South Korea

Chosun Ilbo | English | News | Dec. 12, 2025 | Geopolitical Conflict and Disputes

The US Forces Korea (USFK) is reclaiming control over access to the South Korean military’s entry points at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek to enhance security. This decision follows an incident on July 21 when the insurrection special counsel team, led by Special Counsel Cho Eun-suk, entered the base without notifying USFK and conducted a search and seizure of the Air Force’s 1st Central Air Defense Control Center (MCRC) while investigating suspected North Korean drone activity.

Starting mid-January, the USFK will fully manage all three external gates at Osan Air Base, including overseeing related computer records. Identity verification for active-duty soldiers will be exclusively done using the US military-issued Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS) card, and South Korean government-issued IDs will no longer be accepted for base entry.

Under the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), the US has the authority to manage and secure bases provided by South Korea. While the USFK historically manages base access, Osan Air Base has been an exception, with South Korean troops controlling one of the three gates jointly with USFK. The dual access system previously allowed South Korean government IDs at one gate, but this will end with USFK’s full control.

USFK perceived the dual system as a security weakness, particularly since it did not detect the special counsel team’s unnotified entry. USFK Vice Commander David Iverson sent a letter of protest to South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in October, alleging a SOFA violation. As of nearly two months later, the ministry has not responded. The USFK’s reclamation of gate control is viewed as a security response to the ministry's silence.

The insurrection special counsel team maintains its entry was authorized by South Korean troops, who provided permits and oversight, asserting that there was no SOFA violation in their actions at Osan Air Base.

Korea Herald | English | News | Dec. 12, 2025 | North Korea

North Korea convened the 13th Enlarged Plenary Meeting of the Eighth Central Committee of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea on December 9, presided over by leader Kim Jong-un. The session brought together senior party officials, government ministries, provincial leaders, and military commanders to review state policy implementation and prepare for the Ninth Party Congress expected in early 2025. The upcoming congress, held every five years, is anticipated to set the roadmap for economic management, military development, and foreign policy toward Seoul and Washington. The plenary session, originally expected mid-December, was moved up to accelerate these preparations.

Following the start of the plenum, North Korea fired around 10 artillery rockets into the Yellow Sea, likely from a 240 mm multiple rocket launcher system, as part of its annual winter training drills. The rockets have the capability to reach Seoul and surrounding areas. This launch occurred shortly after South Korea reported incursions by Chinese and Russian military aircraft into its air defense identification zone, suggesting a possible signal of solidarity with Beijing and Moscow amid growing trilateral military cooperation.

The plenum resulted in the approval of discussions on five agenda items, including finalizing preparations for the upcoming congress and reviewing the five-year economic plan adopted in 2021. Analysts expect limited public disclosures from this meeting, reserving major policy announcements for the formal party congress. Key points under observation include the potential institutionalization of "Kim Jong-un’s revolutionary thought" as an official guiding ideology, the possible revival of the abolished state presidency system to strengthen Kim's authority, and the formal adoption of the "two-state theory" in the party charter, signaling a shift to treating South Korea as a hostile foreign state rather than a divided nation.

Additional interests include signs of internal reforms, such as anti-corruption measures, tighter party discipline, or reorganization of economic and administrative bodies, as Kim prepares his governance priorities for the next five years. The regime appears to be maintaining a calm, domestically focused stance ahead of the congress, emphasizing internal party management over external messaging.

“면봉으로 뇌 쑤시는 줄”…코로나검사 쉽고 빨라지는 기술 나왔다

Maekyung | Local Language | News | Dec. 12, 2025 | Epidemics and Pandemics

The Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB) led by Dr. Kang Tae-joon has developed a next-generation COVID-19 diagnostic technology that detects viral RNA without the need for gene amplification, a process typically required in conventional PCR tests. This innovation uses the CRISPR enzyme Cas12a2, which, when combined with four specific crRNAs, enhances detection accuracy and sensitivity by amplifying signals without copying viral genes.

This new method can detect viral quantities as low as 1 femtomolar, approximately 1,000 times lower than previous capabilities, and has demonstrated 100% sensitivity and specificity in tests involving 245 patient samples and 40 blind samples. It can accurately identify 26 COVID-19 variants, including Alpha, Delta, and Omicron, and distinguishes these from other respiratory viruses, reducing false positives.

Usability improvements include eliminating the need for complex RNA extraction, allowing samples to be tested immediately with simple heat application. This makes the technology suitable for rapid field deployment in settings like airports, schools, and military bases. The researchers plan to expand this diagnostic approach to other infectious diseases, including influenza and antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

The findings were published on November 24 in the international journal Nucleic Acids Research.