Korea Joongang Daily
Korea JoongAng Daily

Seoul shares details of 26 Korean vessels waiting to traverse Hormuz with Tehran, sources say

The government has begun negotiations with Iran to secure the release of 26 Korean-flagged vessels stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, officials said Monday.

2026-04-14

Lee and Polish prime minister agree to expand defense industry cooperation, upgrade ties

President Lee Jae Myung and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk agreed on Monday to expand defense industry cooperation during their summit in Seoul, as the two countries agreed to upgrade bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

2026-04-13

Gulf states eye Korea's Cheongung-II to shore up depleted air defense systems

Gulf states are widening their search for suppliers to include countries such as Korea and Ukraine to shore up their depleted air defense systems in the wake of strikes by Iran, according to a recent report.

2026-04-13

Korean, Polish leaders to discuss economic, defense industry cooperation at Seoul summit

Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk will hold a bilateral summit in Seoul on Monday, an occasion to discuss ways to expand economic and defense industry cooperation.

2026-04-12

New patrol ships to possibly inherit hull numbers of warships engaged in naval battles against North Korea

The Korean navy is considering assigning the hull numbers of two decommissioned Chamsuri-class patrol boats to next-generation high-speed patrol ships in a bid to honor their role in naval skirmishes against North Korea in the Yellow Sea.

2026-04-12

Defense minister visits key defense manufacturer to assess Iran war's impact on arms industry

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back on Friday visited a key manufacturer of precision-guided missiles and other weapons to assess the impact of the war in the Middle East on the domestic arms industry, his office said.

2026-04-10

Korea to export additional 112 K9 howitzers to Finland in $634M deal

Korea will export an additional 112 units of its K9 self-propelled howitzers to Finland in an arms deal valued at some 940 billion won ($634 million) in what would be another boost for Seoul's push to increase weapons exports.

2026-04-09

IAEA chief to visit South Korea next week for nuclear energy, North Korea discussions

The chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will visit South Korea next week for consultations on nuclear energy, North Korea and other issues, the foreign ministry said Thursday.

2026-04-09

Hanwha Aerospace pulls out of Poongsan ammunition acquisition bid

Hanwha Aerospace has decided not to proceed with its bid to acquire the ammunition production division of defense manufacturer Poongsan, a regulatory filing Thursday showed.

2026-04-09

North Korea's tests of 'soft-kill' weapons spark concern in Seoul

North Korea recently conducted tests of several kinds of warheads mounted to short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM), raising serious concerns that its advanced "soft-kill" military technology could neutralize opposing assets and strategies.

2026-04-09