S. Korea to push for regaining OPCON with no withdrawal of US troops

South Korea will seek to have US forces stay in the South even after it takes over wartime operational control (OPCON) of the country's troops from the United States, Seoul's defense minister said Tuesday.South Korea is seeking to regain the US-held OPCON of South Korean forces as Seoul and Washington continue consultations for a "conditions-based" transition with no specific deadline. (Yonhap)"Even if Seoul takes over OPCON, (South Korea) plans to seek to ensure that U.S. troops in Korea are no

Nov. 28, 2017

S. Korea broadcasts to NK news of soldier’s defection

The South Korean military is delivering updates on the North Korean soldier who was wounded while defecting, via loudspeaker broadcasts to the North amid the rogue regime’s refusal to talk directly with the South.  (Yonhap)The FM Radio “Freedom Voice” system near the inter-Korean border has been broadcasting about the recovery of the 24-year-old soldier, identified only by his surname Oh, after he sustained gunshot wounds while crossing the border on Nov. 13, the South Korean military said Sunda

Nov. 27, 2017

Defense minister commends JSA troops for defector rescue

PANMUNJOM -- South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo on Monday visited the Joint Security Area of the Panmunjom truce village, the stage of a dramatic defection by a North Korean soldier earlier this month.Bullet traces from shots fired by North Korean guards as they tried to stop their follow soldier sprinting toward South Korea on Nov. 13 remain vividly apparent in the southern section of the JSA.In an unprecedented move for the South's defense chief, Song toured the JSA guard unit's seco

Nov. 27, 2017

Army to develop new combat uniform

South Korea's Army plans to develop a combat uniform with new camouflage patterns and advanced functions, a military source said. The new uniform will replace the current digitally patterned one, adopted in 2008, to help ground troops better adjust to a changing warfare environment. (Yonhap)The development started as part of Army Chief of Staff Gen. Kim Yong-woo's plan to enhance individual soldiers' combat capabilities, the official said.The new design is aimed at maximizing troops' camouflagin

Nov. 26, 2017

Allies to hold air force drill involving 230 aircraft next month

The United States and South Korea will stage a joint air force drill next month involving about 230 warfare airplanes, the US Air Force said Friday, in an apparent show of force against North Korea.The allies will hold the annual airborne exercise named Vigilant Ace from Dec. 4-8, mobilizing 12,000 US personnel, according to the Seventh Air Force in Korea."This realistic air combat exercise is designed to enhance interoperability between US and Republic of Korea forces and increase the combat ef

Nov. 24, 2017

Seoul has no plan for talks on THAAD with China

Seoul's defense ministry said Friday that it has no plan to hold talks with China over an advanced US missile defense system deployed in South Korea.A local media outlet reported that China has officially asked South Korea to open military talks at an early date over the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system. China has vehemently opposed it, saying that the move hurts its security interest."There is no plan for such talks," Moon Sang-gyun, spokesman at the Ministry of National Defense, told

Nov. 24, 2017

US to deploy 6 Raptor stealth fighters to Korea next month

The United States is planning to send six F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jets to a joint air force exercise in South Korea next month in what is believed to be US action to put maximum pressure on North Korea, military officials here said on Thursday. "Six F-22 fighters from the US Air Force are scheduled to join the joint South Korea-US air force exercise Vigilant Ace from Dec. 4-8," the officials said.The fighters will fly to the Korean Peninsula from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan and stay at

Nov. 24, 2017

[PyeongChang 2018] Korea mulls talks with US on rescheduling drills during Olympics: source

South Korea's military is mulling whether to consult with US forces over a rescheduling of joint military drills slated for early next year that will overlap with the PyeongChang Winter Olympics and Paralympics, a government source said Thursday.Seoul and Washington stage their military exercises annually around March, and North Korea has long denounced them as rehearsals for a northern invasion. The PyeongChang Winter Olympics will be held in South Korea from Feb. 9-25 and the Paralympics from

Nov. 23, 2017

US nuclear sub in Korea for routine deployment

US nuclear-powered submarine USS Mississippi made a port call in South Korea on Wednesday as part of its routine deployment to Asia, the Navy said.The Virginia-class attack sub's visit to the southern island of Jeju highlights the commitment by US forces to supporting regional security and stability, according to US Naval Forces Korea."The US and ROK (South Korea) navies share a strong partnership that is continually strengthened by routine interactions that enhance and foster our relationship,"

Nov. 22, 2017

S. Korea, US agree to make public non-confidential info related to USFK

In a major step to enhance transparency in American forces stationed here, South Korea and the United States agreed on Tuesday to make public any non-confidential information they have in relation to the United States Forces Korea."The Joint Committee discussed cooperative efforts to further enhance transparency of SOFA-related affairs with the Korean public," the allies said in a joint press release following the 198th joint committee meeting of the Status of Forces Agreement earlier in the day

