Category: ROK Military

ROK Military to Have 5% of Its Force Come From Multicultural Backgrounds by 2030

The make up of the ROK military will look a little different by 2030:

The number of soldiers coming from a multicultural background will account for 5 percent of the nation’s entire conscripts by 2030 after a notable increase since the 2009 amendment to the Military Service Act, which mandates military service for all Korean nationals, according to the report released by the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, Monday.

The report suggested that a growing number of conscripts from multicultural households could become a crucial resource in sustaining the military, helping address potential conscript shortages stemming from the country’s low birthrate. It raised the need for the military to establish and implement management and support policies tailored to multicultural soldiers.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

ROK Navy Chief Visits Key U.S. Nuclear Submarine Base for the First Time

This may be signaling that the ROK may be interested in developing their own nuclear submarines in the future:

Adm. Yang Yong-mo (R), chief of naval operations, poses for a photo with Rear Adm. Thomas Buchanan (L), the commander of Submarine Group 10, which oversees Ohio-class submarines at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay in Georgia on Feb. 2, 2024, in this photo provided by the South's Navy on Feb. 4. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Adm. Yang Yong-mo (R), chief of naval operations, poses for a photo with Rear Adm. Thomas Buchanan (L), the commander of Submarine Group 10, which oversees Ohio-class submarines at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay in Georgia on Feb. 2, 2024, in this photo provided by the South’s Navy on Feb. 4.

South Korea’s top naval officer visited a key naval submarine base in the United States for the first time and stressed the need to strengthen ties against growing North Korean threats, the South’s Navy said Sunday.

Adm. Yang Yong-mo, chief of naval operations, visited the Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay in Georgia, a southeastern coastal base home to key nuclear submarines, on Friday (local time), according to the Navy.

It marks the first time for a South Korean Navy chief to visit the base, which operates nuclear ballistic missile submarines (SSBN), a key U.S. strategic asset. SSBN is a sea-based leg of the U.S. nuclear triad that also includes intercontinental ballistic missiles and strategic bombers.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

South Korea Begins Mass Production of Medium Altitude UAV

It looks like South Korea has developed another defense product with export potential:

South Korea is mass-producing its own unmanned aerial vehicle, 14 years in development, to boost its reconnaissance capabilities against the North. Production began recently for the medium-altitude UAVs, according to a news release Thursday from South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration.

The agency signed onto the $353 million project with three defense contractors — Korean Air, the country’s primary airline, and Seoul-based firms LIG Nex1 and Hanhwa Systems — in December; development began in 2008. The UAV is expected to fly at an altitude of roughly six to seven miles for South Korea’s air force and coast guard, with the possibility of it being exported to other countries, according to the release.

Stars and Stripes

You can read more at the link.

ROK Military to Continue Policy of Limited Mobile Phone Use During Boot Camp

Considering how little time the Soldiers are given to use their phones during boot camp extending this program shouldn’t cause any issues with training:

Soldiers use mobile phones on an Army base in Gapyeong, 50 kilometers northeast of Seoul, Jan. 31, 2019. Yonhap

Soldiers use mobile phones on an Army base in Gapyeong, 50 kilometers northeast of Seoul, Jan. 31, 2019. Yonhap

The military has extended a trial program for new military conscripts at boot camps to use mobile phones for one hour on weekends and holidays, the defense ministry said Wednesday.

In July, the ministry introduced the six-month trial program as part of efforts to allow conscripts to use mobile phones during their mandatory military service to help them better connect with family members and friends.

The ministry said the program has been extended until it decides on a new policy on mobile phone use after analyzing the program’s results and considering measures to address possible security issues and impact on operations.

Conscripts used to be barred from carrying mobile phones for security reasons, but the troops — except for fresh recruits — can now use and possess phones from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and from 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

ROK Military Junior Officers and NCOs to Get a 30% Pay By 2027

It is good to see the ROK military getting a significant pay increase, especially for those who choose to serve in frontline units:

South Korea plans to raise the annual salaries of entry-level military officers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs) at border units by up to 30 percent by 2027 from this year, the defense ministry said Sunday, amid a push to improve working conditions of troops.

The salary for a new staff sergeant stationed at a front-line unit will increase to 49 million won (US$37,190) in 2027, up 28 percent from this year, according to the ministry’s five-year welfare plan for service members.

