The Korea Herald

Korea, US to consider deploying US strategic assets to deter N. Korea

South Korea and the United States will consider deploying US strategic military assets to the South permanently on a rotational basis to strengthen the US "extended deterrence" protection of the Asian ally from nuclear and missile threats from North Korea, Seoul's defense chief said Thursday.South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo made the remark after talks with US Defense Secretary Ash Carter. Deployment of strategic assets, such as B-2 stealth bombers, would significantly back up repeated p

Oct. 21, 2016

US says any attacks on Korea will be soundly defeated

The United States said Thursday any military attacks on South Korea will be defeated with an "effective and overwhelming" force amid ever-growing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea. In the annual Security Consultative Meeting held in Washington, Defense Secretary Ash Carter reaffirmed the extended deterrence protection by the US of its key Asian ally, as the North continues to ramp up its provocative acts. The defense chief warned any attack will be crushed and the use of nuclear weap

Oct. 21, 2016

US rotationally deploys armored combat brigade to S. Korea

The US Army said Wednesday it has started to rotationally deploy an armored combat brigade to South Korea as part of Washington's "extended deterrence" protection offered to its close ally against North Korean provocations."Extended deterrence" refers to the commitment to use nuclear weapons to deter attacks on allies. The US has provided extended deterrence to South Korea, after withdrawing nuclear warheads from the country in the early 1990s. The arrangement includes placing Seoul under Washin

Oct. 20, 2016

Korea, US agree to launch high-level 'extended deterrence' dialogue

South Korea and the United States agreed Wednesday to launch a high-level dialogue to discuss how to carry out the US "extended deterrence" protection of the Asian ally from nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.The agreement to establish the "Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group" was reached in "two plus two" alliance talks that brought together South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and Defense Minister Han Min-koo, and their US counterparts, Secretary of State John K

Oct. 20, 2016

US putting best military assets in Asia-Pacific under 'rebalance' policy: Carter

The United States is deploying the best military personnel and assets in the Asia-Pacific region under President Barack Obama's "rebalance to Asia" policy, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Tuesday.Carter also said in an article contributed to Foreign Affairs magazine that the Asia-Pacific security networks, including one involving the US, South Korea, and Japan, help ensure stability in the region amid a number of security challenges, including North Korea. "In the rebalance's second phase ...

Oct. 19, 2016

Korea's foreign, defense ministers arrive in Washington for '2+2' security talks

South Korea's foreign and defense ministers arrived in Washington on Tuesday for security and alliance talks with their US counterparts that are expected to focus on how to counter ever-growing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea. Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and Defense Minister Han Min-koo will join US Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary Ash Carter in Wednesday's "two plus two" talks, a biennial gathering designed mainly to demonstrate the firmness of the alliance and

Oct. 19, 2016

Missile defense schedule moved up due to NK threats

The South Korean government and the ruling party agreed to speed up the completion of its three-legged defense system from the initially planned mid-2020s to early-2020s, in light of the ever-evolving threats from North Korea.The ruling Saenuri Party also strongly called for the procurement of nuclear-powered submarines here, a matter that the government said it will “carefully consider.”“Considering the recent security threats like the North’s Sept. 9 nuclear test, we agreed that our defense ca

Oct. 18, 2016

Missile defense schedule moved up due to NK threats

Seoul to advance deployment of defense system by 2-3 years

South Korea will speed up the planned deployment of advanced weapons by a couple of years to better counter nuclear and missile threats posed by North Korea, military officials said Tuesday. The defense ministry is planning to advance the deployment of missiles and other weapons systems from the original schedule of the mid-2020s due to the North's continued provocations, a senior defense ministry official said in a press briefing.Under the "three-pillar" system, South Korea aims to detect the N

Oct. 18, 2016

N. Korea's missile tests shows why THAAD is necessary: White House

North Korea's latest missile test shows why the United States and South Korea are working together to deploy the THAAD missile defense system in the South, the White House said Monday.The North test-fired a Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missile on Saturday, but the missile exploded shortly after take-off. It was believed to be the seventh test of the missile this year, coming after June's successful launch in which the missile entered space and re-entered Earth's atmosphere."We strongly c

Oct. 18, 2016

[Newsmaker] A soldier’s way

On Oct. 9, 1983, a bomb went off at a national cemetery in Yangon, Burma, where scores of top South Korean government officials were waiting for the arrival of President Chun Doo-hwan. The attack, perpetrated by South Korea’s communist neighbor, brethren and foe North Korea, claimed 17 lives, including Seoul’s deputy prime minister, foreign minister, commerce minister and chief presidential secretary. Twenty-five-year-old 1st Lt. Chun In-bum, not related to the president, was just meters away fr

Oct. 14, 2016

Korea must beef up missile defense capabilities before THAAD

South Korea's military chief stressed the need to strengthen the country's missile defense capabilities to counter North Korea's missile threats before a US anti-missile system is to be deployed on the Korean Peninsula, Seoul's military said Friday.Gen. Lee Sun-jin, chairman of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, made the remarks during Seoul and Washington's Military Committee Meeting held in Washington on Thursday with his counterpart, Gen. Joseph Dunford, it said."The generals agreed to cont

