Journalist

Jun Sung-min
  • About 140 South Koreans in Iran and Israel evacuated to neighboring countries
    About 140 South Koreans in Iran and Israel evacuated to neighboring countries SEOUL, March 4 (AJP) - About 140 South Koreans who had been staying in Iran and Israel have been evacuated to neighboring Turkmenistan and Egypt, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here said on Wednesday. In Iran, about two dozen South Koreans split into two buses arranged by the South Korean Embassy there and left Tehran on Monday and safely arrived in neighboring Turkmenistan the following day amid escalating tensions in the Gulf region following last Saturday's U.S.-led airstrikes on the Middle Eastern country. The evacuees included not only residents but also about 10 embassy staff members and their families, as well as some Iranian nationals who are family members of South Koreans or ethnic Koreans. Also leaving Iran were Lee Do‑hee, head coach of Iran's women's national volleyball team, and Lee Ki‑je, a defender for Iranian professional soccer club Mes Rafsanjan FC. According to the ministry, about 40 South Korean residents still remain in Iran. A ministry official said withdrawing the embassy is "not currently being considered," adding that the government will continue to take responsibility for evacuations while monitoring whether the situation becomes prolonged. In Israel, where about 600 South Korean nationals including around100 short-term visitors are currently staying, some 113 people left Jerusalem and Tel Aviv on Tuesday and arrived in Egypt later that day. Separately, two South Koreans in Bahrain and two in Iraq also evacuated to Saudi Arabia and Turkey, respectively. Meanwhile, Kim Young-bae, a lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party (DP), on Tuesday urged the government to draw up plans to safely evacuate South Korean residents and travelers in the Middle East to neighboring countries in case the situation worsens. "As many as 21,000 South Koreans are currently residing in some 13 countries in the Middle East. Among them, about 4,000 short-term visitors including travelers are in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates," he said. 2026-03-04 09:31:00
  • South Korea holds live-fire drill on border islands
    South Korea holds live-fire drill on border islands SEOUL, February 26 (AJP) - This year's first maritime live-fire drill was conducted in waters off the West Sea, the Marine Corps said on Thursday. The drill, which involved K9 self-propelled howitzers, took place on the northernmost islands of Baeknyeong and Yeonpyeong near the Northern Limit Line (NLL), the de facto maritime border between the two Koreas. Calling it a "routine, annual and defensive" drill, the Marine Corps said about 190 rounds were fired. The maritime drill, typically held three to four times a year, was halted under the 2018 inter-Korean military pact as part of efforts to ease military tensions between the two Koreas. But it resumed in June 2024 in response to a series of North Korean provocations including its bizarre campaign of sending trash-filled balloons toward the South. Four such drills were held last year. 2026-02-26 16:09:53
  • South Korea, US to stage annual joint drill with scaled-down field training
    South Korea, US to stage annual joint drill with scaled-down field training SEOUL, February 25 (AJP) - South Korean and U.S. troops will stage their annual joint military exercise next month to strengthen their combined defense posture, the Joint Chiefs of Staff here said on Wednesday. The exercise, dubbed Freedom Shield (FS), is scheduled to be held from March 9 to 19 under a scenario simulating a full-scale war to prepare for contingencies on the Korean Peninsula. The exercise aims to strengthen combined combat readiness while preparing for the transfer of wartime operational control from Washington to Seoul. "About 18,000 troops will take part in this year's exercise, similar to the levels seen last year," a JCS official said. But some field drills are likely to be scaled down, as the two allies are still in talks over their scope and size, amid Seoul's apparent efforts to avoid provoking North Korea under President Lee Jae myung's conciliatory stance toward Pyongyang as well as growing expectations for the resumption of talks between the U.S and North Korea, which could coincide with U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to China in late March. North Korea, which has condemned the drills as rehearsals for an invasion, is expected to pretest again. 2026-02-25 17:48:47
  • USFK chief expresses regret over drill not shared with Seoul
    USFK chief expresses regret over drill 'not shared' with Seoul SEOUL, February 25 (AJP) - Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), has expressed "regret" that South Korean defense officials were not briefed on last week's U.S. air drill over the West Sea. In a statement issued late Tuesday, Brunson said he regretted that South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff were "not briefed in time," clarifying that he had discussed the drill with Ahn by phone. USFK conducted a large-scale air drill last Wednesday with about a dozen F-16 fighter jets flying over South Korea's air defense identification zone (KADIZ), prompting China to scramble its own jets, which led to a brief aerial standoff. Raising concerns about the incident, Ahn reportedly complained to Brunson the following day that details of the drill had not been properly shared in advance, saying that it had heightened military tensions on the Korean Peninsula. But U.S. Forces Korea said it regularly conducts drills to "maintain the highest level of readiness," adding "We do not apologize for maintaining readiness." 2026-02-25 09:15:06
  • Satellite images suggest North Korea gearing up for massive military parade
    Satellite images suggest North Korea gearing up for massive military parade SEOUL, February 20 (AJP) - With North Korea's key party congress underway this week, satellite images suggest the country has been preparing for a large-scale military parade, with over 12,000 people believed to have been mobilized. According to Yoo Yong-won of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), satellite images taken between Feb. 9 and 17 by Vantor, formerly Maxar Intelligence, showed around 12,000 troops gathered at Mirim Airport near Pyongyang for the parade's rehearsals. The images also show multiple formations marching in step, including columns of about 300 troops each, though no clear signs of heavy equipment were spotted near the airfield's main hangars. Yoo said the parade is expected to involve more troops and equipment than previous ones, as the country may invite foreign officials and dignitaries including those from Russia, in a show of its closer military ties with Moscow. At its previous eighth party congress in January 2021, North Korea mobilized about 15,000 troops and 172 pieces of military equipment for a parade featuring mass calisthenics performances. This year's parade is expected to be similar in scale to the one held in October last year to mark the 80th anniversary of the Workers' Party's founding, when around 16,000 troops and some 60 pieces of equipment were showcased. 2026-02-20 15:38:29
