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Quotes of the Day:
“Human greatness does not lie in wealth or power, but in character and goodness.”
–Anne Frank
“Don’t bend; don’t water it down; don’t try to make it logical; don’t edit your own soul according to the fashion. Rather, follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly.”
– Franz Kafka
"When an emotion is collective, as in war or disease, there are a few to correct the myths that naturally arise. Consequently in all times of great collective excitement unfounded rumors obtain wide credence. This myth-making faculty is often allied with cruelty. Such myths give an excuse for the inflection of abuse, and the unfounded belief in them is evidence of the unconscious desire to find some victim to persecute."
– Bertrand Russell, Unpopular essays (1950)
1. North Korean, Wrapped in Plastic Foam, Floats to Freedom in the South
2. North Korean man crosses into South in second defection of the summer
3. Senior gov't official says Ulchi Freedom Shield was 'adjusted' to ease tensions with N. Korea
4. Unification minister says ending rupture in inter-Korean ties is govt's responsibility
5. Russian entries to North Korea hit 14-year high as Moscow withholds DPRK data
6. S. Korea, U.S. to partially push back field training for key military drills to Sept.
7. U.S. notes 'with interest' N. Korea's recent statement hinting at openness to dialogue: official
8. U.S. official says S. Korea's contributions in alliance 'critical' to restoring Indo-Pacific deterrence
9. If chip firm builds U.S. plant during Trump's term, no tariff will apply: Lutnick
10. During rare call-up, joint beach assault tests Marine Reservists in South Korea
11. ROK-US to postpone some joint exercises amid heat and inter-Korean tensions
12. Tornado Cash founder convicted over crypto tool tied to North Korean hackers
13. Russia, China Simulate Attack on Enemy Submarine in Sea of Japan Drills
14. South Korea’s KF-21 Fighter To Get Stealthier With Internal Weapons Bays
15. North Korea Can Nuke the U.S. Mainland. Will America Still Defend South Korea?
1. North Korean, Wrapped in Plastic Foam, Floats to Freedom in the South
You have to admire his ingenuity, the desire for freedom, and the will to survive.
North Korean, Wrapped in Plastic Foam, Floats to Freedom in the South
The unidentified man avoided getting shot by North Korean guards who have orders to stop anyone trying to leave
https://www.wsj.com/world/asia/north-korean-wrapped-in-plastic-foam-floats-to-freedom-in-the-south-157ed2bc?st=3FuzmX&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
By Dasl Yoon
Follow
Aug. 7, 2025 5:22 am ET
North and South Korean guard posts near the border. Defections to the South have become extremely rare in recent years. Photo: Ahn Young-joon/Associated Press
Key Points
What's This?
- A North Korean man defected to South Korea by swimming down the coast, evading armed border guards.
- The man used plastic foam for buoyancy and traveled for about 10 hours before being retrieved.
- Defections have become rare due to Kim Jong Un’s increased border security, making routes dangerous.
SEOUL—A North Korean man defected to South Korea after he swam down the coast and evaded armed border guards with orders to shoot anyone fleeing Kim Jong Un’s regime.
The unidentified man was detected late on the evening of July 30, according to South Korean officials, who made the defection public on Thursday. He used tied-on plastic foam for buoyancy and swam down the Korean Peninsula’s west coast.
After a journey of around 10 hours, the man, who reportedly waved his hands and declared his intention to defect, was retrieved by South Korea’s military about 1.6 miles south of North Korean soil.
Defections to the South have become extremely rare in recent years after Kim ordered extra fortifications and boosted security along the border. That has left only dangerous routes and the risk of a death sentence if caught.
Many North Koreans used to flee through China, crossing the border with help from brokers. But recent escapes have involved riskier routes, including traversing the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone, taking small fishing boats or swimming alone.
The North Korean man crossed into the South at an estuary where the two Koreas sit just miles apart. Another individual managed to escape North Korea a year ago in the same waterways. Earlier this week, Pyongyang refused to claim the body of a 36-year-old North Korean farmer who had washed ashore in the area.
Write to Dasl Yoon at dasl.yoon@wsj.com
2. North Korean man crosses into South in second defection of the summer
Excerpts:
The apparent defection follows another early last month, although in that case the man defected via the inter-Korean border.
Surveillance units first spotted the man near the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) in a shallow stream, where he remained mostly still and concealed in vegetation before crossing the MDL. South Korean forces secured him following a “controlled guiding operation.”
The defector was a civilian male who reportedly fled the North due to “unbearable workplace bullying.”
Historically, most North Koreans have defected via third countries, such as China or Russia, crossing the northern border of the DPRK. However, in recent years, there have been several cases of North Koreans directly crossing into the South, mainly by boat but also by land, apparently due to China and the DPRK’s strengthened border controls in recent years.
North Korean man crosses into South in second defection of the summer
Escapee used improvised flotation to cross into ROK territory via maritime border with joint investigation underway
Jooheon Kim August 7, 2025
https://www.nknews.org/2025/08/north-korean-man-crosses-into-south-in-second-defection-of-the-summer/
South Korean troops | Image: ROK navy via Facebook
A North Korean man swam across the maritime border near South Korea’s Gyodong Island late last month, marking the second apparent defection under President Lee Jae-myung’s administration, according to Seoul’s defense ministry on Thursday.
Seoul’s Ministry of National Defense told NK News it identified a North Korean individual around the neutral zone of the Han River on July 31 and handed them over to relevant authorities. The ministry added that there were no unusual movements by North Korean forces at the time.
“As far as I know, this person simply drifted in through the water,” a defense ministry official said on condition of anonymity when asked whether the individual swam across the border.
However, ROK media reported that the individual was spotted by marines while swimming off the coast of Gyodong Island in Incheon, with pieces of styrofoam strapped to their body.
The navy reportedly asked whether the escapee intended to defect and confirmed their intent before taking them into custody. The information was also shared with the United Nations Command.
According to the ROK unification ministry, a joint government investigation is currently ongoing. “As a joint government investigation is underway, we ask for your understanding that we are unable to confirm specific details.”
The apparent defection follows another early last month, although in that case the man defected via the inter-Korean border.
Surveillance units first spotted the man near the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) in a shallow stream, where he remained mostly still and concealed in vegetation before crossing the MDL. South Korean forces secured him following a “controlled guiding operation.”
The defector was a civilian male who reportedly fled the North due to “unbearable workplace bullying.”
Historically, most North Koreans have defected via third countries, such as China or Russia, crossing the northern border of the DPRK. However, in recent years, there have been several cases of North Koreans directly crossing into the South, mainly by boat but also by land, apparently due to China and the DPRK’s strengthened border controls in recent years.
Edited by Alannah Hill
3. Senior gov't official says Ulchi Freedom Shield was 'adjusted' to ease tensions with N. Korea
What does "adjusted" mean?
But regardless, the action (whatever it is) is based on one of the most erroneous assumptions we can make about the Kim family regime and that is that any reduction in military training or activities will have a positive effect on the regime (positive from our point of view in that it will somehow "reduce tensions.") Nothing could be further from the truth. Any reductions in combined military training or any military activities is simply assessed as success for the political warfare and blackmail diplomacy strategies of the regime.
Senior gov't official says Ulchi Freedom Shield was 'adjusted' to ease tensions with N. Korea | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Park Boram · August 7, 2025
SEOUL, Aug. 7 (Yonhap) -- A senior unification ministry official said Thursday this year's annual summertime joint military exercise with the United States was "adjusted" as part of efforts to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula, following a decision to reschedule about half of its field drills to next month.
The remarks came shortly after Seoul and Washington announced that the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise will take place as planned from Aug. 18-28, although 20 of the originally scheduled drills under the exercise have been postponed to next month.
