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Asahi Shimbun
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
Trump says South Korea should be paying for its own defense
Members of South Korea's Army Special Warfare Command get ready to parachute from a MC-130 airplane during their military exercise with U.S. Special Operations Command which is a part of the annual Freedom Shield joint military training between South Korea and the United States in Gwangju, South Korea, on March 14, 2024. (REUTERS) WASHINGTON--U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday South Korea should be paying for its own military protection and suggested the U.S. ally needed to pay more for the U.S. troop presence there, a day after saying he planned to impose a 25 percent tariff on its imports. 'It's very unfair. We supply the militaries to many very successful countries,' Trump told reporters at a meeting of his Cabinet at the White House. 'South Korea is making a lot of money, and they're very good. They're very good, but, you know, they should be paying for their own military.' Trump said at he had got South Korea to agree to pay more for the presence of U.S. forces during his first term, but his predecessor Joe Biden 'canceled' the deal. 'I said to South Korea ... you know, we give you free military, essentially, very little,' Trump said, adding that he had told them they should pay $10 billion a year. 'I got three (billion) with a phone call ... but I said next year we have to talk,' he said, making claims Reuters has not verified. Trump said the presence of U.S. forces was a 'huge' economic benefit for countries that hosted them. 'It's like having a city, it's tremendous money for them, and it's a tremendous loss for us ... so we're talking, in a very nice way, We're talking to them.' South Korea hosts about 28,500 American troops as a legacy of the 1950-1953 Korean War. It relies on the U.S. nuclear umbrella for protection against China, Russia and North Korea, and is seen as a key ally for projecting U.S. military power. Shortly before last year's U.S. election, South Korea and the Biden administration hurried to sign a new, five-year agreement under which Seoul would raise its contribution toward the upkeep of U.S. troops by 8.3% to $1.47 billion in the first year, with later increases linked to the consumer price index. During his election campaign Trump said South Korea should pay as much as $10 billion per year and has said such costs would be part of trade negotiations. Trump in the past has suggested he could withdraw U.S. forces stationed overseas if countries did not pay more for their upkeep. In May, the Pentagon said a Wall Street Journal report that the U.S. was considering withdrawing roughly 4,500 troops from South Korea was not true.
Nikkei Asia
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Nikkei Asia
Seoul marks 75 years since Korean War as nuclear threats grow
U.S. and South Korean army soldiers take part in a U.S.-South Korea joint river-crossing exercise which is a part of the annual Freedom Shield joint military training, near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Yeoncheon, South Korea, on March 20. © Reuters STEVEN BOROWIEC SEOUL -- As a tenuous ceasefire appeared to settle over the conflict between Israel and Iran, South Korea held solemn ceremonies on Wednesday to mark the anniversary of the war whose legacy still shapes the Korean Peninsula and casts a nuclear threat to the region. The Korean War started on June 25, 1950, when Soviet-backed North Korean forces invaded the South. U.S. troops fought alongside the South and combat ceased three years later with the signing of a U.N.-brokered armistice agreement.