  • Boeing picked as preferred bidder for South Koreas special-ops helicopters deal
    Boeing picked as preferred bidder for South Korea's special-ops helicopters deal SEOUL, February 20 (AJP) - Boeing has been selected as the preferred bidder for a South Korean defense procurement program valued at approximately 3.4 trillion won ($2.3 billion), the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said on Friday. According to DAPA, Boeing was the sole bidder to submit a proposal in November last year, after two previous bidding rounds in June and October failed to produce a contract. Sikorsky, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, had been expected to compete with its heavy-transport helicopter, the CH-53K King Stallion, but failed to do so. Boeing proposed the CH-47F/ER, an upgraded version of the CH-47F Chinook, at a cost of $57 million per unit. The program aims to procure approximately 20 heavy-lift helicopters for special operations including air infiltration search-and-rescue missions, with deliveries scheduled between 2026 and 2033. DAPA said it plans to finalize a contract with Boeing by June, pending technical evaluations and tests. 2026-02-20 14:14:29
  • US, Chinese fighter jets in brief aerial standoff over West Sea
    US, Chinese fighter jets in brief aerial standoff over West Sea SEOUL, February 20 (AJP) - A brief aerial standoff between U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) aircraft and Chinese fighter jets occurred over the West Sea earlier this week, multiple military sources said on Friday. The faceoff arose when China scrambled its own fighter jets in response to a large-scale air drill conducted by the USFK. According to the sources, about a dozen F-16 fighter jets took off from Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province last Wednesday and reportedly flew over South Korea's air defense identification zone (KADIZ), prompting China to dispatch its own. Though the encounter briefly raised tensions, neither side was reported to have entered the other's airspace. The air defense identification zone does not constitute territorial airspace but is established in order to identify air traffic. It is common protocol for aircraft to obtain prior permission before entering another country's air defense identification zone. USFK reportedly notified South Korea's military authorities ahead of the drill but did not elaborate on its specific objectives. Some observers said it is unusual for USFK to conduct such a large-scale exercise near China's airspace. 2026-02-20 11:07:51
  • North Korea kicks off key party congress
    North Korea kicks off key party congress SEOUL, February 20 (AJP) - North Korea has kicked off its massive party gathering, state media reported on Friday. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency, the ninth congress of the Workers' Party "opened with splendour" in Pyongyang the previous day. In his opening address, its leader Kim Jong-un said he is "full of optimism and confidence about the future," comparing this year's gathering with the previous one five years ago, which convened "with the faith, will and resolution to tide over the worst situation facing the revolution by our own efforts and open a new era of progress and development without fail." North Korea "has also irreversibly solidified the country's status externally, bringing about a massive change in the global political order and relations affecting our country," Kim was quoted as saying, apparently referring to the country's pursuit of status as a nuclear-armed state. But Kim devoted most of his speech to highlighting economic issues and outlining tasks to improve "the people's living standards" through mid- and long-term plans aimed at achieving a "rural revolution." The rare gathering, which typically runs several days, brought together about 5,000 party members and other representatives from across the country this year, who will review the past five years and set the direction for domestic and foreign policy over the next five years. 2026-02-20 09:38:22
  • Tens of thousands of liters of jet fuel spill at US bases in Gunsan, Osan
    Tens of thousands of liters of jet fuel spill at US bases in Gunsan, Osan SEOUL, February 19 (AJP) - More than 40,000 liters of fighter jet fuel spilled at a U.S. Air Force base in the southwestern city of Gunsan last month, while a similar spill occurred at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province earlier this month, U.S. Forces Korea said on Thursday. According to U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), the U.S. Air Force's 8th Fighter Wing detected a leak of about 41,600 liters of jet fuel from a fuel tank in an accident on Jan. 26 at Gunsan. There was reportedly no risk to the health or safety of nearby residents and communities, as the spill was cleaned up immediately. About 10 days later, a separate fuel spill was reported at Osan Air Base, home to the U.S. Air Force's 51st Fighter Wing. The spill occurred on Feb. 5 inside the base, and cleanup work is still ongoing, with about 870 liters recovered as of last week. Under the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), U.S. military bases in South Korea are provided by the South Korean government, which retains ownership of the land and facilities while granting the U.S. military the right to use them. 2026-02-19 15:26:02
  • South Korea mulls restoring no-fly zone along border
    South Korea mulls restoring no-fly zone along border SEOUL, February 19 (AJP) - South Korea is considering redesignating a no-fly zone along border areas while ensuring it does not affect military readiness, the Defense Ministry said on Thursday. In a regular media briefing, ministry spokesperson Jeong Bit-na said the ministry is consulting with relevant government agencies and the U.S. side to partially restore the inter-Korean military pact, which was signed in September 2018 to ease military tensions between the two Koreas but was scrapped in 2024 under the previous administration's hardline stance toward the North. The development comes after Unification Minister Chung Dong-young recently expressed regret over drones allegedly sent by civilians from South Korea to the North, while pledging to prevent a recurrence. Restoring such a zone would bar drones from flying within 15 kilometers of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) in the eastern area and within 10 kilometers in the western area. When asked what types of aircraft or drones would be restricted, Jeong said military drones used for training would be exempt, but other unmanned aerial vehicles would be subject to the ban. But Some already raise concerns that restoring it solely on the South's side could weaken surveillance against the North. 2026-02-19 14:58:23