President Moon inspects allies' combat readiness at key command

South Korean President Moon Jae-in appreciated the service of the allied forces against North Korea's military threats, paying a visit to the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command on Tuesday, the US Forces Korea said. Moon was greeted by Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, the commander of the CFC and the USFK, and Gen. Leem Ho-yong, deputy commander of the CFC, in his first visit to the US Army Garrison Yongsan in Seoul, where the CFC headquarters is located.President Moon Jae-in is escorted by Gen. Vince

June 13, 2017

Hanwha donates $1m to veterans’ fraternities

Hanwha Group has pledged to donate $1 million to fraternities of former South Korean and US soldiers in a display of support for the alliance, company officials said Tuesday. Hanwha Techwin CEO Shin Hyun-woo (second from right) and other pro-alliance figures pose for pictures at the Alliance Dinner event for the Korea Defense Veterans Association and Korea-US Alliance Foundation held at The Plaza Hotel in Seoul, Monday. (Hanwha)The Seoul-headquartered conglomerate signed a sponsorship agreement

June 13, 2017

Vice defense chief visits THAAD site

South Korea's vice defense minister recently made a visit to the deployment site of a US missile defense system amid political controversy here, an official said Tuesday.Suh Choo-suk, who took office last Wednesday, is a member of the inter-agency task force to follow up President Moon Jae-in's call for a review of "domestic procedures" associated with the deployment of THAAD at a former golf course in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul.A THAAD interceptor

June 13, 2017

S. Korea's reversal on THAAD could give Trump pretext for troop withdrawal: Scott Snyder

WASHINGTON -- South Korea could end up giving US President Donald Trump a pretext to pull American troops out of the country if it reverses the decision to host the deployment of the THAAD missile defense system, a US expert warned.Scott Snyder, chief Korea analyst at the Council on Foreign Relations, made the case in an article in Forbes magazine after Seoul suspended the deployment of an additional four THAAD launchers pending an environmental assessment.(Yonhap)The remark suggests persisting

June 13, 2017

US Marine brings light, off-road vehicles to Korea for joint drill

The United States Marine Corps. has brought light, off-road high mobility vehicles to South Korea to join an ongoing military drill, officials said Monday.The 3rd Marine Division stationed at a camp in Japan's Okinawa is conducting military maneuvers in South Korea by mobilizing US utility task vehicles, according to officials at the allies' marines. This image captured from the website of the US Defense Department on June 12, 2017, shows utility task vehicles which US Marine Corps. has brought

June 12, 2017

[Newsmaker] Defense minister nominee pledges strong military reform

Under the previous Roh Moo-hyun administration, then-Vice Admiral Song Young-moo was tasked with leading the effort to overhaul the South Korean military by reducing its overreliance on the Army and Korea-US alliance. Song pushed this agenda until he retired as the chief of Naval Operation in 2008 after former President Lee Myung-bak took office. In 2012, Song served as a key security adviser for then-presidential candidate Moon Jae-in and worked alongside Moon until he won the presidential elec

June 12, 2017

ICT ministry, US Air Force to jointly study cybersecurity

South Korea joined hands with the United States to boost cooperation in a wide range of cybersecurity areas, Seoul's ICT ministry said Monday. The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research will inject a combined US$3 million over the next three years to secure core technologies in the sector, according to the ministry. (Yonhap)Among the projects are developing the next-generation code, and enhancing security of the Internet of Things (IoT) and

June 12, 2017

Cheong Wa Dae says THAAD a measure to protect country from N. Korean threat

South Korea has no plan for changes to its agreement with the United States that will fundamentally change the ongoing deployment of the THAAD missile defense system here, a senior security advisor to South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Friday."Our government plans to deal with the THAAD deployment with a few principles while being fully aware of North Korea's nuclear and missile threats," Chung Eui-yong, the head of the presidential National Security Office, told reporters."First of all, th

June 9, 2017

S. Korea has no plan to ‘fundamentally’ change THAAD deployment: security advisor

South Korea has no plan for changes to its agreement with the United States that will fundamentally change the ongoing deployment of the THAAD missile defense system here, a senior security advisor to South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Friday."Our government plans to deal with the THAAD deployment with a few principles while being fully aware of North Korea's nuclear and missile threats," Chung Eui-yong, the head of the presidential National Security Office, told reporters."First of all, th

June 9, 2017

Korea mulls over environmental survey of THAAD site

South Korea's military said Friday it will wait for an inter-agency decision on the implementation of a controversial alliance deal on the THAAD missile intercept system.At issue is whether the Ministry of National Defense has abided by related rules and regulations, especially in connection with the environmental impact assessment of the site, which used to be a private golf course, in Seongju, some 300 km southeast of Seoul. A THAAD interceptor launcher is deployed at a former golf course in S

