setback came with Extended Range Cannon Artillery, or ERCA. The program sought to extend the range of the Paladin from roughly 30 kilometers to about 70 kilometers by fitting it with a much longer 155 mm gun. Testing exposed a major problem. The longer gun tube suffered excessive wear after firing relatively few rounds, raising questions about whether it could sustain the firing rates required in combat. The Army closed out ERCA's rapid-prototyping effort and shifted toward evaluating mature artillery systems already available from U.S. and foreign manufacturers. "The U.S. military would have preferred to develop a key 155 mm artillery system domestically if possible," Jeong said. "But when domestic development did not proceed as planned, it ultimately had to look at proven systems that were already available." "While the United States went through repeated difficulties with its next-generation artillery programs, systems such as Korea's K9 and Germany's PzH 2000 continued to undergo upgrades and accumulate operational experience," he said. The canceled programs and the K9MH contract are not part of one direct acquisition lineage. Crusader, NLOS-C and ERCA largely centered on replacing or extending the capabilities of the tracked M109 Paladin, while the MTC program is intended to replace M777 towed artillery in selected units. The common thread is a change in procurement strategy. After years spent trying to develop a new artillery solution largely from scratch, the Army has increasingly turned to mature systems that can be tested, adapted and fielded more quickly. The K9 enters that competition with scale already behind it. Hanwha says more than 2,500 K9-family howitzers have been fielded globally. The system has been adopted by South Korea, Türkiye, Poland, India, Finland, Norway, Estonia, Australia, Egypt and Romania, including six NATO members. The growing customer base has given Hanwha something that matters in a U.S. competition: years of production experience and a supply chain built around a weapon already operating in different climates and military organizations. Winning the prototype agreement, however, remains far from securing a full U.S. Army procurement program. The six systems must first survive years of soldier testing, and the Army has made clear that the data will be used to decide whether and how the weapon should eventually be fielded. Hanwha is nevertheless preparing for a longer-term U.S. presence. Hanwha Defense USA is establishing an integration and testing facility in Opelika, Alabama, as part of its localization strategy. The company has said the facility will support its effort to build a U.S. supply chain around the K9 platform. Hanwha Group is also injecting up to $299 million into Hanwha Defense USA and Hanwha FutureProof, an investment vehicle established to invest in strategic U.S. assets, as the conglomerate expands across the world's largest defense market. Hanwha Defense USA, wholly owned by Hanwha Aerospace, serves as the group's U.S. land-defense arm. Hanwha Aerospace shares closed 3.13 percent higher Monday at 1.119 million won. The prototype order does not mean the U.S. Army has chosen a Korean gun. It does mean that a South Korean artillery system has reached a point where the world's largest military is testing it as a possible answer to one of its own capability gaps. More than seven decades after American artillery helped defend South Korea, the flow of military hardware between the two allies is no longer one-way. AJP Takeaways · The U.S. Army selected Hanwha Defense USA’s K9 Mobile Howitzer for prototype testing under its Mobile Tactical Cannon program, marking a major step for South Korea’s K9 artillery platform in the U.S. defense market. · Repeated setbacks in U.S. artillery modernization, including the canceled Crusader, NLOS-C and ERCA programs, have pushed the Army toward testing mature foreign and domestic systems that can be fielded more quickly. · Hanwha’s K9 family is already used or ordered by 10 countries, including six NATO members, while the company expands U.S. investment and localization ahead of years of Army testing. 2026-08-24 17:03:55
  • DAPA sets guidelines for access to NATO standards
    DAPA sets guidelines for access to NATO standards SEOUL, August 24 (AJP) - South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration said Monday it has introduced its first formal guidelines for providing and managing NATO standards, a move aimed at helping domestic defense companies enter European and other NATO markets. The new rules establish procedures and security requirements for South Korean companies, research institutes and government agencies seeking access to standards used by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. NATO standards are important for ensuring interoperability with weapons systems operated by alliance members and for conducting certification and testing. They can also play a key role in defense exports to NATO countries and participation