South Korea

Latest in South Korea

President Donald Trump has come out in support of a future fleet of South Korean nuclear-powered submarines.

South Korea’s Nuclear Submarine Ambitions Take Major Step Forward

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Oct 31, 2025

South Korea has launched its biggest and most ambitious submarine yet, the Jang Yeong-sil, as the first of the second batch of its locally designed and built KSS-III program.

South Korea Has Launched Its Most Advanced Submarine Ever

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Oct 23, 2025

The next stage in the evolution of the Gray Eagle Short Takeoff and Landing (GE STOL) drone sees General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) team up with South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace, for co-development and co-production of the uncrewed aircraft system, with work set to begin immediately. A demonstrator for the medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) drone has already operated from a South Korean assault ship, but the new partnership will see production of the Gray Eagle STOL for all customers taking place in South Korea.

General Atomics’ Gray Eagle STOL Drone Will Be Made In Korea

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Oct 14, 2025

South Korea has selected an L3Harris Global 6500 bizjet-based solution for its new airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft. As we discussed at the time, Seoul launched its search for a new plane back in 2020, to bolster its current fleet of four Boeing E-737s, South Korean versions of the E-7 Wedgetail that has been selected by the U.S. Air Force and NATO, among other customers. Reports from earlier this year suggested that Boeing had already been eliminated or dropped out of the new South Korean competition, something that the company appeared to deny.

South Korea Has Chosen Its Next Airborne Early Warning Radar Jet

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Sep 30, 2025

South Korea has presented, for the first time, imagery of its Hycore hypersonic cruise missile, showing the future weapon during its flight testing. The Hycore is part of a fast-growing arsenal of advanced weapons that Seoul is developing, primarily to counter North Korea. As well as the hypersonic cruise missile, South Korea is notably also working on an air-launched ballistic missile (ALBM) and increasingly capable sea-based ballistic missiles, including for launch submarine launch.

South Korea’s Hypersonic Cruise Missile Emerges In New Test Photos

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Sep 4, 2025

South Korea is looking to develop a new air-launched ballistic missile, joining a group of nations that are looking to introduce this capability, or which already have systems of this kind in operational service. If successful, the program would likely see the weapon fielded on South Korea’s locally developed KF-21 fighter jet, which you can read more about here.

South Korea Has An Air-Launched Ballistic Missile Program

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Aug 13, 2025

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has provided us with a look at the future, stealthier version of its KF-21 fighter, which is now known as the KF-21EX. Concept artwork of the refined version of the jet has been released, with internal weapons carriage being its distinguishing feature. This is part of an effort to make the KF-21 more survivable in the face of ever more capable air defense systems, although the resulting aircraft will not offer the same level of low observability as the F-35, which is also operated by South Korea.

South Korea’s KF-21 Fighter To Get Stealthier With Internal Weapons Bays

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Aug 6, 2025

A South Korean AH-64 Apache helicopter fires rockets during a combined live-fire exercise between the South Korean and US armies at the Rodriguez Live Fire Complex in Pocheon on October 30, 2024. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP) (Photo by JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images)

South Korea Canceling AH-64 Apache Order A Sign Of What’s To Come

By Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Jul 8, 2025

F-16 Fighting Falcons from Kunsan Air Base and South Korean KF-16s taxi to the runway together during Exercise Buddy Wing 14-8 at Seosan Air Base, Republic of Korea Aug. 21, 2014. The purpose of the exercise was not only to improve interoperability between U.S. Air Force and ROKAF fighter squadrons, but to practice with ROKAF KF-16 units for their first upcoming RED FLAG exercise in Alaska.

South Korean F-16s Just Bombed A Town By Accident

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Mar 6, 2025

South Korea today unveiled a new stealthy loyal wingman-type drone, the Low Observable Unmanned Wingman System, or LOWUS, which it plans to operate alongside the locally developed KF-21 Boramae next-generation fighter, among others.

South Korea’s Loyal Wingman Air Combat Drone Unveiled

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Feb 25, 2025

South Korea's domestically developed Marine Attack Helicopter (MAH) completed its first flight test in December 2024, the country's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced on January 15, 2025.

This Is South Korea’s New Heavily Armed Marine Attack Helicopter

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Jan 23, 2025

The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) recently commissioned the first of its new KDX-III Batch 2 destroyers, also known as the Sejong Daewang class. Among the many advanced features incorporated in these warships, especially striking is the latest version of the Korean Vertical Launch System — KVLS-II — which is initially planned to hold surface-to-air missiles, but which could well also add land attack cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles.

South Korea’s New Destroyer Is Designed To Fire Ballistic Missiles

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Dec 3, 2024

South Korean military forces have descended on the country's parliament building and other parts of the capital Seoul following President Yoon Suk Yeol's unexpected declaration of martial law.

Surprise Martial Law Declaration Throws South Korea Into Turmoil (Updated)

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Dec 3, 2024

ideos purporting to show a Ukrainian drone attack on a Russian oil refinery may actually have been of a wayward civilian An-2 biplane.

An-2 Biplane Caused Major Scare When Russians Thought It Was A Long-Range Kamikaze Drone

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Nov 27, 2024

The General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) Gray Eagle STOL drone has undertaken its first experimental operations from a warship, taking off from the deck of the South Korean amphibious assault ship Dokdo. Gray Eagle STOL — which we have discussed in depth in the past — incorporates technology first demonstrated on the company’s Mojave, which was specifically developed with the ability to perform short takeoffs and landings, including from rough fields, with minimal support. The latest development adds to the aviation-capable warships that the wider family of Q-1 lineage drones have now operated from.

Gray Eagle STOL Drone Flies From South Korean Amphibious Assault Ship

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Nov 13, 2024

North Korea has tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that it claims is its longest-ranged so far. The announcement of the test of the Hwasong-19 comes amid large-scale U.S.-South Korean military maneuvers during which their aircraft have bombed mock-ups of North Korean ballistic missile launchers.

North Korea’s New ICBM May Have Biggest Transporter-Erector-Launcher We’ve Ever Seen

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Nov 1, 2024