South Korea in May 2026: the most important developments in security
In May 2026, the most widely reported security event in South Korea was a North Korean missile launch. On May 26 North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles into the Yellow Sea, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, who first described them as unidentified projectiles and later confirmed close-range ballistic missiles. Seoul urged peace efforts. The next day North Korea was reported to have tested a new missile launch system and AI-guided missiles. Earlier in the month, North Korea said it is not bound by any treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons; South Korea rejected its claim to nuclear state status. A report on May 13 said a mysteriously sunken Russian ship may have carried nuclear reactors destined for North Korea.
The second major story was the attack on a South Korean cargo ship, the HMM Namu, in the Strait of Hormuz. The vessel was hit by an explosion and fire on May 4. South Korea investigated, and on May 11 the government confirmed a strike on the ship but declined to assign blame, even as President Trump blamed an Iranian attack. The United Arab Emirates condemned the attack. On May 14 a South Korean official said it was unlikely anyone but Iran was behind it, and on May 27 Seoul said an Iranian missile was likely involved and planned to summon the Iranian ambassador. By May 21 one South Korean tanker had passed through the strait, while the passage of 25 other vessels remained uncertain.
On defence policy, South Korea and the United States held high-level defence talks covering the transfer of wartime operational control, which the National Security Adviser said Seoul aims to finalize this year. The defence minister said Seoul may join an initiative to open the Strait of Hormuz and asked for US Navy support for South Korea's nuclear-powered submarine project, which aims to launch a first submarine by the mid-2030s. Estonia bought three more Chunmoo rocket launchers from South Korea.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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