in multinational research and development projects. Demand for access to such standards has increased as South Korean defense exports to NATO members and joint R&D cooperation have expanded, particularly following recent summit-level engagement between South Korea and the alliance. Until now, however, there had been no clearly defined domestic process for requesting, providing and managing NATO standards. Requests were often handled on a case-by-case basis, creating difficulties for companies seeking the documents and for DAPA in supporting them. “Exports to Europe have increased since the war in Ukraine,” a DAPA official said. “As European countries accelerate rearmament, the need for local production and joint research and development has also grown in order to enter those markets.” DAPA said the guidelines were drawn up based on NATO security policies, a security administrative arrangement between South Korea and NATO, and domestic security regulations. A Defense Ministry spokesperson also confirmed the move at a regular briefing Monday. “DAPA has established guidelines for the provision and management of NATO standards, setting out procedures for providing them to domestic companies and institutions as well as security management requirements,” the spokesperson said. The agency said the move is significant because it creates, for the first time, a framework through which Korean companies and institutions can obtain NATO standards more quickly and systematically. Under the guidelines, NATO standards will be categorized according to their disclosure status and security classification, with separate requirements and procedures governing how each type can be requested, obtained and provided. For non-public standards, DAPA will obtain the documents through NATO’s online database and provide them to qualified applicants. Classified standards will require NATO approval before they can be obtained and distributed. The guidelines also establish post-access security requirements, including procedures for returning or destroying documents, facility security measures and reporting requirements in the event of a security breach. DAPA said it is difficult to quantify how much the new system will increase defense exports, but expects it to help Korean companies demonstrate the performance and compatibility of their products when pursuing new projects in Europe. The agency cited Hanwha Systems’ cooperation with a British company in the satellite sector as an example of the growing number of international R&D projects that could benefit from smoother access to NATO standards. AJP Takeaways · South Korea’s DAPA has introduced its first formal guidelines for providing and managing NATO standards, giving Korean defense companies clearer access to technical requirements needed for NATO-market exports and joint R&D. · The new framework sets procedures for obtaining non-public and classified NATO standards while establishing security rules for handling, returning and destroying sensitive documents. · DAPA expects easier access to NATO standards to help Korean defense firms prove interoperability and performance in Europe, supporting exports, local production and international defense cooperation. 2026-08-24 14:06:43
  • Koreas first Arctic container voyage gets underway from Busan
    Korea's first Arctic container voyage gets underway from Busan SEOUL, August 22 (AJP) - A South Korean container ship departed Busan on Saturday night for a trial voyage through the Arctic, marking the country's first such journey by a container vessel. The PanStar Acro left Busan New Port at around 9 p.m., according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. The voyage marks South Korea's first Arctic route trial by any vessel in a decade and its first involving a container ship. The 2,758-TEU vessel, operated by Busan-based PanStar Line Dot Com, is expected to enter the Northern Sea Route around Aug. 30 and pass through Arctic waters around Sept. 7. It will call at Felixstowe in Britain on Sept. 9, Rotterdam in the Netherlands on Sept. 11 and Gdansk in Poland on Sept. 15 before returning to Busan via the same Arctic route around Oct. 5. The entire voyage is expected to take about 45 days, including roughly 6,400 kilometers of navigation through Arctic waters. The PanStar Acro, purchased from South Korean shipping giant HMM, is an ice-class vessel capable of operating in polar waters. It is carrying 737 TEUs of cargo, including chemicals, used vehicles and auto parts, with the total load reaching 837 TEUs when empty containers are included. More than 20 crew members are aboard the ship. Its captain and navigation officers have completed specialized training for polar operations, while a navigator with Arctic sailing experience aboard South Korea's icebreaker Araon is serving as chief officer. The ministry said it will maintain a 24-hour communication system with the vessel throughout the voyage. "The Arctic waters are still in the process of thawing