Oct. 14, 2016

Military expanding special forces capability to strike key NK facilities, leadership

South Korea's military said Tuesday it will greatly expand the capabilities of its special forces to strike key North Korean command facilities and its leadership in the event of a crisis.In a parliamentary audit, the Army said it is striving to be ready to carry out independent special operations against the North's provocations, with a plan to secure hardware, such as the latest MH-47 series choppers, compact satellite links and advanced small arms."The Army is seeking to have a special operat

Oct. 12, 2016

Every tool should be used to deal with N. Korea nuke program: Sherman

Every possible tool including military action should be used to denuclearize North Korea, Wendy Sherman, former U.S. undersecretary of state for political affairs, said on Tuesday, calling Pyongyang's nuclear ambition the next U.S. administration's top challenge. "We need to use every tool we have -- military, intelligence, diplomacy, sanctions, information and propaganda -- to deal collectively with North Korea," Sherman said in a session of the World Knowledge Forum hosted by Maeil Business Ne

Oct. 11, 2016

Every tool should be used to deal with N. Korea nuke program: Sherman

Nuclear-powered submarine can help S. Korea: navy chief

The chief of South Korea's Navy said Tuesday acquiring nuclear-powered submarines can help the country better counter growing threats from North Korea.In a parliamentary audit, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Um Hyun-seong said that having such assets in the fleet will be "helpful in multiple aspects." He, however, made it clear that no decision has yet been made on the matter. Photo taken on Oct. 11, 2016, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Um Hyun-seong replies to questions from a lawmaker in a par

Oct. 11, 2016

Nuclear-powered submarine can help S. Korea: navy chief

White House says US trying to deploy THAAD as soon as possible

The United States is working with South Korea to deploy the THAAD missile defense system as early as possible to defend the Asian ally and American troops there from North Korean missile threats, the White House said Monday.The White House said in a posting at its "We the People" online petition website that Washington and Seoul decided to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery in the South because of "North Korea's continued provocations and refusal to engage in serious negotiatio

Oct. 11, 2016

White House says US trying to deploy THAAD as soon as possible

Hanwha defense unit ends partnership with Thales

Hanwha Thales, the country’s biggest defense electronics provider, took over a 50 percent stake from the French contractor for 288 billion won ($260 million) Monday and renamed itself Hanwha Systems. The Seoul-based company was set up in 2000 as a joint venture between Samsung Electronics and Thales Group. Hanwha Group acquired Samsung’s stake in the firm along with other defense and petrochemical units as part of efforts to shore up its presence in the fields. The new name, chosen in a contest

Oct. 10, 2016

Hanwha defense unit ends partnership with Thales

Korean Air Force to acquire 2 more Peace Eye AEW&Cs: source

South Korea's Air Force plans to acquire two more Peace Eye airborne early warning and control aircraft down the road to boost its operational capabilities, a government source said Sunday. The move will increase the number of E-737s to six and give the Air Force better situational awareness, greater ability to gather signal intelligence and better control over its aerial assets. The presence of the planes can act as a deterrence against the North which does not have similar platforms. The E-737

Oct. 9, 2016

Korean Air Force to acquire 2 more Peace Eye AEW&Cs: source

7 out of 10 Americans support US troop presence in S. Korea: survey

Seven out of 10 Americans support the US troop presence in South Korea, an all-time high that shows they don't buy Donald Trump's argument that the US should pull out of the Asian ally unless it pays more for the troops, according to an annual survey released Thursday.The Chicago Council on Global Affairs survey of 2,061 people showed that 70 percent support keeping military bases in South Korea, up from last year's 64 percent. Support among Trump backers was even higher at 72 percent, according

Oct. 7, 2016

Questions linger over defense against NK nukes

Despite the envisioned deployment of an anti-missile system here, doubts linger over South Korea’s defense capacity in the face of ever-growing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea. Defense Minister Han Min-koo touts that the military’s own three-legged defense system, along with the upcoming US-provided missile shield, would be able to neutralize the North’s armed capacity, but not all seem convinced. The “3Ks”“Our military is maintaining firm readiness against any provocations from the

Oct. 6, 2016

Questions linger over defense against NK nukes

Anti-ballistic missile radars stopped 21 times in 3 years: data

Two anti-ballistic missile radars were found to have stopped 21 times in the past three years due to a glitch in their systems, defense ministry data showed Monday.The data, which was submitted to Rep. Lee Chul-gyu of the ruling Saenuri Party ahead of a parliamentary audit, showed that of the two Green Pine radars stationed in South Chungcheong and North Chungcheong provinces, one had stopped 13 times in the period since July 2013, while the other had stopped eight times in the same period.The r

Oct. 3, 2016