The pay of a new second lieutenant at a border unit will rise to 49.9 million won in 2027, up 30 percent over the same period.

In ordinary units behind the front lines, a staff sergeant will see their annual pay increase to 37.6 million won in 2027, up 14 percent from this year, while a second lieutenant’s salary will rise to 39.1 million won in 2027, up 15 percent from this year.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

South Korea Selects Brazilian C-390 as Military’s New Heavy Lift Aircraft

This is an interesting acquisition choice by the ROK military:

 South Korea’s defense authorities on Monday chose Brazilian company Embraer’s C-390 for the Air Force’s new large transport aircraft over contenders from aerospace heavyweights Lockheed Martin and Airbus.

The Defense Project Promotion Committee selected the model for the 710 billion won (US$544.4 million) acquisition project set to run through 2026, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).

The agency did not disclose the number of new aircraft to be introduced under the project, although South Korea is expected to purchase three units.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

U.S. State Department Approves Sale of SM-6 Interceptors to South Korea

This would be a great upgrade to the ROK Navy’s ballistic missile defenses by fielding the SM-6:

The U.S. Department of State has approved a possible sale to South Korea of Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) shipborne missile interceptors and related equipment to help improve the Asian ally’s security capabilities, a government agency said Tuesday.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) under the Department of Defense made the announcement on the potential government-to-government Foreign Military Sale estimated to cost US$650 million.

The South Korean government has made a request to buy up to 38 SM-6 Block I missiles, vertical launch system canisters, training aids and other related equipment, according to DSCA.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

KATUSA Soldiers Now Selected Through A Lottery System

It is interesting how transparent the KATUSA selection process has become to include now even a publicly viewable lottery system. In the past their was a lot of suspicion of rich and connected families receiving the KATUSA slots for their mandatory service:

Applicants and their parents vying for a military service placement in the Korean Augmentation to the United States Army (KATUSA) attend a lottery at the Military Manpower Administration (MMA) office in Daejeon, Thursday. Yonhap

Silence filled the room as young men and parents waited anxiously to hear their fate at the Military Manpower Administration (MMA) headquarters in Daejeon, Nov. 2, during a lottery to select who would join the Korean Augmentation to the United States Army (KATUSA).

The descion was made within a few minutes in a lucky draw. The 30 or so young men and their parents, who showed up on behalf of their sons, were among the 15,360 applicants nationwide who signed up for this year’s competition to serve at U.S. Army bases across the nation. 

Among them, only 1,762 would make the cut — a competition ratio of 8.7 to 1. 

Some bit their lips, while others closed their eyes for a moment of prayer as MMA officials prepared red, yellow and blue colored and numbered balls for the computerized lottery program.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

South Korean Helicopters Being Upgraded with Latest Mine Detection Technology

I would hope someone is developing technology to detect moving drone based mines like we are seeing the Black Sea right now from Ukraine:

Northrop Grumman has been contracted to provide technical support for South Korea’s upcoming naval minesweeping helicopter, the company announced in a news release Monday. 

The Virginia-based company will support the integration of its Airborne Laser Mine Detection System, or ALMDS, into Korea Aerospace Industries’ Korean Mine Countermeasures Helicopter program by 2027, according to the release.

The purpose of the ALMDS is to detect and identify floating and near-surface moored mines, Northrop Grumman said on its website. The system has been used in U.S. Navy littoral combat ships and the MH-60S Seahawk helicopters since its development in 2016.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

U.S., ROK, and Japan Stage Trilateral Naval Interdiction Exercise for the First Time in 7 Years

Just another example of increasing trilateral cooperation:

South Korea, the United States and Japan staged a trilateral maritime interdiction exercise in waters south of the Korean Peninsula this week for the first time in seven years, the South Korean Navy said Tuesday, amid efforts to strengthen security coordination against North Korean threats.

The two-day exercise, which began Monday in international waters southeast of the southern resort island of Jeju along with anti-piracy drills, came after the three countries’ defense chiefs agreed to resume the trilateral exercises during their meeting in Singapore in June.

The three sides last staged a maritime interdiction exercise, which focuses on intercepting suspected smuggling vessels, in 2016 and an anti-piracy exercise in 2017.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.