and are not completely open yet, but we expect them to be fully navigable by the time we arrive," Capt. Seo Myung-won told reporters before departure. "If that is not the case, we plan to take an alternative route," Seo said, adding that the crew will receive real-time ice charts and weather information to support navigation decisions. Seo said the crew had also undergone intensive survival training for polar conditions, adding that the trial voyage could provide "a good opportunity for Busan to establish itself as a global maritime hub." The government is using the voyage to assess the commercial viability and safety of the Northern Sea Route as it seeks to develop a shorter shipping corridor between South Korea and Europe and eventually establish regular Arctic services by 2030. 2026-08-22 21:56:32
  • Trump claims Hormuz as American territory as Iran seeks deal
    Trump claims Hormuz as 'American territory' as Iran seeks deal SEOUL, August 22 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump has again claimed the Strait of Hormuz as American territory, while saying Iran is desperate to reach an agreement to end the nearly six-month conflict. Speaking at a campaign rally in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Friday, Trump said Tehran badly wanted a deal but questioned whether Washington was still interested in reaching one. “I view the Strait of Hormuz as an American territory right now. It’s an American territory,” Trump said. The remarks marked an escalation of Trump's claims over the strategic waterway, which lies between Iran and Oman and was a key route for about one-fifth of globally traded oil before the war. Trump made a similar assertion last week, saying he would soon declare the Strait of Hormuz a U.S. territory after defeating Iran. He has also repeatedly claimed that Washington has “total control” over the waterway as the United States enforces a naval blockade against Iran. Shipping through the strait remains severely disrupted despite competing claims by Washington and Tehran over its status. Only a handful of commodity vessels have recently passed through the waterway, compared with more than 130 ships a day before the war, according to ship-tracking data cited by Reuters. Trump's suggestion that Iran is eager for an agreement came as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also signaled support for ending the conflict, though he portrayed Tehran as negotiating from a position of strength. “It would be better to end the war today, when we are powerful and have dignity,” Pezeshkian said Friday, according to Iran's ISNA news agency. He also claimed that the international community recognized Iran's victory and criticized U.S. attacks on Iranian infrastructure. During the rally, Trump urged his supporters to turn out in November even though his own name will not be on the ballot, warning that a Republican defeat could jeopardize his domestic agenda and expose him to renewed impeachment efforts. 2026-08-22 15:34:55
  • Chinas YMTC moves toward $4.9 billion IPO as memory chip push accelerates
    China's YMTC moves toward $4.9 billion IPO as memory chip push accelerates SEOUL, August 22 (AJP) - Chinese NAND flash memory maker Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. is moving closer to a major Shanghai listing, following the blockbuster market debut of its DRAM counterpart CXMT as China accelerates its push to challenge South Korean and U.S. dominance in memory chips. The Shanghai Stock Exchange accepted an initial public offering application Friday from CCSH Corporation, the parent company of YMTC, for a listing on the STAR Market, China's Nasdaq-style board for technology companies. CCSH plans to raise 33 billion yuan ($4.9 billion) through the offering, which would make it the third-largest IPO in the STAR Market's history after ChangXin Memory Technologies Co., or CXMT, and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp., or SMIC. The company plans to issue between 1.98 billion and 2.43 billion new shares, implying a post-listing valuation of roughly 275 billion yuan to 330 billion yuan. YMTC is CCSH's main operating business and accounts for more than 90 percent of the group's revenue. The IPO comes as an artificial intelligence-driven memory boom transforms YMTC's financial performance. Revenue reached 47 billion yuan in the first quarter of this year, nearly five times the level a year earlier, while net profit attributable to shareholders surged to 33.38 billion yuan. That was more than double the company's full-year profit of 14.21 billion yuan in 2025. Demand from AI data centers has become an increasingly important growth engine for the NAND industry, as cloud companies require greater amounts of high-capacity storage for training data, inference, backups and other workloads. Samsung Electronics remained No. 1 with a 25 percent shipment share, followed by SK hynix, including Solidigm, at 22 percent. Kioxia also held about 14 percent and Micron Technology 13 percent. YMTC, however, remained fifth by revenue, reflecting its heavier exposure to lower-priced consumer products compared with rivals with stronger positions in higher-value enterprise SSDs. The two companies, sometimes described in China as the country's "twin stars" of memory chips, have benefited from years of state support as Beijing seeks to reduce its reliance on foreign semiconductor technology. CXMT focuses on DRAM, while YMTC produces NAND flash used in smartphones, solid-state drives and data centers. YMTC's expansion has continued despite U.S. technology restrictions. Washington added the company to the Commerce Department's Entity List in 2022, restricting its access to U.S.