It appears that North Korea is signaling that they have cluster munitions just like Iran has used against Israel:
North Korea has tested cluster bombs in its latest launch of surface-to-surface ballistic missiles, supervised by leader Kim Jong-un, state media reported Monday.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) published the report of the launch of the Hwasong-11 Ra tactical ballistic missile a day after South Korea’s military detected multiple short-range ballistic missiles launched toward the East Sea at around 6:10 a.m. from North Korea’s Sinpho area.
The KCNA said the purpose of the test-launch was to evaluate the power of the “cluster bomb warhead and fragmentation mine warhead” fitted to the weapon system.
You can read more at the link.
All I see is a lot of talk with no plan of action on what these countries plan to do to open the Strait of Hormuz other than wait for the U.S. to open it for them:
President Lee Jae Myung stressed the need for Korea and India to work together to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz in an interview published Monday, also highlighting the need for joint efforts to stabilize global supply chains.
In a written interview with The Times of India, held before his summit talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he noted that the effective closure of the critical shipping route due to the prolonged conflict between the United States and Iran has been driving up global oil prices while also disrupting supply chains for key industrial materials.
“Both the Republic of Korea and India depend on the Middle East for a significant share of their energy supplies, including crude oil and natural gas. Accordingly, ensuring the security of critical maritime routes is essential to the safety of our peoples and the very survival of our nations,” Lee said, referring to Korea by its official name.
You can read more at the link.
The way President Lee hasn’t tried to enflame anti-Japanese sentiment has been mildly surprising to me. His liberal predecessor President Moon was notorious for stoking anti-Japanese sentiment and preventing trilateral military cooperation. It is good to see President Lee has not followed suit on this so far:
Top naval commanders of South Korea, the United States and Japan gathered in Seoul on Wednesday to hold a series of talks aimed at strengthening their trilateral maritime security cooperation, the South’s Navy said.
The gathering brought together Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Kim Kyung-ryul, U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. Stephen Koehler and Adm. Akira Saito, chief of staff of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, for bilateral talks and a trilateral dinner meeting, according to the armed service.
The meetings came amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, raising speculation over whether their talks would address the ongoing U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.
In the trilateral meeting, the three sides shared their perspectives on the regional maritime security environment in the Pacific and discussed ways to enhance cooperation.
They also reportedly discussed ways to cooperate against North Korea’s efforts to strengthen its maritime prowess, as seen in the recent development of a 5,000-ton destroyer, Choe Hyon, and the test-firing of strategic cruise and anti-warship missiles from the naval destroyer.
You can read more at the link.
Despite Korea’s dependence on oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz I would be very surprised if Korea takes any leading role in an international force to police it:
President Lee Jae Myung will attend talks led by Britain and France this week over freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday.
The virtual gathering, to be hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer late Friday (Seoul time), aims to ensure free and safe passage through the crucial waterway.
“As the freedom and security of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz serve the interests of all parties and are vital to our national interests, we are continuing efforts to work in solidarity with countries that share similar positions,” a senior official told reporters.
Lee is preparing a message addressing energy supply chains, Seoul’s stance on the Middle East situation, and the importance of international solidarity to ensure free passage through the crucial shipping route, the official said.
You can read more at the link.
It looks like South Korea could soon have a competitor in the competitive global arms industry:
“Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s ruling party approved the changes this week as she tries to invigorate the pacifist country’s military industrial base. Her government will formally adopt the new rules as soon as this month, three Japanese government officials told Reuters.
Despite largely isolating itself from global arms markets since World ‌War Two, Japan spends enough on its own military – $60 billion this year – to sustain a sizeable defence industry capable of manufacturing advanced systems like submarines and fighter jets.
Among the potential new customers are the Polish military and the Philippine navy, which are undergoing modernization amid regional security challenges, according to Reuters interviews with Japanese officials and foreign diplomats in Tokyo. Defence contractors Toshiba and Mitsubishi Electric (6503.T) are hiring staff and adding capacity to capitalise on demand, their executives said, providing previously unreported details.
One of the first deals Takaichi’s government will likely approve are exports of used frigates to the Philippines, which is locked in maritime confrontation with Beijing in the South China Sea, according to two of the Japanese officials. Reuters is the first to report the timeframe of the likely sale, which may be followed by missile defence systems, the officials said.
“Warsaw and Tokyo can help plug gaps in each other’s arsenals, cooperating in areas like anti-drone and electronic warfare systems, said Mariusz Boguszewski, deputy chief of mission at Poland’s embassy in Japan.”
You can read more at the link.