Military officials cited the ongoing heat wave and flood damage as reasons for the partial postponement, though protests from North Korea also appear to have been taken into consideration.
A senior unification ministry official described the decision as an "adjustment" aimed at easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula under the Lee Jae Myung administration.
"The goal is to alleviate tensions and build peace and stability," the official told reporters on condition of anonymity, adding that the objective is shared by both the ministry and the Lee administration.
"I hope (this) will contribute to easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula," the official added.
Adjusting the UFS has been a key focus in inter-Korean relations since Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korea leader Kim Jong-un, protested the exercise, describing the Lee administration as no different from his hard-line predecessor in a statement last week.
Unification Minister Chung Dong-young immediately said he would propose adjusting the UFS exercise to President Lee as part of efforts to improve relations with Pyongyang.
The North Korean regime typically denounces joint military exercises between Seoul and Washington as war rehearsals and reacts furiously to them.
This file photo shows choppers at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, some 60 kilometers south of Seoul, during the Ulchi Freedom Shield in 2024. (Yonhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Park Boram · August 7, 2025
4. Unification minister says ending rupture in inter-Korean ties is govt's responsibility
Actually it takes two to tango. The actual responsibility for the "rupture" belongs to Kim Jong Un. The only question is what price will his blackmail diplomacy extract from the South just to finally say yes to a meeting that will result in nothing good for the South.
Unification minister says ending rupture in inter-Korean ties is govt's responsibility | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Park Boram · August 7, 2025
SEOUL, Aug. 7 (Yonhap) -- Unification Minister Chung Dong-young has said inter-Korean relations have reached a complete cutoff in recent years, emphasizing that ending the rupture as soon as possible is the responsibility of the Lee Jae Myung administration.
Chung made the remarks in a speech delivered online during the World Korea Forum held Wednesday (local time) at the University of Nairobi in the Kenyan capital.
"Over the past six years, inter-Korean relations have been cut off, with private-level contacts dropping to 'zero,'" Chung said. "Ending this complete cutoff in ties as soon as possible is the responsibility of the new (South Korean) government."
The minister emphasized that South and North Korea cannot be two separate countries, referring to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's declaration in 2023 that the two Koreas are "two countries hostile to each other." "As nothing remains unchanged in the world, North Korea's current two-state policy antagonizing the South will eventually change."
Chung also emphasized the importance of "consistency" in North Korea policy, noting that inter-Korean relations have swung dramatically between highs and lows depending on changes in the South Korean government.
This image shows an online speech by Unification Minister Chung Dong-young, delivered at the World Korea Forum on Aug. 6, 2025, at the University of Nairobi in the Kenyan capital. (Yonhap)
pbr@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Park Boram · August 7, 2025
5. Russian entries to North Korea hit 14-year high as Moscow withholds DPRK data
Half the CRInK grows stronger every day.
The properly formatted chart is at the link.
Russian entries to North Korea hit 14-year high as Moscow withholds DPRK data
Nearly 3,000 Russians visited in Q2 according to authorities who also omitted DPRK entries for first time in 15 years
Anton Sokolin August 7, 2025
https://www.nknews.org/2025/08/russian-entries-to-north-korea-hit-14-year-high-as-moscow-withholds-dprk-data/
A Russian tourist during festivities on the Workers Party of Korea's foundation day on Oct. 10, 2024 | Image: Victor Krivyy
More Russians entered North Korea in the second quarter of 2025 than in any three-month period since 2011, according to official data, even as Russian authorities abruptly stopped disclosing the number of North Koreans entering Russia for the first time in 15 years.
The second quarter saw 2,772 Russians entering North Korea, the highest quarterly figure since Q3 2011, when nearly 3,100 Russian nationals visited the country, according to new data from the Russian border agency under the Federal Security Service (FSB).
The influx brought total Russian entries to North Korea to 4,039 in the first half of 2025 — up from 2,657 in the same period last year and just 222 in 2023.
The FSB normally publishes data on Russian citizens exiting the country alongside a separate sheet showing foreign nationals entering Russia, including those from North Korea.
But the current release notably omitted any updates on border crossings by DPRK citizens, leaving the Q2 column completely blank — the first time this has happened since the service began publicizing such data.
Russian 2025 border crossing data missing DPRK entries in Q2, 2025 | Image: FSB (Aug. 6, 2025), edited by NK News
Peter Ward, a research fellow at the Sejong Institute, suggested that Moscow simply deemed the publication of this data unnecessary amid a stream of North Koreans entering Russia, deciding to not provide it.
“It appears that there has been a large influx of North Koreans, not only soldiers going to fight, but also back up support for the military and civilian workers, some engineers and other individuals probably too coming to the country to study or acquire technology,” the expert told NK News, not ruling out that the FSB might update its data when Moscow deems it appropriate.
The omission came amid growing exchanges between the two countries and multiple delegations visiting both Russia and North Korea. DPRK military officers, educators, state media reporters and top security officials reportedly traveled to Russia during this period, with similarly frequent reciprocal trips by their Russian counterparts.
In the previous quarter, 295 North Korean nationals entered Russia, mostly for business and private reasons. Only three went for education — a sharp drop from earlier in 2024, when Moscow had issued over 8,600 student visas and recorded nearly 8,000 educational visits.
It remains unclear whether the FSB will update its Q2 statistics on DPRK entries, or what prompted the omission, but it wouldn’t be unusual for Russian authorities to withhold sensitive data, as they have done with foreign trade statistics following the outbreak of the Ukraine war in 2022.
RUSSIAN BREAKDOWN
The surge in Russian visitors primarily stemmed from tourism in Q2, with an all-time high of 1,673 travelers visiting the DPRK, the FSB data shows. No earlier quarterly record shows more than 1,000 tourists, with the closest being 881 leisure entries in Q4 last year.
So far, 1,935 Russian tourists have visited North Korea in the first half of 2025 — nearly four times more than in the same period last year and just shy of the 1,957 travelers recorded for all of 2024.
The number of Russian tourists visiting North Korea in Q2 does not include any impact from the Wonsan Kalma resort, which only opened to foreign visitors in early July, suggesting that tourism figures could rise even further in the next quarter.
Nearly 300 individuals entered the DPRK in April-June for business, none went for work or education, and 135 were recorded as visiting for private reasons, according to the data. The remaining 668 were listed as vehicle personnel.
Russian nationals mainly traveled by plane, making 1,755 entries in the previous quarter, while 1,017 took the train to visit the DPRK.
The data comes as both countries seek to boost connectivity, recently launching a direct train service linking their capitals across Siberia and offering train rides to Russian tourists to Rason.
Russia and North Korea have also resumed a postal service and launched the first direct commercial flight between Moscow and Pyongyang last month.
The uptick in humanitarian contacts follows deepening military collaboration between Russia and North Korea, which culminated in the signing of a de facto defense pact and Pyongyang offering weaponry and soldiers to support Moscow’s war against Ukraine.
Edited by Alannah Hill
6. S. Korea, U.S. to partially push back field training for key military drills to Sept.
A compromise? The only people this satisfies are those who labor under the erroneous assumption that Kim Jong Un will respond by "reducing tensions." This will in no way draw a positive response from Kim Jong Un. But shifting the FTX to September should not harm readiness as it is not necessary to connect the CPX and the FTX and actually simplifies the complexity of multi-echelon training.
(3rd LD) S. Korea, U.S. to partially push back field training for key military drills to Sept. | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · August 7, 2025
(ATTN: ADDS details, remarks)
By Lee Minji
SEOUL, Aug. 7 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States will conduct a major joint exercise this month to strengthen their combined readiness posture, the allies said Thursday, but added that around half of some 40 planned field training exercises will be rescheduled to next month.