-origin semiconductor equipment and technology, while the Pentagon has also designated it as a Chinese military company. 2026-08-22 14:50:58
  • North Korea deploys drone operators among 8,500 troops in Russia, Ukraine says
    North Korea deploys drone operators among 8,500 troops in Russia, Ukraine says SEOUL, August 22 (AJP) - North Korea has deployed about 8,500 troops to Russia, including hundreds of drone operators who could conduct reconnaissance and strikes against targets inside Ukraine, according to a senior Ukrainian intelligence official. Maj. Gen. Vadym Skibitskiy, deputy head of Ukraine's military intelligence agency, told CNN that the North Korean contingent is deployed mainly in Russia's Kursk region and includes about 1,000 engineers and demining personnel as well as 400 drone operators. Many of the drone operators have gained experience either directly or indirectly through previous North Korean deployments, according to Skibitskiy. Their drones are expected to be used for both surveillance and attacks against targets inside Ukraine. The deployment marks a further expansion of North Korea's role in Russia's war, moving beyond the infantry and engineering units Pyongyang previously sent to include personnel specializing in drone warfare. Ukrainian intelligence does not expect the newly deployed North Korean troops to fight directly on Ukrainian territory. Instead, they are expected to reinforce Russian rear positions, potentially freeing Russian forces for combat operations inside Ukraine, Skibitskiy said. Ukraine estimates that about 25,000 North Korean personnel have so far been deployed to or rotated through Russia's military since Pyongyang began sending troops in late 2024. North Korea's first major deployment began in Russia's Kursk region in October 2024 after Ukrainian forces launched an incursion across the border. About 10,000 North Korean troops were initially deployed, with many suffering heavy casualties during combat operations. Pyongyang publicly confirmed its involvement in the fighting in April 2025. Skibitskiy also said Russian President Vladimir Putin could ask North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for as many as 50,000 additional troops when the two leaders meet in September 2026. North Korea has rejected claims that it is preparing another deployment on that scale. Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of the North Korean leader, this week dismissed reports of tens of thousands of additional troops as a "groundless self-fabricated scenario." The expansion of military cooperation is not limited to personnel. Skibitskiy said North Korea had supplied Russia with at least 150 KN-23 or KN-24 ballistic missiles before August last year and had pledged another 120. Forty of those additional missiles have already been delivered, according to the Ukrainian intelligence assessment. In exchange for supplying Russia with troops and munitions, North Korea has sought advanced Russian military technology, according to Ukraine. Skibitskiy said Pyongyang had requested Russia's S-400 air defense system and had already received a Pantsir-1 surface-to-air missile system. The growing North Korean role comes as Ukraine faces acute shortages of advanced air defense interceptors. Ballistic missiles are particularly difficult to intercept, and North Korean weapons have added to the pressure on Kyiv's limited stocks of U.S.-made Patriot interceptors. CNN noted that North Korea's growing battlefield experience, particularly in drone warfare, is drawing concern among U.S. allies as Washington moves to scale back some military training with Seoul. 2026-08-22 13:34:12
  • PanStar container ship to depart Busan for Koreas first Arctic route trial
