The arms race in Northeast Asia driven by deterring Chinese expansion continues:

Japan plans to deploy upgraded long-range missiles on its southernmost main island by spring as it continues to bolster defenses in the Nansei Islands, according to local media. The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force is finalizing arrangements to station an upgraded version of its Type-12 surface-to-ship missile at Camp Kengun in Kumamoto prefecture on Kyushu by March 31, Kyodo News reported Monday, citing unnamed government sources.

Defense Minister Gen Nakatani confirmed Tuesday that the ministry intends to deploy the missiles this fiscal year but is still evaluating potential locations. “The Ministry of Defense intends to continue working to build standoff defense capabilities more quickly in light of the most severe and complex security environment since the end of the war,” Nakatani said at a regular press conference in Tokyo.

Japan faces mounting security concerns from China, which contests Japan’s claim to the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, along with North Korea’s advancing ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs. Nakatani also cited Russia, which has participated in recent joint military training with China near Japan, in the ministry’s 2025 white paper.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

As Korea’s birthrate continues to remain low it will need to ensure every young person in Korea to include mixed race young men want to join the ROK military:

The quiet of an Army base in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, was shattered one spring afternoon when a 22-year-old private from a multicultural family jumped from a second-floor barracks window. Fellow soldiers had taunted him as a “fake Korean” — a slur that cut deeper than any drill sergeant’s shout. Although he survived, the fall left him with serious spinal injuries.

But his leap caused more than just physical trauma: It forced a reckoning with how South Korea’s military confronts questions of race, identity and a society in transition.

For nearly a decade, the Army has refrained from keeping formal records on recruits from multicultural backgrounds, arguing that identifying them could foster prejudice. But critics say the well-intentioned policy has had the opposite effect, leaving commanders without even a basic grasp of who is serving in their ranks — or what kinds of support those soldiers might require.

The Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA) now estimates that there are around 4,400 soldiers from multicultural backgrounds in uniform and that this figure will double to around 10,000 by 2030 — roughly one in every 20 conscripts.

“These soldiers will become an essential part of Korea’s manpower pool as the birthrate plunges,” Hong Suk-ji, a senior research fellow at KIDA, said. “The military needs to move beyond piecemeal support and embrace true diversity management.”

The soldier at the center of the case, a private, was born to a Chinese father and a North Korean defector mother. Investigators were told that in the weeks leading up to his fall, he had endured repeated taunts, including a racist slur directed at people of Chinese descent and a derogatory term meaning “fake Korean.”

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

It is interesting that Kim Yo-jong is coming out and saying that relations between the U.S. and North Korean leaders is “not bad”. It makes me think there is likely much communication going on behind the scenes:

The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said Tuesday personal ties between the leaders of the North and the United States are “not bad,” while ruling out talks on Pyongyang’s denuclearization.

Kim Yo-jong, vice department director of the ruling party’s Central Committee, made the remarks as U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed his intent to reengage with the North’s leader.

“I do not want to deny the fact that the personal relationship between the head of our state and the present U.S. president is not bad,” Kim said in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

“However, if the personal relations between the top leaders of the DPRK and the U.S. are to serve the purpose of denuclearization, it can be interpreted as nothing but a mockery of the other party,” she said.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

This is a great idea to help people learn more about the Battle of the Imjim when visiting the battle site:

British Korea War Memorial Committee co-chair Andrew Salmon talks about the Battle of Imjin River during a press conference at the British Embassy in Seoul, South Korea, July 25, 2025. (David Choi/Stars and Stripes)

British expatriates commemorating the United Kingdom’s role in the Korean War have launched a video walking tour marking their country’s bloodiest battle since World War II. The Seoul-based nonprofit British Korea War Memorial Committee unveiled the video series, “Stand in the Bootprints of Heroes: Battle of Imjin River,” on Friday.

The series recounts how a British brigade held off the largest Chinese assault of the war, beginning April 22, 1951. Visitors to the battlefield in Paju, about 25 miles north of the capital, can scan QR codes on 11 signs to access English-language YouTube videos, which include Korean subtitles.

The $22,000 project was funded by private companies and Dulwich College, committee treasurer Daniel Fertig said during a press conference at the British Embassy in Seoul. The digital memorial is a passionate tribute for Korean War veterans and a way “to keep their stories alive,” British Ambassador to South Korea Colin Crooks told reporters.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link, but one of the people leading this effort is the author Andrew Salmon who wrote a great book about the Battle of the Imjim titled, To the Last Round which is worth reading. I also recommend reading my prior Heroes of the Korean War article about the commander of the Gloucestershire Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel James Carne who fought in the Battle of the Imjim.

The Unification Minister wants to downgrade U.S.-ROK military drills despite receiving nothing in return from the Kim regime:

New Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Monday he will propose adjusting South Korea-U.S. military exercises to President Lee Jae Myung, hours after Pyongyang denounced such joint drills and accused Seoul of “blindly adhering” to its alliance with Washington.

Chung revealed the plan to reporters, saying, “Yes, I have such an intent,” in response to a question about whether he plans to propose adjusting South Korea-U.S. military exercises to Lee.

In mid-August, South Korea and the U.S. are set to kick off their annual large-scale Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise.

The minister’s response came hours after Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, accused the Lee administration of “blindly adhering” to the South Korea-U.S. alliance, declaring that Pyongyang will never engage in talks with Seoul.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but Chung is basically doing the bidding of Kim Yo-jong.

An advantage the ROK Army has is that they can count on the US-ROK alliance to bring additional troops and advanced weapon systems to help defend against a North Korean attack:

South Korea must maintain at least 500,000 active-duty troops to defend against potential surprise attacks from North Korea, according to a new military study released Sunday. The report highlights growing concerns over the nation’s shrinking pool of conscripts due to its declining birthrate.

Published in the summer edition of Defense Policy Studies, the study determined the minimum troop requirement by applying the U.S. Army’s minimum planning ratio doctrine to the Korean Peninsula. Under this doctrine, a defending force should be able to hold their position against an attacker with a troop ratio of 1 to 3, whereas an attacker generally requires a ratio of 3 to 1.

The study, led by Kim Jeong-hyuck of the Korea Army Research Center for Future and Jee Hyo-keun of Konyang University, reported that as of 2022, North Korea had approximately 1.28 million troops, compared to South Korea’s 500,000 — representing a roughly 2.6 to 1 ratio. In the Army alone, the margin widened to almost 3 to 1, leaving Seoul’s forces “at the bare minimum for defense,” according to the authors.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.