Korea, US set for continued talks on sharing defense cost

South Korea and the US will hold another round of negotiations next week on sharing the cost of maintaining American troops in Korea, Seoul's foreign ministry said Friday.The third session of the 10th Special Measures Agreement talks between the allies will be held in Washington DC on Monday and Tuesday, it said.The previous ones took place in Honolulu in March and on Jeju Island in April.The two sides plan to have "in-depth consultations" to fine-tune their positions on the basis of discussions

May 11, 2018

S. Korea, China resume defense policy talks

South Korea and China on Monday held their first working-level defense talks in over two years in Seoul to discuss inter-Korean ties, regional security issues and future bilateral cooperation. Yeo Suk-joo, the policy chief at South Korea's Ministry of National Defense, met with his Chinese counterpart Hu Changming, chief of the Office for International Military Cooperation at the Central Military Commission.It was the first working-level defense policy talks since January 2016 as the meetings we

May 7, 2018

Ministers visit border islands for discussions on maritime peace zone

Four South Korean ministers traveled to two western border islands on Saturday to solicit residents' opinions over a recent cross-border summit agreement to establish a maritime peace zone, Seoul officials said.Defense Minister Song Young-moo speaks during his visit to a military unit on Saturday. (Yonhap)Song Young-moo, Kang Kyung-wha, Cho Myoung-gyon and Kim Young-choon, the ministers of defense, foreign affairs, unification and oceans, respectively, visited Yeonpyeong and Baengnyeong islands

May 5, 2018

S. Korean presidential aide rejects talk of US troops reduction

South Korea's top national security adviser on Friday rejected talk of a possible downsizing of US troops on the Korean Peninsula.Chung Eui-yong, chief of the presidential National Security Office, told reporters after meeting with his US counterpart John Bolton, that such talk was also unhelpful."I think it's unacceptable that the issue of the US Forces Korea keeps being raised," he said before his departure from Dulles Airport near Washington."At my meeting (with Bolton) today, we reaffirmed t

May 5, 2018

[Breaking] Seoul dismisses possible reduction of US troops in S. Korea

The United States is not considering a reduction in the number of its troops stationed in South Korea, an official from Seoul's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Friday, quoting an official from the White House National Security Council.The New York Times earlier reported that US President Donald Trump has instructed the Department of Defense to review a possible reduction of US Forces Korea."A key official from the White House NSC has said the report is not true at all," Yoon Young-chan, c

May 4, 2018

Moon's adviser denies he called for withdrawal of US troops

A special adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae-in denied Thursday that he called for the withdrawal of US troops from the South.Moon Chung-in, who serves as a foreign policy and national security adviser, sparked controversy this week after he argued that it will be "difficult to justify" the US Forces Korea's continuing presence following the possible signing of a peace treaty between the Koreas.President Moon was quick to reject the idea, saying the troops' presence is a matter of the So

May 4, 2018

Military seeks speedy implementation of inter-Korean summit deal

South Korea's defense ministry has launched a task force to follow up on the latest inter-Korean summit agreement on easing tensions and building confidence, officials said Friday.It consists of officials at the Ministry of National Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff as well as civilian experts."It's a task force for making preparations for follow-up measures to implement the Panmunjom Declaration," a ministry official said. "(We) plan to take advice from an advisory panel of outside experts.

May 4, 2018

S. Korea military seeks to cut service period to 18 months

 　With the two Koreas seeking to ease cross-border tensions following the inter-Korean summit last week, the South Korean Army’s mandatory military service is expected to be cut from 21 to 18 months before 2022 when President Moon Jae-in’s five-year term ends. 　According to the Ministry of National Defense, the military will submit such plans to Moon this month. On the campaign trail, Moon pledged to cut the period of military service and the number of troops. 　If the measures take effect, the A

May 3, 2018

Pentagon declines to weigh in on USFK withdrawal controversy

WASHINGTON  -- The Pentagon on Wednesday declined to address a controversy over whether American troops could be pulled from South Korea in the event of a peace treaty with North Korea.The issue emerged as a hot topic after a special adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae-in said the US troops' presence would be "difficult to justify" if a peace treaty was signed to formally end the 1950-53 Korean War.Moon rejected the idea, saying the US Forces Korea's stationing was an alliance issue that

May 3, 2018

Minister: S. Korea-US alliance behind inter-Korean summit success

South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo said Wednesday the country's robust alliance with the United States was a key element behind the success of the inter-Korean summit talks last week.During a meeting with a group of visiting US lawmakers, he also stressed the importance of the time-honored alliance for the future peace process on the peninsula, according to the ministry.The minister expressed hope for a "meaningful outcome" for denuclearization from the upcoming North Korea-US summit a