    PanStar container ship to depart Busan for Korea's first Arctic route trial SEOUL, August 22 (AJP) - PanStar Group's container ship is set to depart Busan on Saturday afternoon for South Korea's first trial container voyage through the Northern Sea Route, marking a key step in Seoul's push to establish a new shipping corridor between Asia and Europe. The 2,758-TEU PanStar Acro, operated by Busan-based PanStar Line Dot Com, will leave Busan New Port and head toward Europe through Arctic waters north of Russia. The vessel was purchased from HMM, where it previously operated as HMM Mombasa. The ship is scheduled to enter the Northern Sea Route around Aug. 30 and pass through the Arctic region in early September. It will call at Felixstowe in Britain on Sept. 9, Rotterdam in the Netherlands on Sept. 11 and Gdansk in Poland on Sept. 15 before returning to Busan around Oct. 5. The round trip is expected to take about 45 days. The vessel is carrying 737 TEUs of cargo, including chemical products, used vehicles and auto parts. Including empty containers, the total load amounts to 837 TEUs. The Northern Sea Route cuts the sailing distance between Busan and Rotterdam to about 13,000 kilometers, roughly 35 percent shorter than the approximately 20,000-kilometer route through the Suez Canal. The government plans to use data from the trial to assess sailing time, fuel consumption, operating costs and the commercial viability of the route, with the aim of launching regular services by 2030. The voyage comes after months of uncertainty over sanctions and insurance. Because much of the route passes through waters administered by Russia, concerns had been raised over whether payments for Russian navigation and other services could conflict with Western sanctions. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said consultations with relevant countries have been completed and the related risks resolved, while the vessel is not expected to receive a Russian icebreaker escort. PanStar emerged as the sole applicant for the government-backed trial after larger Korean shipping companies stayed away amid commercial, sanctions and environmental concerns. A PanStar source previously told AJP that the company ultimately agreed to undertake the project after being approached by the Korea Shipowners' Association. The government sees the voyage as a test of whether Busan can eventually serve as a major Asian gateway for Arctic shipping, although questions remain over seasonal ice conditions, costs and geopolitical risks surrounding the route. 2026-08-22 10:16:00
  • US approves possible $125 million sale of AIM-9X missiles to South Korea
    US approves possible $125 million sale of AIM-9X missiles to South Korea SEOUL, August 22 (AJP) - The United States has approved a possible $125 million sale of more than 100 AIM-9X Sidewinder Block II air-to-air missiles to South Korea, a move Washington says will strengthen Seoul's air defense capability and deterrence against regional threats. The U.S. State Department said Friday that it had approved the possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS), of 103 AIM-9X Sidewinder Block II tactical missiles and 10 AIM-9X Block II tactical guidance units, along with related equipment and support. The estimated total cost of the package is $125 million. The State Department said the proposed sale would support U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives by strengthening the security of South Korea, which it described as "an important force for political stability and economic progress" in the Indo-Pacific region. Washington also said the sale would improve South Korea's ability to respond to current and future threats by expanding its air defense capability and "deterring aggression in the region," while ensuring interoperability with U.S. forces. The principal contractor for the proposed sale will be RTX Corp., the Virginia-based U.S. defense company whose Raytheon business manufactures the Sidewinder missile. The AIM-9X is the latest generation of the Sidewinder family of short-range, infrared-guided air-to-air missiles and is widely used by U.S. and allied fighter aircraft. South Korea already operates AIM-9X missiles on several of its U.S.-designed fighter aircraft, including the F-15K, KF-16 and F-35A. The latest authorization adds to a series of previous U.S. approvals for South Korean acquisitions of the Sidewinder. The approval also comes as Washington and Seoul face questions over the future scale of their joint military exercises. U.S. President Donald Trump this week instructed the Pentagon to "substantially reduce" joint drills with South Korea, citing their cost and describing them as unnecessarily hostile toward North Korea, even as the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise began as scheduled. The State Department's decision does not mean the transaction has been finalized. Under the U.S. Foreign Military Sales process, the proposed sale is subject to congressional notification and review before a final agreement can be concluded. 2026-08-22 09:33:21
  • MASGA gets liftoff with drones with Washingtons push 
