KOREA DIGEST
Korea Digest is a monthly publication of the Korea Centre, School of International Relations and Politics, Mahatma Gandhi University, that compiles major political, security, economic and diplomatic developments in the Korean Peninsula. Korea Digest aims to track, highlight and provide brief analysis of important developments in the Korean Peninsula.
Korea Digest No. 19 January, 2025
Contents
- Pyongyang Tests Ballistic Missile as Trump Assumes U.S. Presidency
- South Korea and Cuba Cement Ties with Reciprocal Diplomatic Missions
- Seoul and Islamabad Eye on Economic Partnership to Strengthen Trade Ties
- Korea and US Signed MOU on Nuclear Exports and Cooperation
- Korea begins development of advanced L-SAM defense system
- President Yoon Arrested and Detained for Masterminding Martial Law Plot
- Korea Finalizes Historic K9 Artillery Export Deal with Vietnam
- Trump labelled North Korea as a nuclear power, signaling possible summit with Kim Jong-un
Prepared by
Mohammed Unais AV, Project Fellow, Korea Centre
- Pyongyang Tests Ballistic Missile as Trump Assumes U.S. Presidency
In January 2025, tensions on the Korean Peninsula escalated as North Korea intensified its provocative military actions. On January 6, 2025, North Korea launched a hypersonic ballistic missile into the East Sea, marking its first missile test of the year and the first since South Korea’s recent political crisis. The launch coincided with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Seoul, just ahead of Donald Trump’s return to the White House. According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the missile, fired from the Pyongyang area around noon, traveled approximately 1,100 kilometers before landing in the sea. Military analysts believe it is similar to North Korea’s solid-fuel hypersonic missiles tested in January and April 2024.
On January 7, North Korea confirmed the test, claiming it successfully launched a new intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile with advanced capabilities. State media reported that the missile’s hypersonic glide vehicle reached altitudes of 99.8 kilometers and 42.5 kilometers during flight, covering 1,500 kilometers at speeds of Mach 12 before striking its intended target. Leader Kim Jong-un reportedly monitored the test remotely.
Similarly, on January 14, North Korea launched multiple short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) into the East Sea, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The missiles, detected from the Gangye area in Jagang Province, travelled approximately 250 kilometres before impact. In response, the South Korean military has heightened surveillance and coordination with the United States and Japan. Acting President Choi Sang-mok condemned the launch as a violation of UN Security Council resolutions. This marks North Korea’s second missile test in 2025, following its January 6 launch of a medium-range hypersonic solid-fuel ballistic missile. Notably, North Korean state media, including KCNA and Rodong Sinmun, has not reported on the latest SRBM launches.
In response to North Korea’s continued missile tests, South Korea, the United States, and Japan conducted joint air drills on January 15, featuring two U.S. B-1B bombers alongside South Korean F-15K and Japanese F-2 fighter jets. This marked the first trilateral exercise of the year, following a similar drill in November 2023. According to South Korea’s Defence Ministry, the exercise aimed to bolster deterrence and response capabilities against Pyongyang’s advancing nuclear and missile threats, including its claimed hypersonic ballistic missile test on January 6.
Additionally, South Korea and the United States conducted their first joint live-fire air drill of 2024 on the same day. The exercise involved two South Korean F-15K fighter jets and two U.S. A-10 attack aircraft, employing approximately 20 MK-82 bombs for close air support training. The trilateral and bilateral drills underscore the allies’ commitment to strengthening defence cooperation in the face of escalating regional threats.
In response, North Korea condemned the trilateral exercises on January 17, warning of a stronger assertion of its self-defence rights. The North Korean Foreign Ministry accused the U.S. and its allies of escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula, emphasizing that Pyongyang would take necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty and security interests, according to state media.
On January 25, North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) announced the successful test of strategic cruise missiles, with leader Kim Jong-un asserting that the country’s war deterrence capabilities were now complete. This marks North Korea’s first weapons test since U.S. President Donald Trump took office on January 20. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) confirmed the missile launch on January 26.
- South Korea and Cuba Cement Ties with Reciprocal Diplomatic Missions
South Korea and Cuba have taken significant steps to strengthen diplomatic relations, nearly a year after formally establishing ties on February 14, 2024. On January 7, Cuba’s first ambassador to South Korea, Claudio Raul Monson Beza, officially assumed office, presenting his credentials alongside eight other envoys at a ceremony led by Acting President Choi Sang-mok in Seoul.
Further advancing bilateral engagement, South Korea inaugurated its embassy in Havana on January 17, marking Cuba as its 193rd diplomatic partner. The opening ceremony in the Miramar district was attended by Lee Ju-il, Director General of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs at South Korea’s Foreign Ministry, and Carlos Pereira, Director General of Bilateral Affairs at Cuba’s Foreign Ministry. Lee Ho-yul, a minister at the South Korean Embassy in Mexico, has been designated as South Korea’s first ambassador to Cuba.
- Seoul and Islamabad Eye on Economic Partnership to Strengthen Trade Ties
On January 9, Korea and Pakistan agreed to start negotiations for an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) to expand their bilateral trade portfolio, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced. The Ministry of Trade announced that Trade Minister Cheong In-kyo initiated the negotiations during a meeting with Pakistani Minister of State for Trade Jam Kamal Khan in Seoul. Although it covers a smaller scope compared to a traditional FTA, the EPA aims to establish a mutually beneficial trade network with partner countries beyond simple market opening. The Ministry of Industry highlighted the cooperative importance of the Korea-Pakistan relationship, stating that Pakistan is a key market in Southwest Asia with the world’s fifth largest population, a rich workforce and abundant natural resources. The Ministry of Industry added that the EPA, which is envisioned to pave the way for Korea to expand cooperation with Pakistan in areas including digital technology, information technology and the automobile sector.
