Black Eagles to participate in air show in Saudi Arabia next month SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - South Korea's aerobatics team will participate in an air show in Saudi Arabia next month after a refueling stopover in Japan, the Air Force said Wednesday. The team will depart Wonju next Wednesday for the International Defense Industry Exhibition, stopping in Okinawa, Japan, to refuel and hold an exchange event with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force's aerobatics team Blue Impulse. Japan had abruptly refused to provide refueling support for the Black Eagles after initially agreeing to do so, raising issues over a T-50B aircraft conducting routine training near the easternmost islets of Dokdo. However, shuttle diplomacy between the two countries, revived after President Lee Jae Myung's visit earlier this month, has gained momentum, allowing the refueling in Japan to proceed as planned. After refueling in Japan, the Black Eagles will fly about 11,300 kilometers (7,020 miles) via Clark in the Philippines; Da Nang, Viet Nam; Chiang Mai, Thailand; Kolkata, Nagpur and Jamnagar, India; and Muscat, Oman, arriving Riyadh on Feb. 2. The Air Force will send approximately 120 personnel, along with nine T-50B aircraft and four C-130 transport planes. The team plans to showcase its "Mugunghwa" maneuver, inspired by South Korea's national flower, the rose of Sharon, symbolizing the country's perseverance and resilience. Col. Noh Nam-seon of the team said, "As this will be our first air show in the Middle East, we will deliver our best performance, drawing on the flight expertise and teamwork we have built over the years." 2026-01-21 17:54:23

Former Air Force chief named ambassador to Israel SEOUL, January 16 (AJP) - Park In-ho, a former Air Force chief, has been named South Korea's new ambassador to Israel, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday. The graduate of the Korea Air Force Academy, long regarded as a bastion for elite cadets, served as Air Force chief from July 2021 to May 2022 under the former Moon Jae-in administration, after holding various posts including a policy planning role at the Ministry of National Defense. Since retiring, Park has taken a role advising the Air Force while working as a professor at Hankyong National University in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province. He has also advised a law firm on matters related to aerospace and defense exports. 2026-01-16 14:02:39

Home-grown KF-21 fighter jets successfully complete test flights SEOUL, January 13 (AJP) - South Korea has completed test flights of its home-grown KF-21 fighter jet, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said on Tuesday. The DAPA said the fighter jet successfully underwent about 1,600 tests over the past 42 months to verify its stability and performance without a single accident, with its final flight test conducted the previous day over waters off Sacheon in South Gyeongsang Province. The tests included aerial refueling to improve their scope and efficiency, shortening the development period by two months from the original plan. The DAPA plans to begin delivering mass-produced KF-21s to the Air Force in the second half of this year to replace aging F-4 and F-5 fighters, which is expected to bolster airspace defense capabilities and enhance combat readiness. Noh Ji-man, head of the DAPA, hailed the KF-21 as the "culmination of the country's aviation technology," adding that it is capable of competing with advanced fighters in the global market. 2026-01-13 14:06:10

North Korean leader vows 'unconditional support' in letter to Putin SEOUL, January 9 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has pledged "unconditional support" in a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, state media reported on Friday. According to the state-run and the Russian Federation, the strategic interests of the two countries," he also wrote, suggesting further strengthening of military ties between the two countries. Since KCNA described it as a reply, Putin appears to have sent a letter congratulating Kim, whose birthday was believed to be the previous day, though North Korean media disclosed no details. In October last year, Kim also sent Putin a congratulatory message for his birthday. The secretive country has never officially disclosed Kim's birth date, but it is widely thought to be Jan. 8, 1984. 2026-01-09 14:50:11

New senior post in charge of AI created at Defense Ministry SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - A deputy minister-level post in charge of artificial intelligence (AI)-related affairs has been created within the Ministry of Defense to accelerate the military's technological modernization. Approved at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday and set to take effect later this week, the new post will spearhead the military's adoption of cutting-edge technologies while overseeing key areas where AI is needed, including logistics, information, and the procurement of military assets. Won Jong-dae, who currently manages the military's resource management, is set to assume the new role. The restructuring plan also includes the appointment of civilian experts to a military adviser post, which was usually held by an active-duty general. The ministry said the military's move toward an AI-driven, high-tech force will help South Korea achieve its goal of becoming one of the world’s top three AI powers in the defense sector. 2025-12-30 16:21:56

