David Choi

David Choi is based in South Korea and reports on the U.S. military and foreign policy. He served in the U.S. Army and California Army National Guard. He graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles.

@choibboy

choi.david@stripes.com

Undated satellite image showing terrain at coordinates 37°57’47”N 126°40’14”E with a north arrow indicator, featuring three magnified inset boxes highlighting sections of what are reported to be four concrete barriers under construction along the North Korean border visible as linear structures across agricultural fields and forested areas.

Pyongyang building ‘Korean Berlin Wall’ along DMZ, warns lawmaker in Seoul

Satellite images obtained by a South Korean lawmaker show that the North is constructing a roughly 6-mile-long anti-tank barrier resembling the Cold War-era Berlin Wall, a lawmaker in Seoul said.

South Korean soldiers work security during a Freedom Shield drill at Goyang Training Center in Dongducheon, South Korea, March 13, 2025.

US-South Korea alliance is evolving after Trump-Lee summit, top diplomat says

A Bombardier Global 6500 jet sits on a tarmac at night with its bright landing lights illuminated, creating a lens flare effect.

South Korea agrees to $2 billion purchase of Global 6500 surveillance aircraft

A crowd gathers under an ornate metal archway reading ‘Downtown Plaza’ supported by brick pillars with decorative designs.

Extended-tour policy takes effect for US troops ordered to South Korea

An AH-64 Apache helicopter assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division trains over Deju Island, South Korea, Aug. 21, 2025.

Mechanical issue forces US Army Apache’s unplanned landing in South Korea

A U.S. Army helicopter made a precautionary landing approximately 110 miles from its home base in South Korea after detecting a potential mechanical issue, the 2nd Infantry Division said.

Members of the 431st Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron stand in formation during their activation ceremony at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, Sept. 29, 2025.

Air Force revives WWII-era squadron for Reaper drone operations in South Korea

A deactivated World War II-era fighter squadron was given new life and equipped with MQ-9 Reaper drones for intelligence gathering across the Indo-Pacific from South Korea.

President Donald Trump greets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the Joint Security Area of the Demilitarized Zone, June 30, 2019, in this image from the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

Kim Jong Un open to Trump talks if US drops denuclearization demand

North Korea’s leader ruled out talks with Seoul but signaled he is open to resuming dialogue with President Donald Trump.

Australian Army Major General Scott Winter, wearing a camouflage uniform and distinctive wide-brimmed military hat with feather plume, speaks at a podium.

UN Command turns to Australia for its next deputy commander in South Korea

Australian army Maj. Gen. Scott Winter will serve as the next deputy commander of the multinational military organization tasked with defending South Korea and enforcing the Korean War armistice.

A large military surveillance drone with Korean text markings sits on an airfield with two officials in dark suits standing beneath it for scale. The gray unmanned aircraft has a bulbous nose section with a prominent yellow sensor dome, long wings.

North Korea’s Kim Jong Un calls AI, drone development a ‘top priority’

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to boost production of military drones and further develop artificial intelligence technology to prepare his military for “modern warfare,” according to state media.

A South Korean soldier treats a simulated wound to earn his expert soldier badge at Camp Casey, South Korea, Sept. 16, 2025.

South Korea seeks to retake wartime control of its armed forces

Seoul is seeking to reclaim wartime control of its military from the U.S.-led Combined Forces Command in a move that would close a chapter of the Korean War.

The aircraft carrier USS George Washington aircraft carrier, center bottom, sails in formation with U.S., South Korean and Japanese guided-missile destroyers during the Freedom Edge exercise in the East China Sea, Nov. 13, 2024.

Kim Jong Un’s sister slams allied military exercises as ‘reckless show of strength’

The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has condemned ongoing military drills by the United States, South Korea and Japan.

A Korean War veteran speaks with a South Korean marine at a ceremony commemorating the 75th anniversary of Operation Chromite at Incheon, South Korea, Sept. 15, 2025.

Korean War vets recall ‘bold operation’ at Incheon 75 years after pivotal landing

More than 100 Korean War veterans were honored on the 75th anniversary of Operation Chromite, the daring amphibious assault that turned the tide for South Korea and the U.S.-led U.N. Command.

A military ceremony showing two high-ranking military officials shaking hands while other soldiers in various military uniforms stand at attention in formation in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

New deputy takes charge of 600,000-strong US, South Korean combined command

A new deputy commander took his post with the joint U.S. and South Korean command overseeing 600,000 active duty troops tasked with defending Seoul.

Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro Jr. speaks from behind a podium while he gestures with one hand.

Philippine defense chief urges ‘smaller nations’ to stand against Chinese antagonism

The Philippines’ secretary of national defense has called on South Korea and other small nations to band together as they did during the Korean War to resist China’s “creeping occupation” of the Indo-Pacific.

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