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Korea Herald
21-04-2025
- General
- Korea Herald
Pilot mistook jettison button for heating in KA-1 incident: Air Force
A South Korean Air Force pilot mistakenly pressed the emergency jettison button while attempting to adjust the heating in a KA-1 light attack aircraft that accidentally dropped its weapons and fuel tanks last week, authorities said Monday. The Air Force said the pilot was attempting to adjust an air vent that was disrupting his vision when the incident occurred at 8:22 p.m. on Friday over Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, during a nighttime mock firing exercise. The vent and emergency jettison button, which measure 3.5 centimeters and 3.3 centimeters in diameter, respectively, are located close to each other, contributing to the confusion, authorities said. 'The pilot, who was wearing night vision goggles, reported that strong wind was blowing into his helmet through the ventilation system. While trying to adjust the heater controls near the air vent, he mistakenly pressed the emergency jettison button,' Lt. Col. Jang Dong-ha, spokesperson for the Air Force, said during a press briefing in Seoul. As of Monday, the military had recovered both gun pods, the fuel tanks and 495 rounds of ammunition. Five rounds remained missing. The KA-1, a light attack variant of the KT-1 trainer aircraft, carries two pilots. The jettisoned gun pods, which house machine guns, also contained 500 rounds of 12.7 mm live ammunition. The dropped fuel tanks were empty. The aircraft returned safely to Wonju Air Base after reporting the incident to air traffic control. No emergency procedures were required. In response, the Air Force deployed a helicopter and about 270 personnel to the mountainous area where the equipment was dropped in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province. The Air Force confirmed that the equipment landed in uninhabited mountainous terrain and caused no civilian injuries or property damage. It added that it plans to conduct a comprehensive review of all related systems, including personnel, organizational structure and flight procedures. Training flights, which were suspended following the accident, are scheduled to resume Tuesday. These include the Freedom Flag exercise, a South Korea–US joint air drill that began Thursday and runs through May 2. Friday's incident comes after another one on March 3, when a misfire from a KF-16 fighter jet injured more than 30 people and damaged around 140 homes. That incident was also credited to pilot error, via inputting incorrect targeting coordinates.
Arab News
16-04-2025
- Business
- Arab News
South Korea, UAE boost defense ties with training, fighter jet cooperation
Seoul: South Korea and the UAE are strengthening military ties through new agreements signed by their air force leadership on Wednesday, including cooperation in the development of the newest Korean supersonic fighter jet. Maj. Gen. Rashed Mohammed A. Al-Shamsi, commander of the UAE Air Force and Air Defense, arrived in Seoul on a four-day official visit on Monday. On Tuesday, he signed an agreement with South Korean Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Lee Young-soo to establish regular bilateral meetings between their air forces, and on Wednesday, a letter of intent focused on cooperation related to the KF-21 Boramae fighter jet. The KF-21 is a 4.5-generation supersonic aircraft developed by Korea Aerospace Industries and slated for official deployment in 2026. An Emirati pilot participated in its test flight during Al-Shamsi's visit, as the cooperation will also include training UAE personnel to operate the jet. 'The South Korea Air Force regularly participates in the Desert Flag and IAMDOC (Integrated Air Missile Defense Operations Course) exercises held in the UAE. Moving forward, we aim to further expand our cooperation and defense exchanges with the UAE,' Lee said in a statement after the meetings. He also reaffirmed Seoul's commitment to supporting the operations of the Cheongung II, a South Korean medium-range surface-to-air missile system purchased by the UAE in 2022. 'We will provide training programs for Emirati air defense personnel to ensure the successful operation of the missile system,' he said. The initiative to hold regular meetings with the UAE Air Force — Korea's first air force-to-air force regular talks with a Middle Eastern country — stems from Gen. Lee's visit to Abu Dhabi in March, during which both sides agreed on the need for closer military coordination. Under the new framework, the two countries will hold bilateral meetings every six months. Military cooperation between the UAE and South Korea started in 2006, when they signed a defense agreement. In 2011, at the request of Abu Dhabi, South Korea deployed its Akh Unit to a military base in Al-Ain to provide support in training the UAE special forces — an arrangement that continues to this day. 