Chronologies
US - Korea
Chronology from May 2024 to Dec 2024
: South Korea’s National Assembly votes to impeach Yoon Suk Yeol, removing him from power and sending the matter to the Constitutional Court.
: Han Dong-hoon, leader of the ruling People Power Party, renews his call for President Yoon Suk Yeol’s orderly resignation after the impeachment motion against the president was abandoned due to the ruling party’s boycott of the National Assembly vote.
: Prosecutor Park Se-hyun, head of the special investigation headquarters probing President Yoon Suk Yeol’s brief declaration of martial law, announces that the president has been booked as a suspect on charges of treason.
: President Yoon Suk Yeol’s ill-fated bid to impose martial law creates a power vacuum in his governing camp, pushing the country deeper into what analysts call a constitutional crisis.
: National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik calls the joint exercise of presidential power by the prime minister and the ruling party as “unconstitutional.”
: Adm. Samuel Paparo discusses negotiations between Moscow and Pyongyang over the transfer of Russian MiG-29 and Su-27 fighter jets, without providing details on the number of aircraft involved.
: The commander of troops deployed to the National Assembly under martial law recounts the chaos, stating, “I was shocked” by orders to remove lawmakers by force, including breaking doors or cutting electricity.
: South Korea’s ruling party leader Han Dong-hoon maintains his stance that President Yoon Suk Yeol should be “suspended from his position.”
: United States pauses high-level communication with Seoul, adding to diplomatic uncertainties, as Korean experts warn that President Yoon’s martial law move could strain the “iron-clad” alliance with the US.
: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken states that the United States was unaware of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s intention to declare martial law.
: KCNA reports that the “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty,” agreed upon by the leaders of North Korea and Russia in June, officially came into force following the exchange of ratification instruments in Moscow.
: US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell says that South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol “badly misjudged” his decision to declare martial law.
: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken speaks with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, expressing deep concerns over the declaration of martial law in South Korea and welcoming its lifting after a unanimous National Assembly vote.
: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol lifts a surprise martial law declaration, backing down in a standoff with parliament, which roundly rejected his attempt to ban political activity and censor the media.
: Nearly all South Korean Cabinet members, including Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, and Education Minister Lee Ju-ho, express their intent to resign, taking responsibility for the president’s declaration and subsequent lifting of martial law.
: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declares emergency martial law, accusing the opposition of “anti-state activities plotting rebellion.”
: Caught off guard by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law, the Biden administration refrains from condemning the move while grappling to address the rare and dramatic political turmoil in a close US ally.
: United States announces a new semiconductor export control package targeting China, including restrictions on high-end chips for artificial intelligence, a move expected to impact South Korea’s semiconductor industry.
: US Forces Korea seeks the permanent deployment of its advanced F-35A stealth fighters to the Korean Peninsula, marking the first official stationing of the aircraft in Korea after previously operating from Japan and other locations during heightened North Korean threats or training exercises.
: 400;">: South Korea’s presidential office plans to hold an emergency meeting to address US President-elect Donald Trump’s proposal to impose tariffs on Canada, China, and Mexico, following his announcement on social media to implement the measures via executive order on his first day in office.
: Top diplomats of South Korea, Canada, France and Italy voice concerns over the threat posed by North Korea’s troop deployment to fight for Russia in its war with Ukraine, pledging to work together for a concerted response.
: Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov announces that Russia is considering deploying medium- and short-range missiles to Asia in response to potential US missile redeployments, raising concerns that North Korea, amid strengthening ties with Moscow, could become a potential host for Russian weapons.
: Ukraine’s defense intelligence reports that North Korea has sent over 100 KN-23 and KN-24 ballistic missiles, along with military specialists, to Russia in support of its war with Ukraine, following South Korea’s confirmation of North Korea’s additional artillery exports to Russia.
: US President-elect Donald Trump appoints Alex Wong, a key figure in working-level nuclear talks with North Korea during his first term, as principal deputy national security adviser, signaling potential reengagement with Pyongyang upon his return to office.
: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un showcases new drones and ICBMs at a North Korean arms expo, rejecting talks with the US and emphasizing nuclear expansion as the top priority at the first major weapons event since Trump’s election.
: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expresses his pessimism toward talks with Washington, claiming that past negotiations only revealed the United States’ “unchanging invasive and hostile policy” despite Pyongyang’s extensive efforts.
: South Korea’s National Security Adviser Shin Won-sik states that Russia supplied North Korea with anti-air missiles in exchange for Pyongyang’s deployment of troops.
