S.Korea to Develop 'Iron Dome'-Style Defense System to Counter North's Artillery

FILE PHOTO: South Korean Defense Minister Suh Wook talks to German Defense minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (not pictured) during their meeting at the Defense Ministry in Seoul, South Korea, May 26, 2021. Jeon Heon-Kyun/Pool via REUTERSREUTERS
FILE PHOTO: South Korean Defense Minister Suh Wook talks to German Defense minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (not pictured) during their meeting at the Defense Ministry in Seoul, South Korea, May 26, 2021. Jeon Heon-Kyun/Pool via REUTERSREUTERS
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S.Korea to Develop 'Iron Dome'-Style Defense System to Counter North's Artillery

FILE PHOTO: South Korean Defense Minister Suh Wook talks to German Defense minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (not pictured) during their meeting at the Defense Ministry in Seoul, South Korea, May 26, 2021. Jeon Heon-Kyun/Pool via REUTERSREUTERS
FILE PHOTO: South Korean Defense Minister Suh Wook talks to German Defense minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (not pictured) during their meeting at the Defense Ministry in Seoul, South Korea, May 26, 2021. Jeon Heon-Kyun/Pool via REUTERSREUTERS

South Korea approved plans on Monday to pursue a $2.6-billion artillery interception system, similar to Israel's "Iron Dome", designed to protect against North Korea's arsenal of long-range guns and rockets, the defense acquisition agency said.

A large part of the area surrounding Seoul, the capital, is home to about half the population of 52 million, and lies within range of the neighbor's long-range guns and multiple rocket launchers, Reuters reported.

Late last year the government's defense blueprint called for the development of a "Korean-style Iron Dome" that can defend Seoul and key facilities.

On Monday a committee presided over by Defense Minister Suh Wook approved the project, expected to be completed around 2035 at a cost of 2.89 trillion won ($2.6 billion), the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said in a statement.

"Through this project, it is expected that the ability to respond to the threat of enemy long-range artillery will be strengthened, as well as securing domestic technology and creating domestic jobs," it said.

The Ministry of National Defense has said while existing weapons such as the Patriot and THAAD missile defense systems are designed to target the North's increasingly capable short-range ballistic missiles, the new system aims to protect against long-range artillery and multiple rocket launchers.

Pyongyang does not comment on its military deployment, but experts believe most of North Korea’s 13,600 guns and multiple rocket launchers are positioned near the border, about 40 km (25 miles) distant from Seoul.



Protest Against Gaza War Prevents Israeli Visitors from Touring Greek Island

Two empty chairs stand on a beach as people cool off during a heat wave, near Athens, Greece, 22 July 2025. (EPA)
Two empty chairs stand on a beach as people cool off during a heat wave, near Athens, Greece, 22 July 2025. (EPA)
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Protest Against Gaza War Prevents Israeli Visitors from Touring Greek Island

Two empty chairs stand on a beach as people cool off during a heat wave, near Athens, Greece, 22 July 2025. (EPA)
Two empty chairs stand on a beach as people cool off during a heat wave, near Athens, Greece, 22 July 2025. (EPA)

A cruise ship carrying Israeli tourists left the Greek island of Syros Tuesday without its passengers disembarking, after more than 150 protesters demonstrated at the island’s port, unfurling Palestinian flags and calling for an end to the war in Gaza.

Carrying banners that read: “Stop the Genocide” and “No a/c in hell” — a reference to the conditions Palestinians face in the Gaza Strip — the protesters chanted slogans on the dock near where the cruise ship, the Crown Iris, was docked on Tuesday, local media said. There were no reports of any violence.

The ship is operated by an Israeli company, Mano Cruise, which said about 1,700 passengers were on board and it is sailing to Cyprus.

Greece’s coast guard said the ship set sail at around 3 p.m., earlier than originally scheduled, but did not immediately have any further details.

“The management of Mano Cruise has decided in light of the situation in the city of Syros to now sail to another tourist destination,” the company said in a press release. “All passengers and crew members are resting and spending time on the ship on their way to the new destination.”

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar contacted his Greek counterpart, George Gerapetritis, over the incident, the Greek foreign ministry confirmed. It did not release any details of their discussion.