Foreign ministry to draw up road map for cybersecurity

Korea's foreign ministry will soon craft a mid-term plan to beef up cybersecurity measures, an official said Sunday.The move comes as government offices and other public agencies here face growing cyberthreats. The foreign ministry's website has been threatened by DDoS, or distributed denial of service, attack attempts amid the worldwide spread of ransomware. (Yonhap)The ministry plans to sign a contract with an outside cybersecurity agency next month to draw up the 2018-2022 road map within thi

July 23, 2017

THAAD radiation probe canceled: ministry

The South Korean government has dropped a plan to conduct an on-site survey this week on THAAD electromagnetic radiation joined by local residents, an official said Friday.There have been public concerns here about electromagnetic radiation in areas near the US military base in Seongju, some 300 km southeast of Seoul, where a THAAD missile defense battery is in partial operation to help counter North Korea's ballistic missile threats.The THAAD system uses AN/TPY-2 radar, also known as X-band rad

July 21, 2017

Debate brews over Moon’s plan to cut mandatory military service

President Moon Jae-in’s plan to reduce conscripted soldiers’ mandatory military service sparked debate Thursday, amid growing concerns over a shortage of young draftees and North Korea’s escalating military threat. 　The government says the measure is part of a bigger plan to transform the Army into a more modernized force based on career military officers, but critics warn that it runs the risk of undermining the country’s fundamental military capability, if confronted by the 1.2 million-strong

July 20, 2017

KAI CEO quits, defense industry fears exports will fall

The chief executive of Korea Aerospace Industries offered to resign Thursday as the prosecutorial probe into the country’s sole aircraft manufacturer is expected to further expand on President Moon Jae-in’s vows to eradicate defense industry corruption. The prosecution is currently scrutinizing the allegations that KAI Chief Executive Ha Sung-yong created slush funds and illegally lobbied Cheong Wa Dae officials and lawmakers for his reappointment in May 2016. Earlier this week, its suppliers we

July 20, 2017

Korean troops in Lebanon mark 10th anniversary of operation

A contingent of South Korean troops in Lebanon commemorated the 10th anniversary of deployment there this week, military authorities in Seoul said Thursday. South Korean troops in Lebanon conduct a reconnaissance mission in this undated file photo provided by South Korea`s military. (Yonhap)The Dongmyeong unit, based in Tyre, a southern city close to the border with Israel, is the longest-serving South Korean force abroad, as it's active in support of the peacekeeping operation of the UN Interim

July 20, 2017

Korean defense chief vows stronger alliance with US

South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo assured the leader of American troops here Wednesday that he will place top priority on bolstering the time-honored alliance against North Korea's saber-rattling.Song, who took office last week, delivered the message to Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, who commands the US Forces Korea, in their introductory meeting at Song's office in Seoul, according to his ministry.The minister told Brooks that he has proposed "robust and complementary development of the ROK

July 19, 2017

US naval commander to get Korean name

The commander of the US Naval Forces Korea will receive an honorary Korean name from a pro-alliance group here in recognition of his dedicated service, South Korea's Navy said Wednesday.Rear. Adm. Brad Cooper will be formally given the new name -- Goo Tae-il -- at a joint military band concert to be held in Busan later in the day.It's to celebrate the 65th founding anniversary of the Republic of Korea Fleet Command headquartered in the southern port city and the 60th anniversary of the US Naval

July 19, 2017

[Herald Interview] Relocation of US base won’t hurt readiness: US commanders

 　CAMP CASEY, Dongducheon -- Despite the relocation of a major US military base from the inter-Korean border to the south of Seoul, the unit’s combat readiness will remain just as strong as before, its outgoing and incoming commanders stressed Tuesday. 　“The location of the division and various brigades ... (it) really does not matter where we are stationed,” Maj. Gen. Theodore D. Martin, who was the commander general of the 2nd Infantry Division for the past two years, said in an interview with

July 18, 2017

USFK's 2nd Infantry Division greets new commander

The 2nd Infantry Division, a forward-deployed US Army unit in South Korea, welcomed its new commanding general Tuesday.Maj. Gen. D. Scott McKean took over the command from Maj. Gen. Theodore D. Martin in a ceremony held at Camp Casey in Dongducheon close to the Demilitarized Zone.McKean will double as leader of the South Korea-US Combined Division, which includes the 2nd Infantry Division and a South Korean Army brigade. Maj. Gen. D. Scott McKean (L), the new commanding general of the US Forces

July 18, 2017

Moon says defense one of two important pillars of nation

President Moon Jae-in urged his top military officials to continue enhancing their defense readiness and further defense capabilities Tuesday, calling national defense one of two most important pillars of the nation along with the economy."There are many pillars that help sustain a nation and the most important of them all are defense and economy," the president said while meeting with his top military officials, including his new Defense Minister Song Young-moo and Song's immediate predecessor

