https://www.scmp.com/rss/523519/feed The latest news and top stories on the Korea Defence Network. A prominent South Korea-based think tank, the Korea Defence Network is dedicated to defence-related research and analysis, providing insights into military developments and capabilities. Its main areas of focus include assessing North Korean military advancements, cyber warfare, missile technology and broader security issues on the Korean peninsula. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea built the Cheongung-II to stop North Korean missiles. Now the system is stopping Iranian ones – and in doing so, has turned Seoul into one of the most sought-after defence suppliers on the planet. The medium-range surface-to-air missile system, also known as the KM-SAM Block II, has scored a reported interception rate of 96 per cent against Iranian missiles fired at the United Arab Emirates. It was a combat debut that rivalled, and in some cases exceeded, the performance of the US... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3347353/iran-war-debut-south-koreas-cut-price-patriot-outshines-us-interceptors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3347353/iran-war-debut-south-koreas-cut-price-patriot-outshines-us-interceptors?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 02:00:10 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong A multibillion-dollar contract signed by Seoul this week to supply arms to Poland has underscored the strength of South Korea’s defence industry. Observers, however, warn that a growing global trend involving bloc-based arms trade could cast a shadow over the country’s future as a major weapons exporter. The consortium of Hanwha Aerospace and Hanwha-WB Advanced System (HWB) on Monday signed a 5.6 trillion-won (US$4 billion) contract with Poland’s arms procurement agency, the Polish Armament... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3338318/south-korea-seals-us4-billion-arms-deal-poland-amid-daunting-eu-bloc-trade-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3338318/south-korea-seals-us4-billion-arms-deal-poland-amid-daunting-eu-bloc-trade-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:28 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong With the Apec summit in South Korea just days away, the nuclear-armed North fired a ballistic missile on Wednesday in an apparent bid to remind the world of its growing arsenal. The launch, occurring against the backdrop of deepening military ties between North Korea and Russia, has reignited fears of escalating provocations and their implications for global stability. Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that the missile, presumed to be a Hwasong-11da-4.5, was launched from North Hwanghae... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3329877/north-korea-prepares-apec-ballistic-missile-launch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3329877/north-korea-prepares-apec-ballistic-missile-launch?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Oct 2025 03:43:16 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korea is expected to showcase a new generation of strategic missiles and advanced weapons systems at a massive military parade this week, in what observers say is an attempt to project its growing ability to strike US and South Korean targets. Analysts predict that the parade will centre on a new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile and a series of hypersonic weapons designed to threaten US naval forces in the region. The new ICBM, which reportedly has a high-thrust solid-fuel... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327973/north-korea-set-flaunt-its-growing-arsenal-massive-military-parade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327973/north-korea-set-flaunt-its-growing-arsenal-massive-military-parade?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Oct 2025 04:54:06 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea is investigating reports that Russia has supplied North Korea with nuclear submarine reactor modules, a move analysts see as highly plausible and one that could mark a breakthrough in Pyongyang’s decades-long push for a nuclear-powered navy. Citing unnamed government sources, South Korean daily JoongAng Ilbo reported that Moscow is thought to have supplied North Korea with two or three modules in the first half of this year, comprising reactor cores, turbines and cooling systems... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3325884/russia-suspected-helping-north-korea-build-nuclear-submarines-seoul-investigating?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3325884/russia-suspected-helping-north-korea-build-nuclear-submarines-seoul-investigating?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Sep 2025 01:30:13 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea, Japan and the United States will hold a trilateral military drill this month, in what analysts describe as a display of allied cohesion led by Washington to counter the perceived show of solidarity by regional rivals. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Friday that the “multi-domain” exercise, known as Freedom Edge, would take place in international waters east and south of Jeju Island from September 15 to 19. “The drills are an annual exercise aimed at responding to North... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3324466/south-korea-japan-us-bolster-first-island-chain-defence-freedom-edge-drills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3324466/south-korea-japan-us-bolster-first-island-chain-defence-freedom-edge-drills?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Sep 2025 07:08:16 +0000