South Korea's An Mu submarine completes long-range Guam mission without any failure SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - The South Korean Navy said on Tuesday that its An Mu submarine has completed a roughly 7,000-kilometer round-trip blue-water deployment and overseas training mission without a single equipment failure. The 3,000-ton An Mu, part of the KSS-III program, returned to Jinhae Naval Port after taking part in the South Korea–U.S. combined anti-submarine exercise “2025 Silent Shark.” The Navy held a welcome ceremony on Tuesday, hosted by Rear Adm. Kim Tae-hoon, acting commander of the Navy Submarine Command. The submarine departed Jinhae in early November and arrived in Guam on Nov. 17. It trained with U.S. forces for about a month in waters near Guam, conducting submarine tracking and attack drills, free-play engagements and airborne anti-submarine warfare exercises aimed at improving combined operational capability and interoperability. An Mu’s commander, Col. Ahn Geon-young, said the deployment demonstrated the submarine’s long-range sailing capability and stable performance in high-temperature tropical waters. Ahn said the visit showcased South Korea’s submarine operating capability, including system integration that allows crews to focus on missions, improved onboard living conditions and high equipment reliability. Canada is pursuing the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project to acquire up to 12 diesel-powered submarines to replace its four Victoria-class boats, which are due to retire in the mid-2030s. A consortium of Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has proposed Hanwha Ocean’s 3,000-ton Jangbogo-III Batch-II diesel-powered submarine for the project and has been shortlisted alongside Germany’s thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, the Navy said. 2025-12-30 10:59:11

South Korea, US complete all joint drills postponed from last summer SEOUL, December 29 (AJP) - The military has carried out all 22 joint field training with the U.S. that were rescheduled after being postponed in August, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said on Monday. Those drills were among about 40 exercises that are part of the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise, aimed at maintaining a combined defense posture, including combined tactical airborne training, rescue operations, equipment maintenance, and live-fire drills. According to the JCS, two of the drills were conducted solely by South Korea. The military postponed the drills earlier in the summer, citing extreme heat and other factors. 2025-12-29 14:17:47

North Korea spurs rural development ahead of key party congress SEOUL, December 24 (AJP) - North Korea has been holding a series of opening ceremonies for new factories in provincial areas, state media reported Wednesday. According to the state-run northern mountainous areas of Kilju," adding that projects to develop provincial areas would be further expanded. North Korea has already held a slew of similar events in recent weeks including those in North and South Hwanghae Provinces and Kangwon Province. These development projects, along with the recent grand openings of new hotels near Mt. Paektu, are part of the North's ambitious plans to narrow gaps between the modernized capital of Pyongyang and rural areas within 10 years, in an apparent effort to promote year-end achievements ahead of the country's key party congress scheduled for early next year. 2025-12-24 10:20:14

US nuclear-powered submarine docks in Busan to replenish supplies SEOUL, December 23 (AJP) - The USS Greenville arrived on Tuesday in South Korea's southern port city of Busan to replenish supplies and provide rest for crew members. The Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered attack submarine Greeneville, named after Greeneville, Tennessee, will engage in activities to strengthen cooperation between the two allies, according to the South Korean Navy. The submarine, which is 110 meters long and 10 meters wide, is equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from approximately 12 vertical launching systems (VLS), as well as torpedoes fired from four launch tubes. The USS Greenville last docked in Busan in 2016, with the latest visit marking its fourth trip to South Korea. Its arrival comes about 10 months after the USS Alexandria visited the same naval base for similar activities in February. 2025-12-23 11:15:16

Frontline units told to assume border farther south to avoid clashes SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - The South Korean military has internally instructed frontline units to consider the more southerly boundary when the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) along the inter-Korean border overlaps or is unclear, to avoid accidental clashes with North Korea. During a regular press briefing at the Ministry of Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Lee Sung-joon said the military prioritizes MDL markers set up in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and conducts comprehensive assessments in areas where such markers are unavailable, in response to North Korean incursions across the MDL, whether accidental or intentional. South Korea has responded to such violations by firing warning shots. The MDL is the ceasefire line drawn by the armistice signed on July 27, 1953. Of the roughly 1,292 markers installed at that time, only about 200 remain in place. Over time, South Korea marked the MDL on its military maps based on these markers. The UN Command also produced its own maps, resulting in differences that can reach tens of meters in some areas. North Korea has continued to violate the MDL since April last year, after beginning large-scale work near the DMZ, including mine removal and land development. North Korean soldiers have crossed the MDL 16 times since March, with 10 of those cases occurring last month. 2025-12-22 14:46:15