: Financial Times reports that North Korea has supplied Russia with 50 domestically produced self-propelled howitzers and 20 multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), while 11,000 North Korean troops are reportedly amassing in Russia’s Kursk Oblast to train alongside Russian forces in the war against Ukraine.
: Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken plan to hold talks on the margins of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Peru.
: South Korea and the United States conduct their first-ever live-fire drone drill following North Korea’s ICBM test, aiming to enhance reconnaissance and strike capabilities.
: South Korea conducts a drill simulating a strike on a North Korean missile launcher just hours after Pyongyang’s ICBM test, showcasing its ability to retaliate with “overwhelming force” using a guided bomb.
: South Korean intelligence reports indicate that North Korea has supplied Russia with over 9 million artillery shells.
: US government confirms and releases evidence that North Korea is sending troops to Russia, backing South Korean and Ukrainian claims.
: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol pledges to dispatch a delegation to NATO to share intelligence on military cooperation between North Korea and Russia.
: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol holds a phone call with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to share information on North Korea’s preparations to dispatch troops to help Russia in its war with Ukraine.
: South Korean Vice Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho says North Korea might be providing Russia with civilian personnel rather than sending its own troops for the war effort in Ukraine.
: Former US President Donald Trump says that South Korea would be paying $10 billion a year for the stationing of the 28,500-strong US Forces Korea if he were in the White House, as he described the Asian ally as a “money machine.”
: South Korea says it is “closely” monitoring for signs of North Korea possibly sending troops to support Russia in its war against Ukraine, following media reports of Russia forming a battalion of North Koreans.
: State-run Korea Trade Insurance Corporation says that it has granted trade finance of $1.35 billion to Hyundai Motor for the ongoing construction of an electric vehicle plant in the US state of Georgia.
: South Korea’s First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun announces the launch of a new multinational monitoring body to enforce sanctions against North Korea, six months after the UN monitoring body was dissolved following Russia’s veto.
: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un threatens nuclear strikes on South Korea if its sovereignty is “infringed,” while also questioning President Yoon Suk Yeol’s sanity following his speech at a military parade showcasing new South Korean missiles.
: Korea and the United States finalize the 12th Special Measures Agreement, setting Seoul’s cost-sharing for American troop upkeep from 2026 to 2030, with an 8.3 percent increase in the first year and subsequent annual adjustments tied to inflation.
: Republican US presidential nominee Donald Trump claims that re-electing him in November would trigger a “mass exodus of manufacturing” from South Korea, China, and other countries to America, as he intensified efforts to win over swing voters.
: Trade Minister Cheong In-kyo announces that clean economy and anti-corruption deals, two of four pillars under the US-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, will come into force in October.
: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s dinner meeting with the leadership of the ruling People Power Party ends without meaningful discussions on sensitive issues such as medical reform and First Lady Kim Keon Hee.
: Deputy Minister for Defense Policy Cho Chang-rae and Anka Lee, US deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia discuss the need for a coordinated response to North Korea’s “gray zone” provocations during their regular defense talks.
: KCNA reports that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un calls for increasing the number of centrifuges for uranium enrichment to expand the country’s nuclear weapons for self-defense during a visit to the Nuclear Weapons Institute.
: US President Joe Biden nominates Lt. Gen. Xavier Brunson to lead the United States Armed Forces in South Korea, entrusting him with the critical responsibility of deterring potential attacks from North Korea.
: UN Command members condemn the “illegal and dangerous” North Korea-Russia arms trade in a joint statement by defense chiefs of member states, responding to “unprecedented” global tensions, according to experts.
: North Korea reveals a new, larger ICBM under development, displayed on a twelve-axle missile launch vehicle during Kim Jong Un’s visit to a factory.
: Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie Jenkins is set to lead the US delegation to the Second Annual Responsible AI in the Military Domain (REAIM) Summit set to take place in Seoul.
: NK News reports that major construction at North Korea’s Thaesong Machine Factory, a key site for ICBM production, reflects efforts to enhance missile manufacturing as Kim Jong Un intensifies the modernization of arms factories nationwide.
: First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun meets with US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell in Washington to discuss the bilateral alliance, North Korea and other issues.
: United States reiterates that it will continue efforts to hold North Korea accountable for its support for Russia’s war in Ukraine, as concerns linger that arms transactions between Pyongyang and Moscow could prolong the war in the war-torn Eastern European nation.
: Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder says that the US takes North Korea’s “suicide drones” threats seriously, reaffirming its commitment to regional security in cooperation with South Korea and other allies, following reports that Kim Jong Un oversaw drone tests to enhance war preparedness.
: The deputy nuclear envoys of South Korea and the United States discuss ways to work together to cut off North Korea’s sanctions-evading funding channels, such as illegal cyberactivities and ship-to-ship transfers.
: KCNA reports that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has overseen a test-fire of a 240mm multiple rocket launcher with a new guidance system amid speculation that the new artillery system could be provided to Russia for use in its war with Ukraine.
: Samsung SDI and General Motors plan to jointly invest $3.5 billion to build a battery plant in Indiana despite the global slowdown in EV sales.
: Associated Press reports that a US federal agency plans to reexamine its environmental permit for an electric vehicle factory of South Korea’s Hyundai Motor in Georgia after conservationists claimed regulators failed to properly review the plant’s impact on the local water supply.
: US nuclear energy firm Westinghouse Electric files an appeal with the Czech Republic to protest the decision to select a South Korean company as the preferred bidder to build two nuclear power units in the Central European country.
: South Korea and the United States begin a joint live-fire aerial exercise to reinforce capabilities to counter North Korean threats.
: South Korea and the United States prepare to begin their large-scale amphibious landing exercise in the southeastern city of Pohang and the eastern coast to build up the allies’ combat readiness posture and interoperability.
: North Korea lashes out at a revised US nuclear strategy plan, approved by President Biden in March to counter China’s growing nuclear threats and potential coordination with North Korea and Russia, vowing to further strengthen its nuclear capability.
: South Korea prepares to purchase $3.5 billion worth of US Apache attack helicopters following US approval, as both nations navigate defense cost-sharing negotiations to mitigate uncertainties ahead of the US presidential election in November, 2024.
: United States announces a conditional commitment for a loan guarantee of up to $1.45 billion to Hanwha Qcells to support the South Korean company’s effort to build a solar supply chain facility in Georgia.
: South Korea and the United States agree to boost clean energy cooperation by holding regular dialogues and bolstering public-private partnerships, as the two countries aim to strengthen ties in energy security and carbon reduction.
: US Department of Commerce announces that SK Hynix secured $450 million in grants for its $3.9 billion chip-packaging facility in Indiana.
: KCNA reports that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has attended a ceremony to commemorate the transfer of a new-type tactical ballistic missile weapon system, which serves as the “pivot military hardware” in the armed forces.
: US Forces Korea commander general Paul LaCamera says South Korea and the United States will not incorporate a North Korean nuclear attack scenario into their upcoming major military exercise, despite expectations that the exercise would feature the nuclear crisis dimension for the first time.
: Russia deploys a high-tech North Korean guided missile system in the Ukraine war, signaling a remarkable evolution in arms trade.
: Camille Dawson, deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, says that South Korea has been discussed as a potential future partner for cooperation with issue-specific working groups of the Quad forum.
: Ri Il-gyu, a former counselor of political affairs at the North Korean embassy in Cuba, says scores of North Koreans staying abroad, such as diplomats and overseas workers, have attempted to defect to South Korea since North Korea began undoing its COVID-19 border closure.
: 400;">: Presidential office of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration says South Korea will continue to closely work with the United States regardless of the outcome of the upcoming presidential election as support for the bilateral alliance is “bipartisan.”
: US President Joe Biden drops out of the presidential race, officially endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to become the Democratic Party’s nominee to take on former President Donald Trump in the November 5 general election.
: Korean Air announces that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Boeing to buy up to 50 airplanes, including 20 777-9s, in a bid to upgrade its fleet.
: South Korea’s military blares K-pop songs and news through its loudspeakers across the border with North Korea on Sunday as it steppes up its psychological campaign in response to North Korea’s repeated launches of trash balloons.
: Former US President Donald Trump boasts about his personal ties with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, suggesting that the recalcitrant leader might “miss” him and welcome his return to office, in an apparent signal of his desire to resume dialogue with Pyongyang.
: The opposition party in South Korea criticizes the presidential office for suggesting that the preceding Moon Jae-in administration bears responsibility for the exposure of South Korean intelligence operations detailed in the indictment of Sue Mi Terry, a renowned foreign policy expert and former US Central Intelligence Agency official, who was charged in New York this week with acting as an unregistered agent for the South Korean government from 2013 to 2023.
: 400;">: Samsung Electronics launches an energy management service for electric vehicles of Tesla in the United States as part of their strategic partnership aimed at enhancing connectivity.
