Republic of Korea Army soldiers stand resolute at the iconic Joint Security Area where South and North Korean soldiers stand face to face across the Korean Demilitarized Zone, Panmunjom, South Korea, June 19, 2018. US Army Photo
The former top commander in South Korea said he thinks continuing to halt large-scale military exercises “is no longer relevant” as a negotiating tool with North Korea over denuclearizing the peninsula. Read More
Gen. Robert Abrams, commander of U.S. Forces Korea commander, US Forces Korea at Osan Air Base, ROK on June 12, 2020. US Air Force Photo
North Korea is not showing any signs of lashing out against South Korea or Japan or launching a deliberate provocation as the American presidential election nears, the senior commander on the peninsula said Thursday. Read More
An F-35B Lightning II assigned to the ‘Dragons’ of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 265 (Reinforced) lands on the flight deck of amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA-6) on Jan. 15, 2020. US Navy Photo
The South Korean Ministry of National Defense (MND) has decided in August to double its fleet of Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets. A total of forty additional “Joint Strike Fighters” will be procured, including 20 F-35B short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) variant for its light aircraft carrier project known as LPX-II. Read More
Shinzo Abe on April 7, 2020. Japanese Government Photo
Japan’s next prime minister is expected to follow Shinzo Abe’s path in tightening Tokyo’s military ties with the United States and expanding the nation’s definition of “self-defense” to counter China’s and North Korea’s threats, four Indo-Pacific security experts said Tuesday. Read More
Concept image of the LPX-II Lighting Carrier from South Korea. Republic of Korea Navy Image
South Korea’s 2021-2025 defense blueprint, which was revealed yesterday, provides fresh details on the plans to develop an aircraft carrier capability for the Republic of Korea (RoK) Navy. The LPX-II project will be a dedicated light aircraft carrier for F-35B; it will not be an amphibious assault ship. Read More
The following is the July 14, 2020 Congressional Research Service In Focus report, North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons and Missile Programs. Read More
Kim Jong Un speaks as he takes part in a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee. Korean Central News Agency Photo
As questions linger about the health of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un following a recent surgery, Pyongyang has left no doubt it intends to keep flexing its military muscle with its latest round of air and land-based cruise missile tests, Asian experts at the Wilson Center said last week. Read More
A naval soldier of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) views through a pair of binoculars onboard China’s first aircraft carrier Liaoning as it visits a military harbor on the South China Sea. Xinhua Photo
China’s recent activities in the South China Sea, which include bullying Vietnam and Malaysia over ocean drilling and ramming Philippine fishing vessels near Scarborough Shoals, top the list of Asian security concerns, a panel of experts said last week. Read More
Photo of an Oct. 2, 2019, North Korean Pukguksong-3 test. Rodong åSinmun Photo
Since the regime in Pyongyang doesn’t see any reason to rein in its nuclear weapons program or to put the brakes on its ballistic missile technology efforts, North Korea possibly poses “the most pressing national security issue we face,” a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said Thursday.
Undated photo of M/V Wise Honest. DoJ Photo
A North Korean cargo ship seized by U.S. authorities in May has been sold and is now undertow from American Samoa, the Coast Guard announced The 17,061-ton, single-hull bulk carrier M/V Wise Honest was sold on orders of a U.S. federal judge to compensate the families of victims of the North Korean regime – Otto Warmbier and Kim Dong-shik. Read More