'It was the UAE that asked for Korea's deployment. It seems the UAE sees South Korea as a reliable partner in Asia when they seek to diversify their defense,' Kim Kang-seok, professor of Middle Eastern and African studies at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, told Arab News. 'The UAE is focused on advancing its military's AI capabilities and achieving defense self-reliance … The UAE has adopted AI initiatives as a key national strategy. That is also foraying into the military. This makes South Korea a very attractive partner because South Korea has a large AI capability, a growing military industry and a global economic standing.' Advancing military ties is also in line with the comprehensive economic partnership pact the two countries signed last year. It is also a part of the UAE's efforts to reduce reliance on the US for defense, as well as Seoul's geopolitical considerations, according to Ahn So-yeon from the West Asia Center at Seoul National University. 'They are considering South Korea to be a very good partner in Asia. Since South Korea is an ally of the US, the UAE feels less pressured by the US when cooperating with South Korea, compared to other Asian countries,' Ahn said. 'The UAE is a key oil producer in the Middle East. The UAE is a key energy supplier for South Korea and is strategically located near the Strait of Hormuz. Stationing troops there helps South Korea safeguard ships on key maritime trade routes.'
Korea Herald
15-04-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
S. Korea, UAE to hold regular Air Force meetings, boost defense ties
South Korea and the United Arab Emirates have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish regular bilateral meetings between their air forces, the South Korean Air Force said Tuesday. The agreement was signed during a meeting between South Korean Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Lee Young-soo and Maj. Gen. Rashed Mohammed A. Al Shamsi, commander of the UAE Air Force and Air Defense, at the South Korean Air Force Headquarters in Gyeryong, South Chungcheong Province. The UAE is the first Middle Eastern country to hold regular Air Force-to-Air Force talks with South Korea. The initiative was launched following Lee's visit to the UAE in March, during which both sides acknowledged the need for enhanced coordination, according to the South Korean Air Force. Under the agreement, the two air forces plan to hold meetings every six months. During their meeting, Lee and Al Shamsi discussed regional security conditions on the Korean Peninsula and in the Middle East and reaffirmed their commitment to defense and defense industry cooperation. 'Our Air Force has already been regularly participating in Desert Flag and the Integrated Air and Missile Defense Operational Course (IAMDOC) hosted by the UAE,' Lee said. 'We will continue to further expand military exchanges and joint training efforts.' Lee also pledged support for the UAE's upcoming deployment of South Korea's Cheongung-II, a medium-range surface-to-air missile system. He said South Korea would assist in training UAE personnel to ensure the successful integration and operation of the system. The following day, the two commanders will also visit Sacheon Air Base in South Gyeongsang Province to sign a letter of intent on broader cooperation involving the KF-21, a 4.5-generation supersonic fighter jet developed by South Korea. The letter is expected to outline plans for UAE Air Force personnel to observe future KF-21 training sessions. A pilot from the UAE Air Force is also scheduled to fly in a KF-21 prototype alongside a test pilot from Korea Aerospace Industries. Meanwhile, Al Shamsi is also expected to meet with Defense Acquisition Program Administration Minister Seok Jong-gun and Korea Aerospace Industries CEO Kang Goo-young to explore further defense cooperation. The South Korean Air Force added that it would participate again in the Desert Flag 2025 exercise, set to take place from Monday to May 8 at Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE. Desert Flag is a large-scale multinational air combat exercise hosted annually by the UAE Air Force to strengthen interoperability and combined operational capabilities among participants. This year's edition includes 13 countries: South Korea, the UAE, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Turkey and India. South Korea has participated in the exercise every year since 2023.