    MASGA gets liftoff with drones with Washington's push  SEOUL, August 14 (AJP) - Washington's push to rebuild strategic industries at home while reducing dependence on China is creating new openings for South Korean companies in two seemingly different sectors: shipbuilding and drones. The latest U.S. moves point to a broader strategy of tapping production capacity from trusted allies where American industry cannot immediately meet demand, while using tariffs, investment and procurement rules to steer strategic supply chains away from China. For South Korea, that could mean access to markets that have long been difficult to enter, particularly U.S. naval shipbuilding and the fast-growing drone sector. But the opportunities come with a costly catch: Korean shipbuilders will have to put substantial investment, technology and production capacity into the United States, while drone makers will have to sharply reduce their reliance on Chinese components if they want preferential treatment. The shipbuilding sector offers the more immediate opening. U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday signed a memorandum creating what the White House calls the "Finland Model," modeled on an earlier U.S.-Finnish icebreaker partnership. Foreign suppliers can build the first two vessels of qualifying ship classes at their home-country yards, but only if they simultaneously build a new U.S. shipyard or take ownership or a majority stake in an existing one. Subsequent vessels must be built in the United States by an American workforce, using transferred technology and a U.S. supply chain. The model can initially be applied to up to three ship classes. That structure could put South Korean shipbuilders in a favorable position. The Pentagon and U.S. Navy have already tested Korean capabilities. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hanwha Ocean responded to requests for information on combat vessels, while the two companies and Samsung Heavy Industries responded separately on medium-sized fleet replenishment ships. Among them, Hanwha appears most directly positioned because it already owns Hanwha Philly Shipyard in Pennsylvania and has announced a $5 billion expansion program aimed at raising annual production from fewer than two vessels to as many as 20. "Because Hanwha already has a yard in the United States, it has a relative advantage," said Woo Jong-hun, a professor of naval architecture and ocean engineering at Seoul National University. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Samsung Heavy Industries do not currently own U.S. yards, although both have been expanding partnerships with American shipbuilders. Shipbuilding shares gained Friday, with Hanwha Ocean rising about 5.6 percent and Samsung Heavy Industries more modestly of 1.36 percent and HD Hyundai Industries of 3 percent. Woo said the absence of a U.S. yard would not necessarily exclude other Korean companies if they eventually establish or acquire American production bases. "The way I read it, the first two ships could be built in the company's home country, but to build the follow-on vessels in the United States, it would ultimately need to secure a U.S. shipyard, either by acquiring one or building one," he said. He added that HD Hyundai could make an aggressive push for such opportunities, while Samsung Heavy Industries may face a disadvantage because of its more limited experience in naval shipbuilding. Hanwha is already trying to deepen its position in the U.S. naval supply chain. The group has made a nonbinding preliminary offer valuing Austal USA at between $1.05 billion and $1.2 billion. The Alabama-based company builds ships for the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard and supplies modules for Virginia- and Columbia-class submarines. Still, Korean shipbuilders would not have the field to themselves. The White House framework applies to foreign suppliers generally rather than South Korea specifically, leaving Korean yards to compete with shipbuilders from Japan and Europe. Korea's advantage lies largely in scale, productivity and experience building complex vessels quickly and at competitive cost. "Allied countries are not limited to Korea," Woo said. "There are Italian and other European shipyards that could compete, but Korea still has a relative advantage in areas such as productivity and cost, particularly for non-combat vessels." Drones face a tougher supply-chain test A parallel shift is taking place in drones. Trump on Thursday imposed new tariffs on imported unmanned aircraft systems and components after a Commerce Department investigation concluded that heavy dependence on foreign suppliers posed a national-security risk. The measure imposes a 100 percent tariff on drones weighing more than 25 kilograms, drones with thermal-imaging capabilities and certain sensitive components. Smaller and less sensitive systems generally face a 25 percent rate. South Korea, Japan, the European Union, Taiwan, Switzerland and Liechtenstein instead qualify for a 15 percent rate, while British products face 10 percent. But the preferential rate carries an important condition: substantially all of a drone's hardware, software and technology must originate in the qualifying country or the United States. The tariffs take effect 21 days after signing, with some less sensitive components given a 180-day transition period. That provision