: Jung Pak leaves the post as the US senior official for North Korea, adding to uncertainty over Washington’s diplomatic efforts to reengage with a recalcitrant Pyongyang.
: South Korean Navy holds air defense drills with an SM-2 interceptor during a US-led multinational exercise in waters near Hawaii amid efforts to bolster response capabilities against North Korean missile threats.
: 400;">: South Korea and the United States hold fifth round of negotiations on the sharing of the cost for the upkeep of US Forces Korea.
: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol travels to the United States to attend a NATO summit in Washington, where he will address concerns over deepening defense cooperation between North Korea and Russia.
: 400;">: Republic of Korea Navy assumes the role of deputy commander in the US-led Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) maritime exercise near Hawaii, marking the first time South Korea has held this position in the large-scale multinational drills, a move aimed at demonstrating the strength of the US-ROK alliance to North Korea.
: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol plans to hold more than 10 bilateral meetings with his counterparts on the sidelines of the NATO summit, including discussions with leaders from the Czech Republic, Sweden, Finland, and Norway.
: South Korea and the United States head for closer cooperation in military logistics and maintenance particularly in the event of a regional crisis.
: NATO and its Indo-Pacific partners, including South Korea, plan to discuss resilience, support for Ukraine, disinformation, cybersecurity and emerging technologies during their summit in Washington.
: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg invites the leaders of South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand to the NATO summit for the third consecutive year to expand the security alliance’s partnership with the countries in the Indo-Pacific region and to discuss with South Korea ways to enhance practical cooperation related to Ukraine
: United States, South Korea, and Japan launch the inaugural Freedom Edge drills, featuring multi-domain aerial and naval exercises, including a US aircraft carrier, to counter North Korean threats.
: South Korea launches technology research centers at four US universities, including Yale University, Johns Hopkins University, Purdue University, and the Georgia Institute of Technology.
: A survey conducted by the Korea Institute of National Unification (KINU) reveals that 44.6 percent of respondents favor the development and possession of an independent nuclear arsenal over maintaining the US military presence in South Korea, while 40.1 percent prefer the opposite, reflecting a rise in support for an independent nuclear deterrent.
: North Koreans vows to “annihilate” America during anti-US rallies across the country, with state media reporting that 100,000 citizens attended an event in Pyongyang as the DPRK kicks off month of propaganda against the United States and South Korea.
: South Korea and the United States sign a memorandum of understanding on cooperating in the exchange of diplomatic intelligence analyses.
: Institute for National Security Strategy, a state-run think tank based in Seoul, recommends that South Korea consider diversifying its approach to addressing the North Korean nuclear issue, including the possibility of arming itself with nuclear weapons, in light of the signed comprehensive strategic partnership treaty between Pyongyang and Moscow.
: 400;">: USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier arrives on the Korean Peninsula in a show of force to deter North Korea, following the DPRK-Russian military pact and ahead of trilateral drills with Japan and South Korea.
: South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul says South Korea, the United States and Japan have agreed on close security cooperation through “timely” consultation, after Russia and North Korea signed a new security treaty during a summit in Pyongyang.
: 400;">: United States takes South Korea off its list of countries to monitor for their foreign exchange policies for the second consecutive time while adding Japan to the list.
: South Korea declares that it will reconsider its stance on arms supply to Ukraine after North Korea and Russia signed a treaty that involves a mutual pledge to provide immediate military assistance if one of them is attacked.
: KCNA discloses the full text of the comprehensive strategic partnership treaty that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed after their talks in Pyongyang, which includes an agreement to provide military assistance “without delay” if either party is attacked.
: Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sign a comprehensive treaty outlining mutual defense obligations, with President Putin stating that the agreement includes provisions for “assistance in the event of aggression,” as North Korea reportedly provides arms for use in the conflict in Ukraine.
: LG Electronics says it has partnered with ChargePoint Incorporation, the leading supplier of charging solutions for electric vehicles in North America, to expand its EV charging business on a global basis.
: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg calls for close ties with Indo-Pacific partners amid Russia’s growing alignment with North Korea, China and its other “authoritarian” regimes.
: South Korea and China hold “two plus two” talks of their senior foreign and defense officials amid Russian President Vladimir Putin’s imminent visit to North Korea.
: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol meets with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, seeking his support for Korean electric vehicle and battery companies operating in the state.
