The Korea Herald

US top seller of weapons to Korea in past decade

The United States sold more than 36 trillion won ($30.58 billion) worth of weapons to South Korea over the past decade, government data showed Sunday, the latest sign underscoring Seoul's heavy reliance on its key ally for defense.For 10 years through October 2016, South Korea purchased US weapons valued at 36.04 trillion won -- an amount equal to 95 percent of the country's defense budget last year -- according to data from the defense ministry and the state defense acquisition agency.(Yonhap)"

Jan. 15, 2017

US top seller of weapons to Korea in past decade

[Graphic News] Military strength of the two Koreas

Jan. 12, 2017

Korea says Japanese planes breached KADIZ over 400 times last year

Defense Minister Han Min-koo (left) receives a briefing on the KADIZ breaches (Yonhap)Japanese military planes entered South Korea's Air Defense Identification Zone hundreds of times last year, mainly in the airspace south of Jeju Island off the country's southern coast, military officials said Thursday.Japanese military planes entered the zone near Ieodo, an underwater rock formation located some 160 kilometers south of Jeju, 444 times in 2016. There was no move by Japanese planes to approach D

Jan. 12, 2017

Korea says Japanese planes breached KADIZ over 400 times last year

North Korea has 50kg of weapons-grade plutonium: Seoul's defense white paper

South Korea said Wednesday the North has made "considerable" progress in nuclear capabilities recently, citing the increased amount of its fissile material and improved warhead miniaturization technology. In its 2016 defense white paper, the Ministry of National Defense estimated that North Korea has some 50 kilograms of weapons-grade plutonium, sufficient to manufacture 10 nuclear weapons. In 2014, the biennial report estimated the North's stockpile of plutonium at about 40 kilograms. The minis

Jan. 11, 2017

[Newsmaker] THAAD tension brews after China sends planes to Korea's air zone

Tension between South Korea and China flared up Tuesday after Beijing‘s fighter jets entered South Korea’s air defense zone without prior notice, amid protests from China over a US anti-missile system set to be installed here. According to the Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, some 10 Chinese military planes -- including bombers -- flew into the Korean air defense identification zone near the southern island of Jeju between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday. The aircrafts also entered an equivalent air def

Jan. 10, 2017

[Newsmaker] THAAD tension brews after China sends planes to Korea's air zone

Chinese military planes enter Korean air defense zone: source

Around 10 Chinese military planes entered the Korean air defense identification zone for hours on Monday, prompting South Korea to launch a sortie of fighter jets, a government source said. The Chinese planes flew into the KADIZ near Ieodo, a submerged rock located off the southern coast of Jeju Island "several times" from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to the source. He said that South Korea countered by sending some 10 fighter jets including F-15Ks and KF-16s to the area. The South Korean jets s

Jan. 10, 2017

Two dozen Apache helicopters to be deployed in Korea this month

The US Forces Korea announced Monday it will deploy two dozen Apache helicopters to South Korea starting from this month, a move seen as to bolster the alliance’s defense capability amid the growing military threat from North Korea. The 24 AH-64D Apache heavy attack helicopters will replace the 30 OH-58D Kiowa Warrior observation and light attack choppers currently deployed on the Korean Peninsula, said the USFK in a joint statement with the Ministry of National Defense. The deployment will rais

Jan. 9, 2017

Two dozen Apache helicopters to be deployed in Korea this month

24 Apache helicopters to be deployed in Korea by Feb

US Forces Korea plans to deploy 24 Apache helicopters to South Korea by next month to better counter growing threats from North Korea, military officials said Monday. As part of a scheduled rotational deployment, the 24 AH-64D Apache heavy attack helicopters will gradually replace the 30 OH-58D Kiowa Warrior observation and light attack choppers by early February, the USFK and the Ministry of National Defense said in a joint statement. "The Apache helicopter battalion will be st

Jan. 9, 2017

24 Apache helicopters to be deployed in Korea by Feb

S. Korea's national security adviser calls for close cooperation with US on N. Korea

South Korea's National Security Office chief, Kim Kwan-jin, said Sunday that North Korea's nuclear and missile programs pose threats not only to the South but also to the United States. Kim made the remark to reporters upon arrival in Washington for meetings with officials of the incoming US administration, calling for close cooperation between Seoul and Washington in dealing with North Korean threats. "I am visiting the US as it is important to hold meetings with necessary people ahead

Jan. 9, 2017

S. Korea's national security adviser calls for close cooperation with US on N. Korea

US special units said to join in operation to eliminate Kim

US special operation forces are expected to participate in a South Korean-led operation to kill North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un in the event of war, according to military sources Sunday.“The South Korean military will form a special brigade based on that of the US sometime later this year,” said a high-ranking government official on the condition of anonymity, adding that US special agents are expected to be under Korean command during the operation.“Although the brigade is modeled after that

Jan. 8, 2017

S. Korea to develop laser weapons to counter NK drones by 2020

South Korea plans to build a laser weapon system by 2020 to better deal with the threats posed by North Korea's unmanned aerial vehicles, the defense ministry said Friday. The Ministry of National Defense said it will develop laser technology by next year to shoot down aerial drones as part of its broader laser weapon system. The decision came as North Korea is suspected of having sent several UAVs near the border areas in recent years in what could be reconnaissance missions.