The announcement came amid speculation that the allies may push back some field training tied to the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise until after September as South Korea seeks to mend frayed ties with North Korea.
The UFS exercise is set to take place from Aug. 18-28 and involves drills incorporating "realistic" threats aimed at enhancing the allies' capabilities across all domains, their militaries said.
"The iteration of the UFS '25 will be executed on a similar scale to the previous iteration," Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) spokesperson Col. Lee Sung-jun said in a press briefing, noting some 18,000 South Korean personnel will take part in the upcoming drills.
"However, the military has comprehensively assessed based on multiple factors, including ensuring training conditions, due to the recent heat wave, as well as maintaining a balanced ROK-U.S. combined readiness posture ... and made the decision to reschedule certain training events to next month," Lee said.
ROK refers to the acronym of South Korea's formal name, the Republic of Korea.
The official, however, said training events linked with the combined exercise scenario or involving deployed assets or personnel to the Korean Peninsula by the U.S. military will proceed as planned.
Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Col. Lee Sung-jun (L) and Col. Ryan Donald, spokesperson for the U.S. Forces Korea, pose for a photo during their press briefing at the defense ministry in Seoul on Aug. 7, 2025. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
This year's exercise comes as North Korea has denounced combined South Korea-U.S. drills and accused the South of "blindly adhering" to its alliance with Washington, amid Seoul's push to ease tensions with Pyongyang.
In response, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young, South Korea's top point man on North Korea, said he will propose adjusting the combined military exercise to President Lee Jae Myung, raising views the allies may possibly push back some field training for the summertime drills.
The North has long denounced the allies' joint exercises as a rehearsal for an invasion against it and has a track record of staging weapons tests in response.
In the statement released Thursday, the allies stressed the upcoming drills are "defensive in nature."
While the statement did not directly mention North Korean threats, the allies still underscored the importance of bolstering their readiness posture against all possible threats posed against the Korean Peninsula, including the North's military threats, while factoring in the regional security situation.
"DPRK is certainly a key factor in our overall security environment," Col. Ryan Donald, spokesperson for the U.S. Forces Korea, said in the press briefing. "We remain focused on our objective, which is clear, to maintain peace and security on the Korean Peninsula."
DPRK refers to the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Lee of the JCS said the upcoming drills will include training on enhancing capabilities to deter the North's nuclear threats and respond to hybrid situations involving drones and GPS attacks.
Alongside South Korean and U.S. troops, personnel from several member states of the U.N. Command (UNC) will join the exercise, while the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission will observe the exercise to monitor compliance with the Armistice Agreement.
The UNC is an enforcer of the armistice that halted the fighting in the 1950-53 Korean War.
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Lee Minji · August 7, 2025
7. U.S. notes 'with interest' N. Korea's recent statement hinting at openness to dialogue: official
Beware Kim Jong Un's political warfare strategy with Juche characteristics. We must not play into his hands but instead execute our own superior political warfare strategy based on an understanding of the nature, objectives, and strategy for the Kim family regime.
U.S. notes 'with interest' N. Korea's recent statement hinting at openness to dialogue: official | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · August 8, 2025
By Song Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 (Yonhap) -- A U.S. diplomat said Thursday that the United States notes "with interest" a recent statement by the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un that apparently signaled Pyongyang's openness to diplomacy with Washington while rejecting any dialogue on its denuclearization.
Seth Bailey, acting deputy assistant secretary in the State Department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, made the remarks during a public event, referring to last week's statement by Kim Yo-jong, vice department director of the North's ruling party's Central Committee.
"We have also seen high-level statements from the DPRK leadership, including recent statements from Kim Yo-jong, which we note with interest," he said at the event that the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) hosted for the family members of the troops who went missing, mostly during the 1950-53 Korean War. DPRK is short for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
"Both President Trump and Republic of Korea President Lee have shown their commitment to diplomacy and engagement with North Korea," he added.
This AFP photo shows U.S. President Donald Trump (R) shaking hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un after signing a joint statement at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa Island in Singapore on June 12, 2018. (Yonhap)
Last Tuesday, Kim, the vice department director, said that the personal relationship between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is "not bad" -- a rare remark that apparently signaled a degree of Pyongyang's interest in engagement with the Trump administration.
However, she ruled out the possibility of talks with Washington over its nuclear program, while calling its possession of nuclear arms an "irreversible" position, and urging the U.S. to seek another way of contacting the North based on "new thinking."
At the DPAA event, more than 400 family members of the missing troops participated to get informed about the agency's worldwide mission to identify and recover the unaccounted-for.
Bailey stressed that repatriation of U.S. service members' remains is not just a diplomatic priority, but a "moral obligation."
"The United States has made clear to the North Koreans that we believe recovery of remains of U.S. service members is one of our highest priorities and bilateral goals," the diplomat said.
"This is why remains recovery features so prominently as an important pillar of President Trump's joint statement with the DPRK at the Singapore summit in June of 2018."
Seth Bailey, acting deputy assistant secretary in the State Department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, speaks during an event hosted by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) in Arlington, Virginia, on Aug. 7, 2025 in this photo captured from a YouTube account of Defense Now. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
He was referring to the 2018 summit statement, which included Pyongyang's commitment to working toward the "complete denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula and an agreement by both sides to work together to build new bilateral relations.
The official said that the Trump administration remains committed to the principles outlined in the statement.
"Since the beginning of President Trump's second term, he has made clear his willingness to engage in negotiations with North Korea to achieve these policy goals," he said.
"The president has offered to engage Chairman Kim Jong-un on multiple occasions, including during his press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba back in February, during a White House press conference in June, and then several other media appearances when asked about his relationship with North Korea."
Commenting on the recent trade deal with South Korea, Bailey said it demonstrated the two countries' shared dedication to "modernizing" and strengthening their alliance.
"As an Indo-Pacific nation, the United States has a lasting interest in addressing the economic and security challenges of this region," he said.
"We are committed to bolstering the security of Northeast Asia, using all instruments of power to deter aggression and counter provocations, including the destabilizing actions of North Korea."
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · August 8, 2025
8. U.S. official says S. Korea's contributions in alliance 'critical' to restoring Indo-Pacific deterrence
It looks like USD(P) is coming around to the value of the ROK/US alliance and its ability to contribute to a free and open Asia-Indo-Pacific (because it is in the ROK's interest to do so). We are starting to see some good strategic messaging though I am concerned that some could be trying to lull us into a sense of complacency and then drop the hammer announcing major shifts to force posture and mission alignment. But hopefully those in USD(P) are getting sufficiently educated about the realities of the alliance and the importance to US strategic objectives. We are better off with a close alliance rather than one in which we create friction due to our own decisions based on ignorance of the realities of the alliance.
U.S. official says S. Korea's contributions in alliance 'critical' to restoring Indo-Pacific deterrence | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · August 8, 2025
By Song Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 (Yonhap) -- A Pentagon official said Thursday that South Korea's contributions through its alliance with the United States are "critical" to shoring up deterrence in the Indo-Pacific, as Washington prioritizes deterring threats from an increasingly assertive China.
John Noh, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia, made the remarks during an event hosted by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), underscoring South Korea's military, economic and technological capabilities. POW and MIA stand for prisoner of war and missing in action, respectively.
"Their contributions through our alliance are critical to restoring deterrence in the region," Noh said.
"Its military is one of the most capable in the world today. South Korea is an economic and technological powerhouse with a flourishing democracy, and since the armistice was signed in 1953, the strength of our alliance has prevented a resumption of hostilities."
John Noh, deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia, speaks during an event hosted by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) in Arlington, Virginia, on Aug. 7, 2025, in this photo captured from a YouTube account of Defense Now. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
His remarks came as Seoul and Washington are working to "modernize" the bilateral alliance -- a move that observers say might call for the Asian ally to bolster its defense spending and contribute more to addressing security challenges posed by China.