South China Morning Post
10-04-2025
- South China Morning Post
South Korea probes claim Chinese teen caught filming F-16s is son of security official
South Korean authorities are investigating a claim, made by one of two Chinese high school students apprehended for illegally filming military aircraft, that his father is a member of China's public security bureau. Advertisement The pair, who arrived in South Korea on tourist visas on March 18, were detained for photographing military aircraft – including F-16 fighter jets – near Suwon Air Base in Gyeonggi province just three days later, according to local media reports. An official familiar with the investigation told The Chosun Daily that nearly 100 images of aircraft taking off and landing were recovered from the students' DSLR camera and smartphones. They had positioned themselves on farmland several hundred metres from the base when a resident reported their activities to police. Investigators said the photos did not include interior shots of the facility, and no telephoto lens had been used. Nonetheless, officials suspect the students may have acted with intent. 'Given that they began photographing strategic assets and key installations almost immediately after entering the country, their actions appear premeditated,' an investigative source told The Chosun Daily. US Air Force B-1B bombers, centre, F-22 fighter jets and South Korean Air Force F-35 fighter jets, bottom, fly over South Korea Peninsula during a joint air drill in South Korea in 2023. Photo: AP Before arriving in Suwon, the students are said to have visited Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, where they filmed US Air Force F-35 stealth fighters – a next-generation aircraft exported only to close American allies and closely watched by Beijing.
Korea Herald
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Ruling party urges military appointments amid leadership void
The ruling People Power Party on Wednesday called for immediate appointments to fill vacant military leadership posts, attributing recent accidents and a breakdown in discipline to the current leadership vacuum. Several high-ranking officers were suspended for their alleged involvement in President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law declaration on Dec. 3 last year. 'The absence of military leadership has led to ongoing gaps in national security and a breakdown in military discipline, which we cannot ignore as causes of repeated accidents,' said People Power Party spokesperson Ham In-kyung in a statement. 'We can no longer leave these key posts unfilled while the military is responsible for national security,' Ham added. Her remarks came after the South Korean military suffered from two notable incidents in recent weeks. On Monday, a South Korean military drone collided with a stationary helicopter while landing at an Army aviation unit in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, following a reconnaissance mission. No casualties were reported, but both the Heron drone and the KUH-1 Surion helicopter were destroyed in the resulting fire. The Army said an investigation is ongoing and dismissed the possibility of North Korean involvement, such as electronic jamming. Earlier, on March 6, two KF-16 fighter jets from the South Korean Air Force mistakenly dropped bombs on a civilian area during live-fire drills, leaving 29 people injured. The drills were held ahead of Freedom Shield, an annual joint military exercise with the United States. Investigations revealed that the pilots had entered incorrect coordinates and failed to follow standard in-flight verification procedures. The top military posts that have remained unfilled since last year include those of nine suspended generals, including Park An-su, former Army Chief of Staff; Lt. Gen. Yeo In-hyung, former commander of the Defense Counterintelligence Command; Lt. Gen. Kwak Jong-geun, former commander of the Special Warfare Command; Lee Jin-woo, former commander of the Capital Defense Command; and Maj. Gen. Moon Sang-ho, former head of the Defense Intelligence Command. The post of Defense Minister is also vacant, as former Minister Kim Yong-hyun was detained over charges related to his involvement in the martial law controversy. Vice Minister Kim Seon-ho is currently serving as acting minister. South Korea's military typically makes personnel changes among generals in early April, with preparations beginning in March. However, such preparations appear unlikely amid political uncertainty and the absence of leadership at the ministry, military sources say. 'If personnel appointments are delayed, fatigue among commanding officers at corps and division levels increases, raising the likelihood of further accidents,' a retired Army general, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Korea Herald. 'There are also concerns that any appointments made now could be overturned if there is a sudden change in administration. A bipartisan agreement on this matter is urgently needed,' the general added.