: US House of Representatives approves an annual defense policy bill that calls for maintaining 28,500 American troops in South Korea and reaffirming the United States’ deterrence commitment to the Asian ally.
: Beyond Parallel reports movements of North Korean ballistic missile submarines at a shipyard on the country’s east coast, suggesting they may indicate the start of submarine trials or preparations for a submarine-launched ballistic missile test.
: Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong meets with the chief executives of Meta Platforms, Amazon, and Qualcomm in the United States to discuss future technologies and potential business collaborations.
: A South Korean fleet of warships and maritime aircraft and around 840 Navy and Marine troops departs for Hawaii to join a US-led multinational maritime exercise.
: Newt Gingrich, a former US House Speaker, asserts that if former President Donald Trump is reelected, he has no intention of leaving South Korea “undefended,” though he may expect the “wealthy” ally to contribute more to its own security.
: NK News reports that a US B-1B bomber dropped precision bombs during joint drills with South Korea for the first time in seven years, marking a show of force toward North Korea amid heightened border tensions following DPRK balloon launches.
: South Korea declares its plans to resume all military activities near the Military Demarcation Line and its northwestern border islands for the first time in more than five years, with the full suspension of a 2018 inter-Korean tension reduction pact.
: China’s embassy in South Korea expresses “strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition” to South Korea’s “consecutive erroneous remarks” regarding the Taiwan issue, made in coordination with the United States and Japan, which oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in Indo-Pacific waters and emphasize the importance of countering unlawful maritime claims in the South China Sea.
: TIME reports that US President Joe Biden stated that North Korea’s security challenge remains “equally as threatening as it was before,” seemingly rejecting the idea that Pyongyang’s threat has intensified during his presidency.
: South Korean defense minister Shin Won-sik and Japanese defense minister Kihara Minoru reach an agreement on the margins of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore to normalize bilateral defense ties, which have been essentially on ice since 2018.
: US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell says South Korea, the United States and Japan are pushing to form a coordinating body for trilateral cooperation amid persistent North Korean threats and other challenges.
: North Korea denounces a US reconnaissance aircraft’s flight over South Korea, warning that its enemies could face an “unpredictable disaster” if they continue reckless military moves.
: South Korea and the United States set to begin a second round of negotiations on sharing the costs for stationing American troops.
: North Korea threatens to take powerful deterrent action against what it claims is the US nuclear threat, denouncing Washington for its recent subcritical nuclear test.
: South Korea’s leading carrier Korean Air says it has partnered with Amazon Web Services to develop an artificial intelligence-based platform to improve customer convenience.
: Tesla pushes to slim down its workforce in Korea in line with its massive global layoff announcement as electric car demand slows, putting Supercharger projects on hold.
: CJ Logistics Corporation, South Korea’s biggest logistics company, says it will build a cold chain logistics center in the United States as part of efforts to expand its foothold in the North American market.
: A committee of the US House of Representatives adopts a resolution recognizing the importance of trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the United States and Japan, in a sign of congressional support for three-way engagement.
: United States condemns North Korea’s launch of ballistic missiles equipped with a new ‘autonomous’ navigation system, citing it as a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.
: Daniel Kritenbrink, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, says the United States has no choice but to “double down” on security cooperation with South Korea and Japan, and the enforcement of anti-North Korea sanctions due to the recalcitrant regime’s rejection of dialogue.
: US Air Force in South Korea releases details of a briefing on Chinese missile threats targeting US bases in South Korea and Japan and the artificial islands constructed by China in the South China Sea.
: UN experts report that North Korea laundered $147.5 million through virtual currency platform Tornado Cash in March after stealing it last year from a cryptocurrency exchange.
: KCNA reports that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has inspected a new tactical missile weapons system and called for an “epochal change” in war preparations by attaining arms production plans.
: Cerberus Capital Management rebuilds Subic Bay’s shipbuilding capacity as it intends to hire 2,000 workers after firming a long-term lease agreement with Agila Subic Compass, in partnership with leading maritime manufacturer HD Korea Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering (HD Hyundai KSOE).
: Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Kim Myung-soo meets with the head of the US Space Force to discuss ways to bolster their joint capabilities in space to fend off evolving North Korean threats.
: 400;">: South Korean government submits its comments to the US Department of Commerce as the department has requested public feedback on its rule-making process designed to tackle potential security risks stemming from “connected vehicles” that use technology from China and other countries of concern.
: NK Pro reports that North Korea has conducted a rocket engine test as Pyongyang intensifies preparations for its first satellite launch of the year.