The official touched on South Korea's rise from the ashes of the war, noting that American service members fought in support of South Korea, which was "losing its fight for its very existence" during the war.
Recalling a recent call between new South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Noh pointed out that Ahn had delivered a message of gratitude to the U.S.
"(During the call) I could hear the sincerity in the minister's voice as he communicated messages of gratitude and unwavering trust for the United States on behalf of South Korean people," the official said.
In June, President Donald Trump nominated Noh, a Korean American, as assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, a post that deals with defense cooperation with South Korea and other regional allies and partners.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · August 8, 2025
9. If chip firm builds U.S. plant during Trump's term, no tariff will apply: Lutnick
If chip firm builds U.S. plant during Trump's term, no tariff will apply: Lutnick | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · August 8, 2025
By Song Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 (Yonhap) -- If a semiconductor firm commits to building its factory in the United States during President Donald Trump's term and fulfills the commitment, its chips would not face a tariff, the commerce secretary said Thursday, a day after Trump unveiled a plan to impose about a 100 percent tariff on chip imports.
Secretary Howard Lutnick made the remarks during a Fox Business interview as South Korean tech firms, Samsung Electronics Co. and SK hynix Inc., have been carefully watching his tariff policy developments.
"So (what) the president said is if you commit to build in America during his term, and if you file it with the Commerce Department and if your auditor oversees you building it all the way through, then he will allow you to import your chips -- while you are building -- without a tariff," he said.
"But you have to be confirmed and overseen building in America," he added.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick testifies during a House Appropriations Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on June 5, 2025, in this file photo released by AFP. (Yonhap)
Trump's announcement on the new tariff came after he said Tuesday that his administration plans to announce sector-specific tariffs "within the next week or so."
Some observers raised the possibility that Samsung Electronics and SK hynix could avoid the new tariff as they have been working on their investment plans in Texas and Indiana, respectively.
To impose the tariff on semiconductor imports, Trump has invoked Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, a law that provides the president with the authority to adjust imports into the U.S. when he determines they threaten to impair national security.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)
en.yna.co.kr · by Song Sang-ho · August 8, 2025
10. During rare call-up, joint beach assault tests Marine Reservists in South Korea
During rare call-up, joint beach assault tests Marine Reservists in South Korea
Stars and Stripes · by David Choi · August 7, 2025
U.S. Marines from 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment establish security around a beachhead during the Korean Marine Exercise Program in Pohang, South Korea, on Aug. 6, 2025. (David Choi/Stars and Stripes)
POHANG, South Korea — Reserve Marines from California sampled South Korea’s sweltering summer heat this week during a mock amphibious assault on Pohang Beach, part of their first active-duty call-up in five years.
About 500 members of 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division joined 500 South Korean marines for the capstone drill of the month-long Korean Marine Exercise Program, which kicked off July 15.
The Marines of 2/23 were activated on Nov. 1 from their headquarters in Pasadena, Calif., under the Corps’ one-year unit deployment program. They spent six months training at the Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms before deploying to support the Okinawa-based III Marine Expeditionary Force.
U.S. Marines from 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment move to a simulated helicopter landing zone during the Korean Marine Exercise Program in Pohang, South Korea, on Aug. 6, 2025. (David Choi/Stars and Stripes)
On Wednesday at the beachhead, about 150 miles south of Seoul, Marines armed with M4 rifles and 81mm mortars established a security perimeter atop a sand dune, simulating an advance force as they waited for 10 South Korean amphibious assault vehicles to arrive off the southeastern coast.
After the South Koreans disembarked, they joined their U.S. counterparts in securing a simulated helicopter landing zone on a nearby grassy hill, where they awaited pickup from South Korean MUH-1 Marineon and U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopters.
But their rides never came; a thunderstorm alert canceled the flights.
The overcast skies offered little protection from the 91-degree heat and dense humidity. The Marines, some of whom took refuge under nearby bridges and trees, were blessed with a brief afternoon rain shower.
South Korean marines charge out of amphibious assault vehicles during Korean Marine Exercise Program drills in Pohang, South Korea, on Aug. 6, 2025. (David Choi/Stars and Stripes)
“It’s definitely a different heat,” Cpl. Alexandro Omega, a rifleman, told Stars and Stripes at the site.
Despite the weather, Omega said he enjoyed learning about the South Korean marines’ squad-level tactics.
“It’s definitely something that I’ve never experienced before,” he said. “Going out with a unit that’s from a different country is mind-opening because they do things a certain way that we don’t, and we do things a way that they don’t.”
Lt. Col. Davis Gooding, commander of the 2/23, called the exercise a return to fundamentals.
“It’s a very strenuous environment to train in for 20 hours a day, with gear, moving sometimes 10 to 20 miles a day on foot,” he said.
U.S. Marines from 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment establish security around a beachhead during the Korean Marine Exercise Program in Pohang, South Korea, on Aug. 6, 2025. (David Choi/Stars and Stripes)
Gooding noted that large-scale amphibious exercises like Wednesday’s are less common in Japan due to limited space.
The Korean Marine Exercise Program is one of several joint drills conducted annually between the U.S. and South Korean militaries. The allies carried out the Freedom Shield exercise March 10-20 and typically hold Ulchi Freedom Shield in August.
U.S. Forces Korea — the command overseeing the 28,500 American troops in the country — characterizes the joint training as defensive and critical to maintaining the alliance with Seoul.
North Korea, which has long condemned the drills as rehearsals for an invasion, has pledged to strengthen its military in response.
Stars and Stripes · by David Choi · August 7, 2025
11. ROK-US to postpone some joint exercises amid heat and inter-Korean tensions
Yes, the heat here in Korea is a factor. It has been pretty hot these past few days.
I often wonder what it would be like if global warming was a real thing (note sarcasm).
ROK-US to postpone some joint exercises amid heat and inter-Korean tensions
While both sides denied DPRK influenced decision, partial pushback of drills comes on heels of Kim Yo Jong statement
https://www.nknews.org/2025/08/rok-us-to-postpone-some-joint-exercises-amid-heat-and-inter-korean-tensions/
Jeongmin Kim August 7, 2025
Artillery equipment from the ROK Army’s Capital Mechanized Infantry Division participates in Ulchi Freedom Shield drills on Aug. 31, 2023 | Image: ROK Army
South Korea and the United States will conduct their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) drill from Aug. 18 to 28, but will postpone about half of the planned field training exercises (FTXs) until September due to “extreme heat,” officials announced Thursday, amid questions over whether North Korean statements also influenced the adjustment.
The 11-day exercise will proceed as scheduled at a scale similar to last year’s drills, involving approximately 18,000 South Korean troops alongside U.S. forces, Col. Lee Sung-jun, spokesperson for the ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters at a joint briefing with U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) on Thursday.
He added that of the 40 field training exercises originally planned during the UFS period, about 20 will be rescheduled to September but stressed that command post exercises — which he described as the “core” of the summertime training — and FTXs involving U.S. personnel and equipment deployments will proceed as originally planned.
Col. Ryan M. Donald, spokesperson for USFK, said the schedule changes would not impact the overall quality of training or alliance readiness. Both officials emphasized that the “adjustments” — not framed as cancellations or a delay — were driven by operational requirements and extreme weather, when asked by reporters if recent North Korean statements influenced the change in schedule.
Col. Lee said that spacing out the training over a longer period could enhance “balanced combat readiness,” while both he and Col. Donald dismissed suggestions that postponing some FTXs signals weakness.
The UFS exercise, which replaced the previous Ulchi Freedom Guardian drills in 2022, is one of two major annual combined exercises between South Korea and the U.S., alongside the springtime Freedom Shield. Last year’s August UFS included 48 field training events and featured assets designed for neutralizing North Korean threats.