Kyodo News
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Kyodo News
North Korea fires multiple ballistic missiles, no damage reported
KYODO NEWS - 8 hours ago - 16:12 | World, All North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan on Thursday, South Korea and Japan said, with no damage reported so far after the first such act by Pyongyang in almost two months. The missiles were fired between 8:10 a.m. and 9:20 a.m. from the Wonsan area in the eastern part of the country, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said, adding it detected launches of various types of short-range ballistic missiles from the area. Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani told reporters in Tokyo that one of the missiles that was launched around 9:20 a.m. reached a maximum altitude of around 100 kilometers and may have flown on an irregular trajectory. The projectiles are estimated to have fallen outside Japan's exclusive economic zone and no damage to ships or planes has been reported, Nakatani said, adding that Tokyo has lodged a stern protest with Pyongyang over the incident. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told a press conference that North Korea's missile development "threatens peace" and is "unacceptable." The missiles flew as far as approximately 800 km before falling into the sea, the South Korean military said. North Korea last launched missiles on March 10 toward the sea, hours after South Korea and the United States began their large-scale annual joint military exercise called Freedom Shield. The latest missile activity by Pyongyang came as its military cooperates with Moscow in Russia's war against Ukraine and ahead of South Korea's June 3 presidential election to choose the successor to Yoon Suk Yeol, who was ousted from office last month over his short-lived declaration of martial law in December. Related coverage: North Korea test-fires new destroyer's weapons system Families of Japanese abducted by North Korea call for Trump's support North Korea confirms troop deployment to Russia under bilateral pact
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
North Korea launches short-range ballistic missiles into sea, South Korea says
North Korea launched several short-range ballistic missiles into its eastern sea Thursday in what South Korea is calling a "clear act of provocation." Lee Sung Joon, a spokesperson for South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the launches were possibly intended to test the performance of weapons that North Korea plans to export as it continues to send military equipment and troops to fuel Russia's warfighting against Ukraine. The agency said multiple missiles were launched from an area around North Korea's eastern port city of Wonsan from about 8:10 to 9:20 a.m. local time Thursday, with the farthest traveling about 497 miles. Lee said the tests likely involved a short-range ballistic missile system launched from vehicles — possibly modeled after Russia's Iskander missile -- and also large-caliber rocket artillery systems. 600 North Korean Troops Killed While Fighting Ukraine, South Korea Says The Joint Chiefs said South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities detected the launch preparations in advance and tracked the missiles after they were launched. Read On The Fox News App It issued a statement denouncing the launches as a "clear act of provocation" that threatens peace and stability in the region, according to the Associated Press. South Korean military officials are now analyzing whether the tests were linked to the North's weapons exports to Russia. In early March, North Korea fired several ballistic missiles into the sea just hours after South Korea and the United States kicked off their first major joint military exercise of President Donald Trump's second term. "We are aware of the DPRK's multiple ballistic missile launches and are consulting closely with the Republic of Korea and Japan, as well as other regional allies and partners. The United States condemns these actions and calls on the DPRK to refrain from further unlawful and destabilizing acts," the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement at the time. North Korea Fires Missiles As Us, South Korea Begin Their First Joint Military Exercise Of Trump's Second Term Those launches come after South Korean and U.S. forces began their annual Freedom Shield exercise. After denying its war involvement for months, North Korea last month confirmed for the first time that it had sent combat troops to help Russia in recapturing parts of the Kursk region, which had fallen to a surprise Ukrainian incursion last year. Moscow also acknowledged the North Korean involvement, with Russian President Vladimir Putin issuing a statement thanking the North for sending troops to support his forces and promising not to forget their sacrifices. Recent South Korean intelligence assessments suggest that North Korea has sent about 15,000 soldiers to Russia, and that nearly 5,000 of them have been killed or injured while fighting against Ukrainian forces, the AP reported. Washington and Seoul have also accused North Korea of supplying Russia with various types of military equipment, including artillery systems and shells and ballistic missiles. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Original article source: North Korea launches short-range ballistic missiles into sea, South Korea says
United News of India
08-05-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
North Korea fires multiple short-range missiles in Sea of Japan
Seoul/Pyongyang, May 8 (UNI) North Korea is said to have fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles today toward the Sea of Japan, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported, citing the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) of the Republic of Korea. Pyongyang launched what appeared to be multiple short-range ballistic missiles early Thursday, with projectiles flying up to 800 km (497 miles) before splashing down in the sea. The launches were detected around 8:10 a.m. local time (2310 GMT Wednesday) from the eastern coastal city of Wonsan, the JCS said, reports Anadolu news agency. 'Our military has heightened surveillance in anticipation of further launches and remains in a state of full readiness,' the JCS added, noting that it is closely coordinating with the United States and Japan on the situation. Earlier, Yonhap reported citing the South Korean JCS that North Korea had fired an unidentified ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan, as per Sputnik. In mid-March, the JCS said that North Korea conducted a launch of several ballistic missiles, which reportedly took place just hours after South Korea and the United States had launched their annual Freedom Shield exercises. UNI ANV RN