July 18, 2017

Korea considers private funding for new military capabilities

South Korea's military is mulling over partly financing major firepower projects with private funds, an official said Tuesday.South Korea is pushing for the establishment of a "three-axis" platform to help defend itself against North Korea's growing nuclear and missile threats. The three elements are the Kill Chain pre-emptive strike system, the Korean Air and Missile Defense and the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation strategy.South Korean President Moon Jae-in has pledged to complete the

July 18, 2017

Defense minister calls for new paradigm in combat posture

South Korea's defense chief on Monday reaffirmed his push for a sweeping reform of the country's armed forces for a "new war paradigm."Inspecting the operation of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Defense Minister Song Young-moo cited grave security conditions on the peninsula."The current security situation on the Korean Peninsula is serious enough to be called 'the worst security crisis' since the (1950-53) Korean War," he told JCS service members. Defense Minister Song Young-moo visits the headquart

July 17, 2017

Surion helicopters lack reliability: audit agency

　South Korea’s chopper Surion has defects that make it “unreliable” for flight missions, Seoul’s audit agency said on Sunday, requesting a prosecutorial investigation into the helicopter’s local manufacturer and the nation’s arms procurement agencies.  　The Board of Audit and Inspection announced that the helicopter lacks lightening protection and anti-icing capability. It even has an engine leakage and malfunctions in its fuselage and windshield.   　The state-run audit body said Korea Aerospace

July 16, 2017

Watchdog says Surion helicopters lack stability; requests probe into arms procurement chief

South Korea's state audit agency said Sunday that the country's transport utility helicopters have various defects including flight stability and requested that the prosecution probe  the arms procurement chief on charges of breach of trust. The Board of Audit and Inspection said that South Korea-born Surion helicopters are not airworthy as they lack lightning protection and anti-icing capability, while failing to receive proper engine certification. It even reported that the homegrown chopper,

July 16, 2017

New defense minister calls for overwhelming readiness in DMZ visit

PAJU -- South Korea's new Defense Minister, Song Young-moo, on Saturday called for strong and overwhelming military readiness when he met soldiers guarding the heavily armed Korean Demilitarized Zone. A day after taking office, Song visited the truce village of Panmunjom and met with soldiers from South Korea and US-led United Nations Command protecting the border.  New Defense Minister Song Young-moo (L) visits the Demilitarized Zone on July 15, 2017. (Yonhap)Song asked soldiers to stably manag

July 16, 2017

New defense chief vows reform amid North Korea crisis

Defense Minister Song Young-moo took office Friday, vowing to rebuild the military and boost the country’s capabilities to better counter North Korea’s evolving threats through sweeping reform across barracks and industry. 　The 68-year-old was formally appointed by President Moon Jae-in a day earlier, following a month-long tug of war with opposition parties which had fiercely demurred at the nomination chiefly over his high-paying post-retirement stints at a law firm and defense contractor. Moo

July 14, 2017

Probe launched into KAI for allegedly inflating R&D costs

South Korea‘s prosecutors said Friday it has launched an investigation on Korea Aerospace Industries, alleged to have swindled illicit gains by inflating costs of research and development in a project not identified to the media.Some 100 prosecutors and investigators, dispatched by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office raided the headquarters of KAI, located in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, and its Seoul branch on Friday, to seize materials for evidence such as hard disks and docu

July 14, 2017

New defense chief takes office, reaffirms military reform

South Korea's new defense minister took office Friday, reaffirming his pledge to reform and beef up the military."In order to win the trust of the people, (the military) should go beyond a simple defense reform to create brand new armed forces," Defense Minister Song Young-moo said in his inauguration speech.After being tapped to lead the Ministry of National Defense a month earlier, President Moon Jae-in officially appointed him to the post Thursday despite the opposition's allegations of misco

July 14, 2017

Prototype radar for KF-X fighter jets unveiled

　South Korea’s arms procurement agency on Thursday unveiled a prototype of an advanced radar for its homegrown fighter jet project, accelerating efforts to complete the development by 2026.　The state-run Agency for Defense Development ran detection capability tests on a simplified version of the “active electronically scanned array” radar at Hanwha Systems research institute in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. Hanwha, a local defense firm, is the contractor for the development of the

July 13, 2017

Thai cabinet nod for $258.7m Korean fighter training jets

BANGKOK -- The Cabinet on Tuesday approved a Bt8.8-billion ($258.7 million) purchase of eight T-50TH Golden Eagle fighter training aircraft from Korea Aerospace Industries of South Korea, which the military said would not be too much of a burden on the national budget. The purchase of the aircraft brings the total value of military hardware bought under the ruling junta since the coup of 2014 to a total of Bt 72.7 billion ($2.14 billion)T-50TH Golden Eagle fighter (The Nation)Prime Minister Gene

July 12, 2017