DID KIM YO JONG INFLUENCE THIS?
Although the military officials repeatedly emphasized that the decision to push back some field training exercises was due to the weather, the unification ministry offered a different explanation.
A senior unification ministry official, speaking with reporters under condition of anonymity, said they thought the FTX postponements were related to the pursuit of peace and stability between the two Koreas.
“As I mentioned before, tension reduction and peace and stability are the goals” of the Lee administration, the official said, adding that the UFS adjustment would have reflected the minister’s earlier recommendations last month to President Lee Jae-myung to scale the drills down.
Unification minister Chung Dong-young indicated on July 28 that whether the UFS is adjusted “might become a barometer” for the Lee administration’s North Korea policy.
The minister’s suggestion to the president to scale the drills down came just hours after Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, warned that the ROK “will be stained by powder fumes through the successive large-scale joint military drills of aggressive nature” soon, implicitly referring to the August drills.
EXERCISE DETAILS
The joint announcement statement on Thursday omitted any direct mention of North Korea, though both military officials during the subsequent briefing affirmed that Pyongyang remains the primary security threat to the Korean Peninsula.
Col. Lee also noted that omissions of references to North Korea have occurred in previous years, including 2022 and 2024, and emphasized that the joint statement was drafted through mutual agreement.
This year’s exercise will concentrate on countering North Korea’s missile threats while also training to respond to modern warfare challenges, including cyberattacks, drone operations, space-based threats and terrorism, officials said.
Col. Lee added that this year’s scenario does not include a North Korean nuclear use simulation — one of the controversial aspects of what the previous Yoon Suk-yeol administration sought for — but does incorporate missile threat contingencies.
Edited by Alannah Hill
12. Tornado Cash founder convicted over crypto tool tied to North Korean hackers
Too bad we cannot send him to a north Korean gulag for his punishment. He deserves 5 years there.
Tornado Cash founder convicted over crypto tool tied to North Korean hackers
Roman Storm was sentenced to 5 years for unlicensed service but jury deadlocked on laundering, sanctions charges
Shreyas Reddy August 7, 2025
https://www.nknews.org/2025/08/tornado-cash-founder-convicted-over-crypto-tool-tied-to-north-korean-hackers/
Roman Storm and North Koreans handling U.S. dollar notes | Image: Roman Storm via X and NK News (Sept. 2017), edited by NK News
A U.S. court convicted the co-founder of a cryptocurrency mixer linked to North Korean cybercriminals for conspiring to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business on Wednesday, but failed to reach a verdict on charges of money laundering and sanctions evasion.
In a press release, the Justice Department announced that the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York found Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm guilty of operating a service that helped criminals, including North Korean threat groups, launder their ill-gotten gains by obfuscating the flow of funds.
“Roman Storm and Tornado Cash provided a service for North Korean hackers and other criminals to move and hide more than $1 billion of dirty money,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.
“Criminals who use new technology to commit age-old crimes, including hiding dirty money, undermine the public trust, and unfairly cast a shadow on the many innovators who operate lawfully,” he added.
The Justice Department emphasized that the trial showed that U.S. national Storm was “personally aware” of numerous cases of criminal activity on Tornado Cash, which advertised that it provided “untraceable and anonymous financial transactions.”
According to the press release, the large volumes of criminal transactions ultimately benefited the service and its founders, Storm and Russian nationals Roman Semenov and Alexey Pertsev, who reportedly generated more than $12 million in profits from the service.
Storm, 36, could face up to five years in prison as a result of Wednesday’s conviction. Meanwhile, Pertsev has been imprisoned in the Netherlands since he was sentenced last year to 64 months for creating “a shortcut for financing crimes and terrorism,” while Semenov remains a fugitive.
However, the Justice Department did not mention that the court only delivered a partial verdict, as the divided jury could not reach decisions on charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering or violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act governing U.S. sanctions.
Dennis Desmond, a lecturer in cybersecurity at the University of the Sunshine Coast, told NK News the jury’s uncertainty highlights the difficulties of proving “collusion” with North Korea’s illicit activities.
“Perhaps the jury identified that the tool only had one primary use, that of illicit money laundering, but Storm could not control who used it for that purpose,” he said. “Therefore, the prosecution could not prove direct intent on his part with intending to circumvent sanctions.”
ENABLING PYONGYANG’S LAUNDERING
Storm’s conviction follows three years of U.S. government efforts to crack down on Tornado Cash, which North Korea’s Lazarus Group used to conceal stolen cryptocurrency from operations including the $620 million heist from the Pokemon-like blockchain game Axie Infinity and the theft of $100 million from Horizon Bridge, a service connecting different blockchains.
Lazarus’ use of the decentralized and anonymized mixer prompted the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to impose sanctions on it in Aug. 2022, but this did little to deter North Korean cybercriminals, who continued using the blacklisted service to launder money to help fund Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile development.
Washington’s efforts to curb Pyongyang’s virtual laundering operations took a further hit when a U.S. court ruled last year that OFAC “overstepped its congressionally defined authority” by designating Tornado Cash’s “immutable smart contracts,” referring to autonomous pieces of code that cannot be altered or removed from the blockchain.
As a result, the Treasury rolled back Tornado Cash’s designation in March, a move privacy advocates and some in the cryptocurrency industry hailed as a landmark victory for such services and open-source development.
But amid the celebrations at the time, a cloud remained over the ultimate fate of Storm’s impending trial, with his supporters calling for continuing efforts against government actions targeting software development.
Wednesday’s verdict came as a blow to Storm’s backers in the privacy and decentralized finance (DeFi) communities, who viewed the result as a threat to open-source development and anonymized services.
“Today’s verdict was awful and can set [a] dangerous precedent,” Zach Shapiro, managing partner at technology startup-focused Rains, said on social media.
However, he stressed that the worst course of action at this point is to “embrace the chilling effect and tell builders to stop building” out of fear that developers may be held liable for acts performed by their tools’ users.
Desmond said the ruling heralds a departure from the long-held principle that a developer’s role is to create a tool rather than to police what others do with it.
“Placing the onus on the developer in how a tool is used without guardrails is significant,” he said, adding that this precedent can potentially be used to attribute culpability to any developer whose tools support illicit activities.
However, he added that ascribing intent will be critical, as cases could hinge on whether developers knew at the time of an app’s release whether it could be used for money laundering or other illicit activities.
FIGHTING BACK
Storm and his supporters have consistently argued that Tornado Cash’s founders are not responsible for North Korean money laundering on their platform as they do not directly control which customers use the anonymized service or the transactions they make.
But this ruling potentially paves the way for authorities to target developers of any money transmission services, warned Peter Van Valkenburgh, the executive director of cryptocurrency think tank Coin Center, which previously lodged a lawsuit challenging the Tornado Cash sanctions.
“The verdict on money transmission … emphasizes the very real threat to crypto developers who are just publishing software and websites,” he said on social media. “If the government can simply claim you are transmitting … juries have little to do but convict.”
The unlicensed transmission conviction has proven particularly contentious as the court previously discounted guidance from the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) on the definition of “money transmission” in cryptocurrency.
Storm’s supporters argue that the court wrongly adopted a broader definition of the act than outlined by FinCEN, and have called for the amendment of Section 1960 of the U.S. Code, under which the Tornado Cash co-founder was convicted, to clarify that money transmission in the cryptocurrency space requires direct control of virtual funds.
However, the jury’s doubts about the money laundering and sanctions evasion charges, coupled with the ambiguity of the money transmission definition, offer Storm and his legal team a ray of hope ahead of a likely appeal.
“It’s a big win,” Storm told a reporter after the verdict. “The ‘1960’ charge is bullshit and we’re going to fight it all the way.”