is particularly important for Korea. Although the tariff policy is broader than China alone, it is part of a wider U.S. effort to reduce dependence on Chinese drone technology. Chinese manufacturer DJI controls almost 70 percent of the global drone market and more than 90 percent of the consumer segment, according to the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. It also accounts for more than 90 percent of the U.S. commercial drone market. The war with Iran has underscored the military importance of inexpensive unmanned systems. U.S. Central Command launched Operation Epic Fury against Iran on Feb. 28 and listed LUCAS one-way attack drones among the systems deployed during the first 10 days of the campaign. Their combat use highlighted the Pentagon's growing interest in cheaper unmanned weapons that can be produced and deployed at scale. That shift could give Korean drone makers an opening in a market where their presence has already begun to grow. A Korea International Trade Association report showed that South Korea exported $27.54 million worth of drones in 2024, nearly 10 times the $2.81 million recorded in 2022. Yet Korea accounted for only 0.48 percent of global drone exports, ranking 20th worldwide. The small base means U.S. restrictions on Chinese products could create room for alternative suppliers. But the same supply-chain realignment also exposes one of Korea's biggest weaknesses. "In the long term, localization of core components is essential," said Kim Mu-hyun, a senior researcher at KITA. "But the country's heavy reliance on Chinese imports is not simply due to a lack of technical capability, but stems from structural issues such as low profit margins, often linked to a focus on low-cost models for civilian use." According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Korea Institute of Aviation Safety Technology's 2025 drone-industry survey, Chinese-made components accounted for 45.3 percent of parts used by Korean drone companies, exceeding the 40.5 percent share for domestic components. Chinese products accounted for 55.3 percent of batteries. That dependence now has a direct commercial consequence. Korean manufacturers cannot necessarily gain preferential U.S. treatment simply by assembling Chinese components into a Korean-made drone. Washington's new rule explicitly ties the lower tariff to the origin of the underlying hardware, software and technology. The opportunity therefore depends not just on replacing Chinese-branded finished drones, but on building a supply chain Washington is willing to regard as secure. An ally model with American production at its center Taken together, the shipbuilding and drone measures illustrate an emerging form of ally-based U.S. industrial policy. Washington is not simply trying to move production from China to South Korea. It is using allied industrial capacity as a bridge while seeking to expand production, technology and employment inside the United States. The shipbuilding memorandum makes that logic unusually explicit. Foreign yards can temporarily build the first two ships, but they must invest in U.S. shipyards, train American workers, transfer shipbuilding technology and move subsequent construction to the United States. The drone policy applies the same logic from the opposite direction: allied producers receive preferential access, but only when their products meet stringent origin requirements and reduce exposure to supply chains Washington regards as a security risk. Neither opening is unconditional. U.S. law under 10 U.S.C. §8679 generally bars Armed Forces vessels from being built in foreign shipyards. Trump's memorandum invokes the national-security waiver available under that law and delegates individual determinations to the secretary of war. Each qualifying contract must still be reported to Congress, and no contract can be made until 30 days after lawmakers receive that notification. For Korean drone makers, the risk lies partly in the supply chain itself. Chinese components remain embedded in Korean production, meaning tighter Chinese export controls or other retaliation could increase costs just as U.S. policy creates new demand. AJP Takeaways: · Trump's new "Finland Model" creates a path for allied yards to build the first two U.S. vessels overseas, but only alongside major investment, technology transfer and subsequent production in America. · Hanwha starts with an advantage because it already owns a U.S. shipyard and is pursuing Austal USA, while HD Hyundai and Samsung would need deeper U.S. production footprints. · Korean drone makers could benefit from sharply higher U.S. tariffs on many imported drones, but the 15 percent Korean rate comes with strict hardware, software and technology origin requirements. · Korea's dependence on Chinese drone components turns supply-chain localization from a long-term industrial goal into a near-term requirement for gaining from Washington's security-driven trade realignment. 2026-08-14 17:24:35