June 9, 2017

Suspected N. Korean drone found near border

South Korea's military said Friday it has collected what is believed to be a North Korean drone.It was found in a mountainous area in Inje, Gangwon Province, close to the eastern border between the two Koreas, by a local resident, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). This file photo shows an unmanned flying object allegedly manufactured by North Korea found in a mountain in Gangwon Province in 2014. (Yonhap)Citing on-site investigation into the object, the JCS said its "size and shape"

June 9, 2017

New minelayer delivered to S. Korean Navy

South Korea's Navy received a new minelayer from a local shipbuilder Friday, as it's trying to beef up its mine warfare capabilities against North Korea.Built by Hyundai Heavy Industries, the 3,000-ton vessel, named Nampo, was delivered to the Navy in a ceremony held in the firm's shipyard in the southeastern city of Ulsan, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. South Korean Navy's new minelayer Nampo in a photo provided by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DA

June 9, 2017

THAAD in Korea comes up at White House discussions

South Korea's decision to suspend the deployment of the US THAAD missile defense system was a topic when US President Donald Trump held an Oval Office meeting with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, the State Department spokesperson said.At the start of the regular briefing, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said that Tillerson met with Mattis for a working breakfast at her department Thursday morning, and the two secretaries later joined Trump at the W

June 9, 2017

Korea's military seeks 8.4% hike in 2018 budget

South Korea's defense ministry said Thursday it has requested a record budget of 43.7 trillion won ($38.7 billion) for next year, citing growing threats from North Korea and the need for reforming the South's military under President Moon Jae-in's campaign pledge.It represents an 8.4 percent increase from 2017.Much of the budget will be used to raise wages for rank-and-file soldiers, according to the ministry.During his presidential campaign, Moon, a liberal leader, vowed to lift the payment up

June 8, 2017

THAAD deployment is on hold: Blue House

The further deployment of the controversial US missile defense system is on hold, Cheong Wa Dae confirmed Wednesday, while South Korea conducts a proper environmental impact assessment on the project site. “We won’t do anything to (the two launchers) already deployed, but when it comes to the additional deployment (of four launchers), we have to wait for the environmental impact assessment,” a senior Cheong Wa Dae official told reporters. The presidential office said a full-scale environmental i

June 7, 2017

Koreans heading to Philippines drop amid military rule, shooting attack

The number of South Koreans visiting the Philippines shrank following the imposition of martial law in the Southeast Asian country's southern region and the recent shooting in Manila, industry sources said Wednesday.Some 400 people have canceled their trips to the Philippines since May 25 at a Seoul-based travel agency Mode Tour, the company said.  This file photo taken on Jan. 27, 2017, shows the departure lounge of Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, packed with tourists on the Lunar

June 7, 2017

THAAD deployment faces delay due to new environment assessment

South Korea's defense ministry began preparations for a full-blown environmental impact assessment on the ongoing deployment of the US THAAD missile defense system Tuesday, a ministry official said, a move that will inevitably delay its operation.The move came one day after President Moon Jae-in personally ordered a thorough study on the environmental impact of the advanced missile shield, which, when fully deployed, will consist of at least six rocket launchers with 48 rockets designed to inter

June 6, 2017

US nuclear-powered attack submarine visits Busan port

A US nuclear-powered attack submarine arrived in the southern port city of Busan on Tuesday in what appears to be another show of Washington's military might amid North Korea's continued saber-rattling.The 6,900-ton USS Cheyenne whose home port is Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, entered the ROK (Republic of Korea) Fleet Command in the city, some 450 kilometers south of Seoul, in the morning. The USS Cheyenne, a US nuclear-powered attack submarine, enters the ROK Fleet Command in Busan, some 450 kilometers

June 6, 2017

Upgrade boosts hopes for reform at Veterans Affairs Ministry

With the Moon Jae-in administration seeking to elevate the status of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, expectations are high of a chance to reform an agency that has weathered the ups and downs of past governments according to their ideological inclinations. Cheong Wa Dae, the government and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea on Monday announced a plan to upgrade the agency to a ministerial-level organization as part of their plan to restructure the administration.Rep. Kim Tae-nye

June 5, 2017

[News Focus] Moon has more targets in military

 　Former Cheong Wa Dae chief security officer Kim Kwan-jin and incumbent Defense Minister Han Min-koo -- a once powerful pair in South Korea's military hierarcy -- are under investigation for not relaying highly sensitive information to the new administration. But the issue is only the beginning of trouble for the country’s military brass. 　President Moon looks set to push ahead with his ideas to reform the military and eradicate corruption -- in particular the dubious connections between the mi

June 4, 2017