Jan. 6, 2017

S. Korea to develop laser weapons to counter NK drones by 2020

S. Korea to create special unit to strike at NK wartime leadership

South Korea will this year launch a special unit tasked with incapacitating North Korea's wartime leadership, two years ahead of schedule, its defense chief said Wednesday, as it strives to better counter Pyongyang's evolving military threats.During its New Year policy briefing to Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, Defense Minister Han Min-koo said the military is putting top priority on beefing up defense capabilities against North Korea's weapons of mass destruction, which incl

Jan. 4, 2017

S. Korea to create special unit to strike at NK wartime leadership

Air Force taps 3 female pilots as vice squadron leaders

South Korea's Air Force said Tuesday it tapped three female pilots as vice commanders of operational squadrons, marking a first for the service.Last month, the three were promoted as the second-in-command of three fighter squadrons, an Air Force spokesman said. (Yonhap)They are Maj. Park Ji-yeon, 38, from the 16th Fighter Wing; Maj. Park Ji-won, 38, from the 8th Fighter Wing; and Maj. Ha Jeong-mi, 37, from the 20th Fighter Wing, the statement said.The main duty of vice commander is to supervise

Jan. 3, 2017

Air Force taps 3 female pilots as vice squadron leaders

S. Korea's Marine Corps to deploy new guided missiles to counter NK threat

South Korea's Marine Corps will get new guided missile systems that will allow its troops to better counter seaborne threats from North Korea, the military said Sunday.The military said that all static 90 mm coastal defense guns, based on the main armament of the vintage M-47 and M-48 tanks, will be replaced by the new 70 mm Low-Cost Guided Imaging Rocket (LOGIR). The new weapons will be deployed by the end of the year."The move will greatly enhance the capability of marines to counter fast-movi

Jan. 1, 2017

Defense chief stresses new year poses new challenges, calls for preparedness

South Korea's defense chief stressed Sunday that the new year will pose a new set of challenges and that the country's armed forces must be prepared for all developments.In a New Year's message sent out to the country and more than 600,000 troops, Han Min-koo made clear that the primary role of the armed forces is to fight the enemy and win."The armed forces will fulfill its role in the face of the grave situation the country faces as long at it stays true to this goal," the defense minister sai

Jan. 1, 2017

Acting president stresses security of country rests on shoulders of troops

South Korea's acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn said Sunday that the security of the country rests on the shoulders of its armed forces.In a video message sent to troops, Hwang emphasized the grave security situation facing the country.There has been growing speculation that North Korea will engage in some form of provocation in 2017 after detonating two nuclear devices in 2016 and firing off scores of ballistic missiles."The people have faith in the strong willpower and military

Jan. 1, 2017

Korea could let American troops leave if liberal candidate elected president: US expert

South Korea could let American troops leave the country if one of the liberal candidates is elected president next year and incoming US President Donald Trump demands Seoul pay more for the troops, a US expert said Wednesday.Max Boot, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, issued the warning in an article in Foreign Policy magazine, saying that troop withdrawal from South Korea could significantly weaken America's standing in the Asia-Pacific region.The expert also noted that Trump

Dec. 29, 2016

Relocation plan of USFK bases to Pyeongtaek extended to 2018

The complete relocation of US Army bases to Pyeongtaek has been pushed back by two years to the end of 2018, Gyeonggi Province and Pyeongtaek City said Sunday.The original plan, which started on Jan. 24, 2005, was to finish the relocation at the end of this year. The US Forces Korea headquarters and the Eighth United States Army, both in Yongsan, central Seoul, and the 2nd Infantry Division in northern Gyeonggi Province, are subject to move to Camp Humphreys, a US military garrison in the town o

Dec. 25, 2016

S. Korea deploys air-to-ground Taurus missiles for combat use

South Korea's Air Force on Thursday deployed air-to-ground Taurus-class missiles for combat use, which are capable of targeting and destroying North Korea's nuclear and missile facilities at a long distance, officials said.The Taurus missile mounted on F-15K fighter planes can hit key facilities in Pyongyang from the sky over Daejeon, 164 kilometers south of Seoul, they said. The missile has a range of 500 kilometers.The Air Force received the first shipment of the missiles from Germany's Taurus

Dec. 22, 2016

Army conducts combined arms drill with tanks, armored vehicles

The South Korean Army said Thursday it conducted a combined arms drill by mobilizing tanks and armored vehicles in a bid to beef up its combat readiness against North Korea's threats.The drill was aimed at boosting the military's combat preparedness in the winter time, involving the infantry, artillery, armor and combat engineer units, the Army said.The combined exercise was conducted at a shooting range in Yangpyeong, outside of Seoul, with about 40 K-1 tanks, K-21 armored fighting vehicles and

Dec. 22, 2016