Navy conducts military exercise to defend Dokdo islets

South Korea's Navy on Wednesday conducted a maritime drill to defend the country's easternmost islets of Dokdo in the East Sea, officials said, as Japan has laid persistent claims to the sovereign territory.The Navy kicked off a biannual military exercise to guard Dokdo from unlawful intrusion by mobilizing its warships and maritime patrol planes, it said.If weather conditions permit, the Marine Corps is also expected to conduct a landing drill on the islets, it said.Since 1986, the South Korean

Dec. 21, 2016

Missile shield dispute casts cloud over Korea-China tourism campaign

South Korea and China have wrapped up their "Visit Korea Year 2016" campaign in Beijing in a ceremony overshadowed by a diplomatic feud over Seoul's missile shield plan. South Korean Minister of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Cho Yoon-sun and China National Tourism Administration Chairman Li Jinzao presided over the celebration of the yearlong national drive to promote Korean tourism among the Chinese on Thursday.The event came amid growing diplomatic tension over Seoul's decision to set up a U

Dec. 16, 2016

Japan did not offer military info on N.K. missile test despite intel-sharing pact: source

Japan did not offer South Korea any intelligence on North Korea's recent test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) despite a bilateral intelligence-sharing pact that took effect last month, a government source here said Thursday.The source said that although the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) went into force on Nov. 23, there should be additional consultations over how to enforce the deal -- the first military arrangement between the two neighbors since S

Dec. 15, 2016

Main opposition party demands delay of THAAD deployment

South Korea's main opposition party on Tuesday demanded the government delay the controversial deployment of an advanced US missile defense system until the next administration as President Park Geun-hye faces impeachment over corruption allegations.The remark came four days after the parliament approved Park's impeachment, signaling major changes to her key policies opposed by the opposition bloc. Her fate hinges on a Constitutional Court decision due in six months.South Korea has been seeking

Dec. 13, 2016

Defense ministry to quicken THAAD deployment amid post-impeachment row

South Korea is moving to hasten the deployment of an advanced U.S. missile defense system and finish its installation by May at the latest in the face of political uncertainty caused by the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye, government sources said Sunday. "The deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system seemingly doesn't require much (preparatory) time, since the Seongju golf course is already equipped with power and water supply facilities, and a traffic system," said an

Dec. 11, 2016

Japan's military won't meddle in Korean Peninsula conflict: Japan official

Japan's military will not enter South Korean territory even in the event of a conflict breaking out unless it receives a request for assistance from Seoul, a Japanese foreign ministry official said."As long as we don't get a request, we will not come to (South Korea) unilaterally ... It definitely requires approval from South Korea," the official told a group of South Korean journalists in a background briefing on Tuesday at the foreign ministry in Tokyo.South Korea is wary of Japan's push for a

Dec. 9, 2016

Korea increases defense budget next year

South Korea has increased its defense budget for next year to better cope with growing threats from North Korea, the defense ministry said Monday.The government set the defense budget at 40.34 trillion won ($34 billion) for 2017, up 4.0 percent from 38.8 trillion won a year earlier, the Ministry of National Defense said in a statement.Of the total, 28.14 trillion won will be spent on operating military forces and facilities, with 12.2 trillion won set aside to bolster combat capabilities, it sai

Dec. 5, 2016

Armored vehicle accident leaves 1 soldier unconscious, 1 injured

An armored vehicle on a training mission overturned at an Air Force unit in the southwestern city of Gunsan on Thursday, leaving the vehicle's driver unconscious and another soldier injured, the Air Force said.During the accident, which took place around 10:50 a.m., the K20 armored vehicle carrying four soldiers was traveling down a road near a magazine inside the 38th Fighter Wing base in the city on South Korea's west coast. The driver, a corporal, was taken to a nearby hospital in a coma due

Dec. 1, 2016

Korea, US. begin large-scale air defense drills

South Korean and US forces kicked off their annual aerial exercise, the military here said Wednesday, the latest in a series of maneuvers aimed at enhancing combined defense capabilities against evolving threats from North Korea. The allies began the Vigilant ACE exercise as part of a broader effort to hone their skills to better counter the North's nuclear and missile capabilities. The latest drill is set to run till Monday.The US military based in South Korea did not make any comments.The two

Nov. 30, 2016

Nuclear envoys of Korea, US and Japan likely to meet in Dec.

Nuclear envoys of South Korea, the United States and Japan are moving to hold talks next month in Seoul to discuss cooperation in dealing with the growing nuclear threat from North Korea, diplomatic sources said Wednesday.Kim Hong-kyun, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will meet with his US and Japanese counterparts, Joseph Yun and Kenji Kanasugi, in Seoul in mid-December, according to official sources.This would mark the

Nov. 30, 2016

THAAD deployment continues regardless of political situation in Korea: Pentagon

The US Defense Department said Tuesday the planned deployment of the THAAD missile defense system to South Korea will move forward regardless of the political situation in the Asian nation."Our THAAD deployment continues. The effort to do that as quickly as possible continues forward, and I'm not aware of any plans to alter that at this point," Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said at a briefing in response to a question whether the impeachment or resignation of President Park Geun-hye would

Nov. 30, 2016

Korea's jet trainer successfully completes 5,000 test flights

South Korea's T-50 jet and its variants have successfully completed 5,000 test flights, highlighting the reliability of the plane being marketed abroad as a next-generation advanced trainer, the country's sole aircraft company said Monday. The T-50 and T-50A advanced trainers, the TA-50 lead-in fighter trainer and the FA-50 two-seat light multi-role mission fighter have reached a meaningful milestone in terms of accumulated test flights with no accidents, Korea Aerospace Industries Co. (KAI) sai

Nov. 28, 2016

Korea, UAE defense chiefs meet to promote military cooperation

Defense chiefs of South Korea and the United Arab Emirates on Monday discussed measures to further promote bilateral military ties that have been enhanced with the dispatching of troops to the Middle East country, the government said.Defense Minister Han Min-koo had a meeting with his UAE counterpart Mohammed Al-Bawardi in Seoul to discuss the operations of the Akh Unit sent to the middle eastern country for peacekeeping and other military support duties, the defense ministry said in a statement

Nov. 28, 2016