Edited by Alannah Hill
13. Russia, China Simulate Attack on Enemy Submarine in Sea of Japan Drills
We cannot isolate or segregate the threats in the Asia-Indo-Pacific. The CRInK is the threat.
Russia and China could be showing us what they might do inthe event of Kim Jong Un's attack on the South.
Is the timing coincidental with the upcoming exercise in Korea?
And it is the East Sea.
Russia, China Simulate Attack on Enemy Submarine in Sea of Japan Drills - USNI News
news.usni.org · by Dzirhan Mahadzir · August 6, 2025
Russia and China wrapped up their joint exercise – dubbed Maritime Interaction 2025 by Russia and Joint Sea 2025 by China – Aug. 5, 2025, following several days of drills. Image via PLAN media
The Russian Navy and People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) simulated attacks on an adversarial submarine and an amphibious ship, and rehearsed a submarine rescue during a recent five-day joint exercise in the Sea of Japan.
A Russian Navy IL-38 and PLAN Y-8 maritime patrol aircraft located and destroyed a simulated enemy submarine in a joint anti-submarine warfare drill in the Sea of Japan, the Russian Ministry of Defense said Wednesday. The two countries also conducted joint firing exercises, using naval guns to fire at a naval target meant to imitate an enemy assault landing ship detachment.
Russia and China wrapped up their joint exercise – dubbed Maritime Interaction 2025 by Russia and Joint Sea 2025 by China – on Tuesday following several days of drills. While the drills were part of the annual exercise, the simulated submarine takedown coincided with a rare public announcement from President Donald Trump that two submarines would operate in “the appropriate regions” in response to remarks from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev about the risk of war between the U.S. and Russia.
The drills began Aug. 1 with a harbor phase at Russian port city Vladivostok and continued through the weekend with a sea phase that took the ships off the coast of Russia.
The Russian Navy deployed destroyer RFS Admiral Tributs (564), corvette RFS Gromkiy (335), submarine rescue ship Igor Belousov and submarine RFS Volkhov (B-603) for the drills. The PLAN deployed destroyers CNS Urumqi (118) and CNS Shaoxing (134), fleet oiler CNS Qiandaohu (886), and submarine rescue ship CNS Xihu (841), as well as submarine Great Wall 210.
The countries’ submarines and submarine rescue ships rehearsed a crew evacuation in Peter the Great Bay, the main marine entrance to Vladivostok, the Russian Ministry of Defense said. Russian submarine Volkhov descended to the bottom of the bay, simulating an emergency, while Chinese rescue ship Xihu responded to the situation.
Xihu conducted a search and established contact with the Russian submarine. Xihu then launched its LR-7 submersible rescue vehicle, which docked with the Russian submarine. The crew of Volkhov simulated evacuating personnel from the submarine.
Following the completion of the drill between Volkhov and Xihu, Igor Belousov carried out a similar exercise with the PLAN submarine, according to the release.
“Russian rescue sailors shared their experience with their Chinese colleagues, demonstrating the capabilities of modern medical equipment, pressure chambers and an AS-40 deep-sea rescue submersible vehicle,” the Russian Ministry of Defense said.
CNS Shaoxing and Qiandaohu carried out a separate set of activities in the Sea of Japan. The People’s Liberation Army’s official news channel, China Military Online, said in a report that the drills included joint maneuvers, joint air defense, joint anti-ship operations, anchorage defense, replenishment at sea and other activities.
At the conclusion of the drills, the two countries departed the Sea of Japan for a joint patrol of the Pacific, according to China Military Online.
The Russian and PLAN ships appeared to have conducted their drills on the Russian side of the Sea of Japan, but Japan’s Joint Staff Office (JSO) issued news releases about other Russian and PLAN ships transiting near Japan.
PLAN destroyer CNS Zibo (156), shown, and frigate CNS Yangzhou (578) were sighted Aug. 2, 2025, sailing between Miyako Island and Okinawa to enter the Philippine Sea. Japan Joint Staff Office photo
PLAN destroyer CNS Zibo (156) and frigate CNS Yangzhou (578) were sighted Saturday sailing between Miyako Island and Okinawa to enter the Philippine Sea. On Tuesday, Dongdiao-class surveillance ship Yuhengxing (798) made the same journey to the Philippine Sea. In both cases, fleet oiler JS Towada (AOE-422) and a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force P-3C Orion MPA shadowed the PLAN ships, according to the JSO release.
Three Russian ships – including a Udaloy-class destroyer, a Ropucha-class tank landing ship, and a Steregushchiy-class frigate – were sighted Saturday sailing east approximately 43 miles northwest of Rebun Island, which lies 31 miles west of Japan’s main island of Hokkaido.
The ships transited east through La Pérouse Strait, which separates Hokkaido from Russia’s Sakhalin Island, to enter the Sea of Okhotsk. La Pérouse Strait is an international waterway and a regular transit route for Russian Navy ships moving between the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk.
JMSDF fast attack craft JS Wakataka (PG-825) conducted surveillance on the Russian ships, according to the JSO release.
The three Russian ships are likely part of the Russian Pacific fleet detachment, which includes destroyer RFS Admiral Panteleyev (548), corvette RFS Sovershennyy, amphibious landing ship RFS Oslyabya (066), submarine RFS Magadan (B-602) and rescue tug Alatau.
The Russian Pacific fleet is conducting a patriotic and information deployment campaign called “Strength in Truth-2025.” As part of the campaign, the four ships and a submarine are expected to sail to various ports in the Russian Far East to commemorate Russia’s role in World War II, and the activities of Russian Pacific Fleet personnel in the Ukraine conflict.
Admiral Panteleyev, Sovershennyy, Oslyabya and Magadan left Vladivostok on Monday for the deployment. Russian state media on Wednesday reported the fleet had arrived in the port town of Magadan, its first stop.
Related
news.usni.org · by Dzirhan Mahadzir · August 6, 2025
14. South Korea’s KF-21 Fighter To Get Stealthier With Internal Weapons Bays
South Korea’s KF-21 Fighter To Get Stealthier With Internal Weapons Bays
Adding internal weapons bays to the KF-21 will make it better able to penetrate air defenses while dropping heavy bunker-busting weapons.
Thomas Newdick
Aug 6, 2025 1:09 PM EDT
164
twz.com · by Thomas Newdick
The TWZ Newsletter
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
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.
The officially released computer-generated rendering from KAI shows the KF-21EX with its new, twin internal weapons bays open. The KF-21EX is shown carrying what looks like a pair of 2,000-pound-class guided bombs internally. However, there are differing reports on whether the total payload amounts to 2,000 pounds or if two such weapons can actually be accommodated.
A close-up of the twin weapons bays below the fuselage of the KF-21EX, here apparently loaded with 2,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM). KAI
Other visible changes to the aircraft include a sensor below the nose that performs the same kinds of functions as the Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) found on the F-35, as well as on various other fifth-generation fighters. The F-35’s EOTS is primarily a sensor for air-to-ground targeting, but has an infrared search and track function, as well. In this case, the new EOTS may well replace the original IRST sensor mounted ahead of the KF-21’s cockpit.
A close-up of the EOTS fitted below the nose of the KF-21EX. KAI
The IRST sensor is seen fitted ahead of the cockpit of the prototype Block 1 KF-21. MBC News Screencap
Less obvious changes in the KF-21EX will include a reprofiled canopy, a radome with reduced radar cross-section, an upgraded electronic warfare suite, and new conformal antennas. KAI also says the jet will feature advanced situational awareness systems and undisclosed “survivability technologies.”
Possible additional options under study by KAI for the KF-21EX include an artificial intelligence-enabled mission computer and expendable digital radio frequency memory (DRFM) decoys.
