Industry

  • GULF CRISIS: Trumps coalition push puts Koreas Cheonghae Unit in spotlight
    GULF CRISIS: Trump's coalition push puts Korea's Cheonghae Unit in spotlight SEOUL, March 16 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for other countries to help escort commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has drawn cautious and broadly noncommittal responses from allies, with South Korea’s Cheonghae Unit emerging as the most likely naval asset should Seoul decide to participate. South Korea and other countries asked by Washington to help protect merchant vessels from Iranian attacks in the strategic waterway are quietly weighing t March 16, 2026
  • South Korea completes test of first homegrown air-launched anti-tank missile
    South Korea completes test of first homegrown air-launched anti-tank missile SEOUL, March 12 (AJP) - South Korea has successfully completed the test of its first homegrown air-launched anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), the Defense Agency for Technology and Quality said on Thursday. The Cheongeom, which literally means "heavenly sword" in Korean and is also called TAipers, was developed by the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) in 2022 and manufactured by Hanwha Aerospace. Mounted on a light armed helicopter, it is designed to precisely stri March 12, 2026
  • Irans Drones vs Patriots: If U.S. forces shift, who guards South Koreas skies?
    Iran's 'Drones vs Patriots': If U.S. forces shift, who guards South Korea's skies? SEOUL, March 11 (AJP) - As U.S. air-defense assets are increasingly drawn into the widening war with Iran, South Korea faces an uncomfortable question: how much of its own air and missile defense can it sustain without American cover. Seoul has quietly acknowledged it cannot prevent U.S. tactical assets from being redeployed if Washington needs them elsewhere. The concern is not abstract. North Korea’s missile and drone tactics bear striking similarities to those now being tes March 11, 2026
  • Hanwha showcases Korean THAAD L-SAM at Belgium defense expo
    Hanwha showcases 'Korean THAAD' L-SAM at Belgium defense expo SEOUL, March 11 (AJP) - Hanwha is set to showcase its long-range surface-to-air missile interceptor, known as the “Korean THAAD,” at the BEDEX defense exhibition in Belgium as it seeks to expand its presence in the European defense market. Hanwha Aerospace and Hanwha Systems said Tuesday they are participating in BEDEX, a defense exhibition taking place in Brussels from March 12 to 14, marking the first time a South Korean company has taken part in the event. The exhi March 11, 2026
  • USFK diverts air-defense assets to Middle East as Freedom Shield scales back 
    USFK diverts air-defense assets to Middle East as Freedom Shield scales back  SEOUL, March 10 (AJP) - The United States has redeployed portions of its air-defense architecture from South Korea to the Middle East as tensions with Iran escalate, coinciding with this year's scaled-back Freedom Shield (FS) joint exercise. According to reports from the Washington Post and real-time flight tracking data, the Pentagon has shifted elements of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system out of South Korea while also drawing Patriot interceptor units fro March 10, 2026
  • Travel time suggests USFK assets may join Iran nuclear raid
    Travel time suggests USFK assets may join Iran nuclear raid SEOUL, March 09 (AJP) - As Tehran remains defiant with the war entering its second week, intelligence signals suggest the United States and Israel are preparing for a potential special forces raid on Iranian nuclear facilities — an operation that could involve key air defense assets stationed in South Korea. Defense authorities in Seoul and Washington stressed Monday that the combined defense posture on the Korean Peninsula remains “ironclad,” regardless of any tac March 9, 2026
  • UAE airlifts Korean MSAM II interceptors as Gulf tensions rise
    UAE airlifts Korean MSAM II interceptors as Gulf tensions rise SEOUL, March 09 (AJP) - South Korea has delivered more than 30 interceptor missiles for its Cheongung-II (M-SAM II) medium-range surface-to-air missile system to the United Arab Emirates ahead of schedule, as the Gulf state seeks to bolster its air defenses amid rising tensions with Iran. According to government sources, the UAE had requested early delivery of additional Cheongung-II batteries. Seoul reportedly found the request difficult to meet due to existing supply commitments March 9, 2026
  • KAI to hold board meeting on new chief amid parachuting appointment controversy
    KAI to hold board meeting on new chief amid 'parachuting appointment' controversy SEOUL, February 26 (AJP) - The Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) is scheduled to hold a board of directors meeting on Thursday to discuss the nomination of a former military official to lead South Korea's aerospace and defense powerhouse. The meeting follows a delay the previous day, when the board postponed tabling the appointment of the new chief executive officer after the company union launched protests against what it termed a "parachuting appointment" from the gov February 26, 2026
  • To keep US troops, Seoul may have too look beyond NK in defense axis
    To keep US troops, Seoul may have too look beyond NK in defense axis SEOUL, February 12 (AJP) - The U.S. National Defense Strategy (NDS), released last month one year into the Trump administration, delivers a message that is clear — take “primary responsibility” for own defense and expect “critical but limited” U.S. support. For South Korea, which has relied on the U.S. deterrence umbrella against North Korea for more than 70 years, the language feels unsettling. But beneath the rhetoric lies a deeper structural shift: W February 12, 2026
  • South Korea to send submarine to Canadian waters ahead of $41bn bid decision
    South Korea to send submarine to Canadian waters ahead of $41bn bid decision SEOUL, February 10 (AJP) - South Korea will deploy a submarine to Canadian waters in June for its first-ever joint naval exercise with Canada, a high-profile move that coincides with Ottawa’s selection process for a $41 billion next-generation submarine program. According to military sources on Tuesday, the deployment will mark the first time a South Korean submarine operates in Canadian waters. The vessel is scheduled to depart in March and cross the Pacific ahead of the dril February 10, 2026