Nov. 21, 2017

Korea launches task force to negotiate defense cost sharing with US

South Korea has recently launched a new task force to prepare for its upcoming negotiations with the United States over the issue of dividing up the costs of American military forces stationed here against North Korea.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs "started the operation of the TF for South Korea-US defense cost sharing in order to prepare for the upcoming negotiation," ministry spokesman Noh Kyu-duk said in a press briefing on Tuesday.The ministry has recently appointed Chang Won-sam, the sitt

Nov. 21, 2017

Submerged K-2 battle tanks cross river during exercise

South Korea's K-2 "Black Panther" battle tanks participated in river-crossing training south of Seoul on Tuesday, the Army said.At the order of a commander's signal, a smoke shell was thrown and a convoy of eleven K-2s drove into the South Han River in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province.The tanks then quickly crossed the section of the river, which is more than 2 meters deep, with only their snorkels seen, according to the Army. K-2 battle tanks conduct a river-crossing drill in this file photo. (Yonhap)S

Nov. 21, 2017

Korea, US to hold meeting to discuss SOFA-related issues

South Korea and the United States will hold a meeting this week to discuss pending issues regarding their agreement governing the legal status of American forces stationed in South Korea, the foreign ministry said Monday.The 198th meeting of the Status of Forces Agreement will be held on a US base in Seoul on Tuesday, led by Cho Koo-rae, director general of the foreign ministry's North America bureau, and Thomas W. Bergeson, deputy commander of US Forces Korea. South Korean Defense Minister Song

Nov. 20, 2017

JSA guard chief helped rescue N. Korean defector: ministry

South Korea's defense ministry on Monday dismissed speculation that the military might have glorified the response to the defection of an apparent North Korean soldier via Panmunjom a week earlier.The commander of the South Korean guard unit at the Joint Security Area of the truce village and two other officers crawled on their stomachs to rescue the man hit by multiple gunshots while fleeing the North, according to the South's military authorities.But a news report said there was no commander s

Nov. 20, 2017

Ex-US Navy officer calls for NK naval blockade

WASHINGTON -- A naval blockade may be the best feasible option to dismantle North Korea's nuclear weapons program, according to a former US Navy officer.Retired Lt. Cmdr. Gregory Keeley made the argument in a recent contribution to The Hill, saying there is a history of successful naval blockades that forced the adversary into submission."The Trump administration seemingly has only two potential responses, both of them bad," he wrote. "Option one is direct kinetic military action to halt Kim's d

Nov. 20, 2017

Korean Navy chief to visit Thailand for defense industry ties

South Korea's top naval commander will travel to Thailand in order to promote bilateral military diplomacy and defense industry cooperation, his office said Friday.Adm. Um Hyun-seong, the Navy chief of staff, is scheduled to leave for the Southeast Asian nation later in the day at its official invitation.  Adm. Um Hyun-seong, the Navy chief of staff, delivers a speech in this file photo. (Yonhap)During his trip there, it added, he will attend an international ceremony to inspect warships on the

Nov. 17, 2017

South Korea can’t change rules of engagement in JSA: Cheong Wa Dae

 Presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday that South Korea has no authority to change the rules of engagement applied to the Joint Security Area amid controversy over its soldiers’ decision not to return fire at North Korean soldiers who were chasing a defecting soldier. A Cheong Wa Dae official said the authority to change the rules falls under the United Nations Command. The UNC assumes operational control of the JSA, where the North Korean soldier had crossed toward the UNC-controlled

Nov. 16, 2017

Korea was right not to return fire at JSA: Cheong Wa Dae

South Korean troops stationed at the joint security area of Panmunjeom acted in accordance with the UN rules of engagement governing the area when they decided not to return fire despite dozens of shots fired by North Korean forces, an official from the presidential office said Thursday."The engagement rules governing the JSA were drafted and are enforced by the United Nations Command," the official told reporters, asking not to be identified. "It is not something the Korean Defense Ministry can

Nov. 16, 2017

[Newsmaker] Why did South Korea not return fire to NK chasing defected soldier?

 With a North Korean solider remaining in critical condition from multiple gunshot wounds he suffered as he dashed across the border to defect, some South Koreans are questioning why the South Korean soldiers did not provide covering fire for him. 　Four North Korean soldiers at the Joint Security Area inside the heavily fortified border zone fired about 40 rounds at the escaping solider. They shot southward. It is unclear whether they continued to shoot after the solider entered the South’s terr

Nov. 15, 2017

Navy unveils monument for '2nd Incheon landing operation'

South Korea's Navy said Wednesday it has set up a monument for a lesser known but significant victory in Incheon, west of Seoul, during the 1950-53 Korean War.Called the 2nd Incheon amphibious operation, it took place on Feb. 10, 1951, five months after the historic Incheon battle commanded by US Army Gen. Douglas MacArthur.Led by a joint commando unit of South Korea's Navy and Marine Corps, the second landing operation in Incheon, spelled Inchon at that time, helped the UN forces retake the str

Nov. 15, 2017