It’s unclear to what degree the internal layout of the aircraft will have to be revised to accommodate the internal weapons bays, although a center fuselage that is deeper would seem to be a minimum requirement, and it may also be broader, too.
A prototype Block 1 KF-21 during its final assembly at KAI. KAI
Whatever the degree of structural changes, internal weapons carriage of this kind will provide the KF-21EX with the ability to strike targets, including hardened ones, while maintaining low observability. As we have explained previously, the original KF-21, also known as the Block 1, was not designed with a high degree of stealthiness in mind:
“…The KF-21 takes a more measured approach to low-observable design and is intended to bridge the gap between the F-35 and the fourth-generation F-16, in terms of capabilities. At first, the KF-21’s weapons will be carried externally, on six underwing and four under-fuselage hardpoints, unlike in the F-35 and most other next-generation fighters, which incorporate internal weapons carriage primarily to reduce their overall radar signature.
Ultimately, once in service, work is expected to begin on a more advanced derivative that will have an internal weapons bay, among other new low-observable features. In this way, the initial KF-21 will likely have around the same radar cross-section as the Eurofighter Typhoon, before later enhancements reduce this significantly.“
A prototype of South Korea’s locally developed KF-21 Boramae fighter during its first air-to-air refueling trials. DAPA screencap
There were always plans to refine the KF-21, with the so-called Block 3 configuration expected to include a broader application of low-observable characteristics, including internal weapons carriage and a wider range of air-to-ground missions.
The more advanced derivative of the aircraft is now named KF-21EX, an apparent nod to the F-15EX Eagle II, a much-modernized version of the original F-15 for the U.S. Air Force, albeit not one that has provision for internal weapons carriage.
According to KAI, the KF-21EX is primarily intended to penetrate advanced air defenses and then engage hardened ground targets, including reinforced bunkers. This is a particularly important requirement for the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF), the wartime targets of which would very likely include deeply buried North Korean targets, including regime and command and control infrastructure, air defense nodes, and nuclear facilities. At the same time, the problem of penetrating North Korean ground-based air defenses has increased of late, with the arrival of advanced Russian systems.
The 2,000-pound-class guided bombs that the KF-21EX will carry internally will likely be GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM), which can be fitted with BLU-109 penetrating bomb bodies.
A ROKAF F-15K drops two Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) onto an island target in response to a North Korean IRBM launch earlier the same day, on October 4, 2022. Photo by South Korean Defense Ministry via Getty Images
Other weapons that KAI plans for internal carriage include the company’s Air-Launched Effects (ALE) and the U.S.-made GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb (SDB). Air-to-air weapons are planned to include the locally made LIG Nex1 Long-Range Air-To-Air Missile (LRAAM) and the MBDA Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile. The Meteor is already provided as armament for the Block 1 KF-21, as an externally mounted weapon, including examples semi-recessed under the fuselage, as seen in the graphic below.
Concept artwork of a Block 1 KF-21 armed with four semi-recessed Meteors, IRIS-T self-defense missiles, and a pair of JDAMs. MBDA
A KAI official told Aviation Week that internal weapons carriage for the KF-21EX is especially important since the ‘loyal wingman’-type drone that is being developed to operate alongside it will not be able to carry munitions in the 2,000-pound class.
For the KF-21EX to operate alongside ‘loyal wingman’ drones, KAI is developing the Performance Improvement and Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) Combat System. This will include sensor fusion and secure datalinks to allow the crewed fighter to collaborate with the drones. One option might be to include this in a two-seat version of the KF-21EX, which would have the advantage of a second crewmember who could be more dedicated to the ‘drone-controller’ mission. The Block 1 KF-21 is already being built in two-seat form. Collectively, these jets are also known by the name Boramae, meaning hawk in Korean.
A two-seat KF-21 fighter, the sixth prototype, on display during the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX) in Seongnam, South Korea, in October 2023. Photo by Zhang Hui/VCG via Getty Images
KAI has also outlined a particular mission scenario in which the KF-21EX will operate closely with ‘loyal wingman’ drones, specifically suppression or destruction of enemy air defenses. In this mission, the crewed fighter would serve as an escort jammer, presumably fitted with external jamming pods, while the drones act as stand-in jammers. The crewed and uncrewed aircraft will share real-time sensor tracks, providing for distributed targeting and threat analysis. Once again, a KF-21EX configured as an escort jammer would also benefit from having two crew members to handle such a demanding mission.
As for the ‘loyal wingman’ drone, South Korea earlier this year unveiled the stealthy Low Observable Unmanned Wingman System, or LOWUS, which is tailored to operate alongside the KF-21, and which you can read more about here. There are other options for the ‘loyal wingman’ as well, with Seoul working on a growing fleet of low-observable drones as the country seeks to introduce new uncrewed technologies for a range of missions.
A tweet with an embedded video showing the LOWUS design:
The Agency for Defense Development (ADD) and Korean Air held a rollout ceremony on the 25th at the Korean Air Tech Center in Busan for the first prototype of the "Low Observable Unmanned Wingman System (LOWUS)," a core platform of the manned-unmanned teaming system.
The unmanned… pic.twitter.com/Y574HvlCW0
— kf21_military (@fa50_defense) February 25, 2025
As we pointed out in the past, having a stealth drone available to work alongside the KF-21 would make a lot of sense, especially since the initial Block 1 iteration of the fighters lacks high-end stealth attributes.
As TWZ wrote in the past:
“More generally, a stealth unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) carrying internal weapons would be an enormous advantage to the KF-21 Block 1 or Block 2 when penetrating heavily contested airspace. This would allow the manned fighter to remain at a safer standoff distance and use its highly capable Meteor missiles and AESA radar, and infrared search and track (IRST) to pick off aerial targets. This could be done, perhaps, by targeting data received from the UCAV’s own sensors without the need to use the KF-21’s onboard radar at all. This concept is increasingly attractive as it could allow manned fighters to remain largely electromagnetically silent, increasing their survivability, with the drone taking on the higher-risk role as a forward sensing platform.”
A DAPA video shows a heavily armed Block 1 KF-21 (complete with an external targeting pod) flying a mission with three stealthy drones. DAPA screencap
However, South Korea now appears to have recognized the shortcomings of drones of this kind, at least as they are currently projected, in terms of the kinds of armament they can carry. Therefore, adding internal weapons carriage to the KF-21 is seen as a prerequisite when it comes to having the ability to combine survivability with hard-hitting ‘bunker-buster’-type weapons.
South Korea is developing the KF-21 to replace the ROKAF’s now-retired F-4E Phantom II and still-active F-5E/F Tiger II fighters. Currently, it’s planned for the ROKAF to introduce 40 KF-21s by 2028 and have a full fleet of 120 aircraft deployed by 2032. It’s not clear, at this stage, whether the ROKAF wants to order the KF-21EX on top of these numbers, or if it would rather switch some of the previously planned buy to the more advanced model.
Aside from domestic orders, the KF-21EX could be a tempting prospect for various export customers. The possibility of offering it with a complementary ‘loyal wingman’ drone could make it even more attractive, provided that Seoul releases these technologies for sale to foreign customers. South Korea is an increasingly major player on the global arms market and, with its FA-50 light combat aircraft, has already won several high-profile orders.
A ROKAF FA-50 light combat aircraft. KAI
With the KF-21, South Korea has taken a different approach to developing a new-generation fighter than some other nations. With the F-35 already in ROKAF service as a high-end stealth platform, the KF-21 has always been seen as a lower-end option when it comes to low observability. At the same time, the concept has always stressed the ability to insert incremental upgrades in terms of weapons, sensors, and now, with the KF-21, an enhanced degree of stealth. Although the aircraft will still fall short of the F-35 in this respect, it offers the advantages of domestic production, a considerable degree of control over further enhancements, and the possibility of lucrative exports.
Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com
Staff Writer
Thomas is a defense writer and editor with over 20 years of experience covering military aerospace topics and conflicts. He’s written a number of books, edited many more, and has contributed to many of the world’s leading aviation publications. Before joining The War Zone in 2020, he was the editor of AirForces Monthly.
twz.com · by Thomas Newdick
15. North Korea Can Nuke the U.S. Mainland. Will America Still Defend South Korea?
It is a terrible and dangerous argument (and assumption) to believe that if we do not contribute to the defense of South Korea that we will somehow be safe from Kim Jong Un's nuclear weapons. Such thinking makes the US more vulnerable.
And most importantly we must understand that if we withdraw from the Mutual Defense Treaty and reject our commitment to the combined defense of US and ROK interests in the Pacific Region (which is what the MDT calls for) that we are exponentially increasing the chances for war because Kim Jong Un will have achieved the conditions his political warfare strategy is trying to achieve - namely the withdrawal of US forces so that he will have what he believes will be a superior correlation of force to be able to coerce South Korea to acquiesce to rule under the Guerrilla Dynasty and Gulag State or execute his campaign plan to achieve his objective by force. Either scenario will be catastrophic for US and allied interests in the region and throughout the world.
it is imperative that the two presidents at their summit recommit to the alliance and MUTUAL defense in the "Pacific region," to include the Korean peninsula.
Excerpts:
But as North Korea’s missile ranges lengthen and its nukes grow more powerful, Pyongyang increasingly poses a direct threat to US territory, not just forward bases in the Asia-Pacific. In succession, Guam, Alaska, and Hawaii came into range. But in 2017, most of the continental US came into range. This situation creates the high likelihood that if the US fights for South Korea in a conflict, per its alliance commitment, that North Korea will nuke a US territory, possibly a city.
Former President Biden, a committed internationalist and alliance-builder, took this rising threat in stride. Despite it, he repeatedly, publicly re-committed America to South Korean security. But Trump is far more transactional and often expresses disdain for US allies.
So the question of how to respond to the rising North Korea risk to America will hover over the upcoming Trump-Lee summit. Given Trump’s fickleness, it is not even clear that a Trumpian re-commitment to the alliance at the summit would be credible. In time, then, South Korea will probably build its own nuclear weapons to ensure its own nuclear security.
North Korea Can Nuke the U.S. Mainland. Will America Still Defend South Korea?
nationalsecurityjournal.org · by Robert E. Kelly · August 7, 2025
Published
8 hours ago
North Korean ICBM. Image Credit: KCNA/North Korean State Media.
Published on August 7, 2025, 9:52 AM – Key Points and Summary – As U.S. President Trump prepares to meet his South Korean counterpart, their alliance faces a fundamental crisis: North Korea’s proven ability to strike the U.S. mainland with nuclear-tipped ICBMs.
-This capability, possibly enhanced by Russian assistance, means that a U.S. defense of South Korea in a conflict could trigger a devastating nuclear attack on an American city.
-Given President Trump’s transactional approach to foreign policy, this new reality raises serious doubts about the credibility of the U.S. security guarantee, which may ultimately force South Korea to develop its own nuclear weapons.
North Korea’s Missiles Could Force South Korea to Go Nuclear
United States President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet South Korean President Lee Jae-Myung this month.
Trade will likely dominate the summit. But the long-term threat to the US-South Korea relationship is North Korea’s spiraling nuclear weapons and missile program. It is now eight years since North Korea achieved the capability to range the US mainland with a nuclear-tipped missile. There is still no real alliance consensus—at least in public—about what to do if North Korea uses a nuclear weapon.
This problem will only worsen as North Korea improves its missile technology. The analyst community has long thought that North Korea would struggle to build various advanced platforms. North Korea’s political culture is closed and repressive, which likely does not reward the intellectual and technical risk-taking required by a modern defense industrial base. And North Korea is quite poor. Its GDP is perhaps $40 billion, less than 5% of South Korea’s GDP. But again and again, we are surprised at what North Korea manages to produce—such as drones or hypersonic glide vehicles.
But the significant threat to the alliance is intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), because they dramatically raise the risk to the US of meeting its security commitment to South Korea.
North Korean ICBMs
North Korea now has missiles at all relevant ranges (short, medium, intermediate, and intercontinental). Most of these are land-based. The country invests heavily in mobility—placing missiles on transporter-erector launchers and, in the future, submarines. This capability improves these missiles’ survivability.
That is, their mobility makes it harder for the US and South Korea to find and destroy them preemptively. If North Korea can ‘ride out’ a US-South Korean airstrike and hit back, the targets will almost certainly include US bases and territories.
Most important to America—and in the upcoming summit meeting—is North Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) force, as that allows Pyongyang to strike the US mainland. The North has likely done enough testing of its Hwaseong-class ICBM that it can reliably strike the US homeland, although it is unclear if it can strike a specific grid reference.
The Russia Connection
Consequently, there is much suspicion that Russia is helping the North with guidance and missile re-entry in exchange for North Korea’s help in the Ukraine War.
This is hugely risky. Russian President Vladimir Putin was once wise enough to realize how dangerous a nuclear North Korea is, and he supported all the previous sanctions on the North. But Putin’s war in Ukraine has gone much worse than he anticipated. In his desperation for North Korean help, Kim may be able to extract unusually high concessions.
The ICBM Risk to the US-South Korea Alliance
As North Korea’s missile technology improves—perhaps with Russian help—the question of how the alliance should respond has sharpened. North Korea’s conventional and regional deterrence of the past mainly posed a threat to South Korea and Japan. This was bad for them, of course, but suitable for the alliance, because it exempted the US from severe North Korean retaliation. That, in turn, made American alliance commitments more credible. Yes, the North could kill US soldiers and their families in South Korea and Japan, but those numbers would likely be in the thousands. Losses of this scale were politically manageable.
But as North Korea’s missile ranges lengthen and its nukes grow more powerful, Pyongyang increasingly poses a direct threat to US territory, not just forward bases in the Asia-Pacific. In succession, Guam, Alaska, and Hawaii came into range. But in 2017, most of the continental US came into range. This situation creates the high likelihood that if the US fights for South Korea in a conflict, per its alliance commitment, that North Korea will nuke a US territory, possibly a city.
Former President Biden, a committed internationalist and alliance-builder, took this rising threat in stride. Despite it, he repeatedly, publicly re-committed America to South Korean security. But Trump is far more transactional and often expresses disdain for US allies.
So the question of how to respond to the rising North Korea risk to America will hover over the upcoming Trump-Lee summit. Given Trump’s fickleness, it is not even clear that a Trumpian re-commitment to the alliance at the summit would be credible. In time, then, South Korea will probably build its own nuclear weapons to ensure its own nuclear security.
About the Author: Dr. Robert Kelly, Pusan National University
Dr. Robert E. Kelly is a professor of international relations in the Department of Political Science and Diplomacy at Pusan National University in South Korea. His research interests focus on security in Northeast Asia, U.S. foreign policy, and international financial institutions. He has written for outlets including Foreign Affairs, the European Journal of International Relations, and the Economist, and he has spoken on television news services including BBC and CCTV. His personal website/blog is here; his Twitter page is here.
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Written By Robert E. Kelly
Robert E. Kelly is a professor of international relations in the Department of Political Science and Diplomacy at Pusan National University.
nationalsecurityjournal.org · by Robert E. Kelly · August 7, 2025
De Oppresso Liber,
David Maxwell
Vice President, Center for Asia Pacific Strategy
Senior Fellow, Global Peace Foundation
Editor, Small Wars Journal
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
Phone: 202-573-8647
email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com
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