May 2, 2018

USFK to stay even after peace treaty with NK: President Moon

 Cheong Wa Dae on Wednesday dismissed the idea of pulling US troops out of South Korea following a peace treaty with North Korea, reiterating the need for a continued US military presence on the Korean Peninsula.　According to Cheong Wa Dae, President Moon Jae-in said the issue of US forces stationed in South Korea should only be determined through consultations with Washington, and was not dependent on whether there would be a peace treaty with North Korea. 　“US troops in South Korea are a matte

May 2, 2018

S. Korea's military begins removing propaganda loudspeakers at border

South Korea's defense authorities began taking down loudspeakers installed along the border with North Korea on Tuesday in Seoul's first action to follow up on their summit deal last week, officials said.A Ministry of National Defense official said the North also appears to have begun removing its own loudspeakers earlier in the day.The removal of the loudspeaker broadcast equipment in front-line regions got under way in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday afternoon in front of media. A mobile loud

May 1, 2018

DMZ propaganda loudspeakers to be removed

With the two Koreas seeking to ease cross-border tensions following an inter-Korean summit, the South Korean military took the first step Monday by announcing a plan to remove propaganda loudspeakers along the border with North Korea. 　　Starting Tuesday, the propaganda loudspeakers are to be pulled back from the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone, where the two Koreas had blasted propaganda massages across the border via dozens of massive loudspeakers until they were suspended days before Frid

April 30, 2018

Korea's military to remove propaganda loudspeakers from DMZ

South Korea's military said Monday it will soon pull back all high-decibel loudspeakers installed along the border with North Korea in its first step to implement the bilateral summit agreement reached last week.The Ministry of National Defense said it will begin the work to remove the equipment from the Demilitarized Zone on Tuesday.In their talks last Friday, President Moon Jae-in and the North's leader Kim Jong-un agreed to "completely cease all hostile acts against each other in every domain

April 30, 2018

Allies’ joint military drill to be suspended during inter-Korean summit

South Korea-US joint military exercises are to be suspended when the two Koreas’ leaders hold a historic summit on Friday, in a move aimed at setting a peaceful tone for what could be a major breakthrough to easing cross-border tensions. 　According to the allies’ militaries, the first part of the annual Key Resolve exercise wrapped up Thursday and the second phase will kick off Monday. A session to review the performance of the computer-simulated games is scheduled for Saturday. 　The allies’ mil

April 26, 2018

THAAD base construction needed for welfare of allies' troops: USFK

The planned construction of some facilities in the new THAAD missile defense base in South Korea is meant to reduce the inconveniences of both American and South Korean troops stationed there, a US Forces Korea official said Monday."The THAAD deployment site is a former golf course, which will require some construction modifications to better accommodate the ROK-US troops based there," the official told Yonhap News Agency, requesting anonymity. "The morale and welfare of our soldiers is our top

April 23, 2018

Construction materials, equipment to be transported into THAAD site Monday

South Korea's defense ministry said Monday that it's starting the transport of construction materials, equipment and personnel into the US missile defense base, 300 kilometers south of Seoul, despite protests by local residents and activists. (Yonhap)It cited the urgency of building amenities and other facilities to improve the living conditions of more than 400 South Korean and US troops stationed at the THAAD base in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province."We have decided to begin the transport of

April 23, 2018

Construction vehicles enter THAAD base after police break up protest

SEONGJU/SEOUL -- Construction vehicles made it into the base of the United States THAAD anti-missile system in southeastern South Korea on Monday after riot police removed protesters blocking the road to oppose THAAD's deployment.Twenty-two vehicles carrying construction materials, equipment and workers entered the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense base in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, from around 11:20 a.m. as part of a project to build facilities for troops manning the unit.Their entra

April 23, 2018

Residents confront police over THAAD base

SEONGJU -- Residents living near the US military's new missile defense base on the Korean Peninsula confronted police officers on Sunday, the police said.Residents and activists have been blocking the transport of construction materials and equipment into the THAAD site in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, for months, citing concerns that the military will expand helipads and other facilities associated with military operations in the compound.The Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency said 30 Seo

April 22, 2018

Korea, US to kick off annual military drills as scheduled: official

South Korea and United States will hold their annual Key Resolve training exercise starting this week as scheduled, a military official said Sunday.The simulation-based, command-post drill between the two allies is set to begin Monday and run for the next two weeks, the official said. The two countries started their four-week Foal Eagle field training at the beginning of this month.But it's unclear whether the training will take place this Friday, when leaders of South Korea and North Korea are

April 22, 2018