- Korea and US Signed MOU on Nuclear Exports and Cooperation
South Korea and the United States have formalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on nuclear energy exports and cooperation, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced. The agreement, signed on January 8 by Korea’s Industry Minister Ahn Deok-gyun and U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, underscores both nations’ commitment to upholding stringent standards of safety, security, and non-proliferation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
The MoU follows a previous agreement signed in November and aims to resolve ongoing disputes between Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) and U.S.-based Westinghouse Electric over reactor exports.
Notably, the agreement is expected to facilitate U.S. government approval for a Korean-led consortium’s $16.4 billion nuclear power plant project in the Czech Republic. The KHNP consortium, which includes Doosan Energy and Daewoo Engineering & Construction, was selected for the project in July 2023, with the final contract anticipated in March 2025. The MoU is seen as a crucial step in advancing negotiations and ensuring the project’s timely execution.
- Korea begins development of advanced L-SAM defense system
South Korea has initiated the development of the Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (L-SAM) II system to bolster its air defense capabilities against North Korean threats, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced on January 14. A key meeting on the project was held at the Agency for Defense Development in Daejeon. Designed to intercept high-altitude missiles, the L-SAM II will expand missile defense coverage by three to four times compared to its predecessor. The project, with a budget of 567.7 billion won (US$388 million), is set for completion by 2028. The L-SAM system is a core component of the Korea Air and Missile Defense (KAMD), which forms part of the country’s three-axis deterrence strategy. Following the successful development of the first L-SAM block in November 2023, South Korea plans to begin mass production this year.
- President Yoon Arrested and Detained for Masterminding Martial Law Plot
On January 15, South Korea’s Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) for High-Ranking Officials arrested impeached President Yoon Suk-Yeol, marking the first-ever arrest of a sitting president in the country’s history. Yoon was taken into custody with police assistance, six hours after his initial detention, following a failed arrest attempt earlier this month. His arrest comes 43 days after he declared short-term martial law on December 3 and 12 days after the CIO’s first unsuccessful bid to execute the warrant.
The Yoon faces charges of sedition for allegedly orchestrating the controversial martial law declaration, with both criminal proceedings and an impeachment trial underway. The CIO launched an investigation into Yoon’s actions on December 18, culminating in a court-issued arrest warrant. While an initial attempt to detain him on January 3 was thwarted by the Presidential Security Service (PSS) and military officers, authorities successfully executed the warrant on their second attempt, overcoming security barricades without resistance.
Following his arrest, Yoon delivered a video statement urging compliance with the investigation to prevent further unrest. After an initial round of questioning, he was transferred to a detention center in Seoul. Meanwhile, public demonstrations erupted in response to his arrest. On January 18, an estimated 44,000 supporters gathered outside the courthouse, waving South Korean and U.S. flags while chanting Yoon’s name. Minor clashes broke out between protesters and police, with demonstrators seizing vehicles believed to belong to investigators and calling for the dissolution of the CIO.
- Korea Finalizes Historic K9 Artillery Export Deal with Vietnam
South Korea is in the final stages of securing a $300 million agreement to export its domestically developed K9 self-propelled howitzers to Vietnam, according to industry and government sources on January 20. The deal, which marks Seoul’s first arms export to the Southeast Asian nation, involves the delivery of approximately 20 K9 units. This would make Vietnam the 10th international recipient of the artillery system, joining countries such as Australia, India, Poland, and Turkey. The agreement aligns with Vietnam’s strategy to diversify its defense procurement amid evolving regional security dynamics. In November, Vietnamese soldiers participated in a K9 training program in South Korea, following a 2023 visit by Vietnamese Defense Minister Phan Van Giang, who was briefed on the system by its manufacturer, Hanwha Aerospace. South Korea has previously strengthened defense ties with Vietnam, including the donation of two decommissioned corvettes.
- Trump called North Korea a nuclear power while signaling possible summit with Kim Jong-un
On his first day in office as the 47th President of the United States, Donald Trump reignited discussions on his personal ties with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, referring to North Korea as a “nuclear power.” During a press conference in the Oval Office on January 20, Trump stated, “Kim is a nuclear power,” in response to outgoing President Joe Biden’s assessment of North Korea’s threats. He further remarked that Kim would likely welcome his return to office. While Trump had frequently highlighted his relationship with Kim throughout his campaign, this marked the first explicit recognition of North Korea’s nuclear status. President Trump, on January 22, again expressed willingness to engage in diplomatic talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in an interview with Fox News. Democratic Party (DP) leader Lee Jae-myung welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump’s expressed willingness to resume dialogue with North Korea. On January 29, US National Security Council spokesperson stated that “President Trump will pursue the complete denuclearization of North Korea, just as he did in his first term”. He also mentioned that “President Trump had a good relationship with Kim Jong-un, and his mix of toughness and diplomacy led to the first-ever leader-level commitment to complete denuclearization,”. Meanwhile, the new US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called North Korea a “rogue state” in a January 30 media interview, grouping it with Iran. In its first official statement following the inauguration of the Trump administration, Pyongyang condemned Rubio’s remarks as a violation of international law and a “serious political provocation”.
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