South Korea's ruling and opposition parties on Wednesday continued to debate over whether Seoul should consider its own nuclear armament as an option to defend the country, amid the escalating tension on the Korean Peninsula sparked by Pyongyang's provocations.Following North Korea's launch of submarine-launched ballistic missiles as well as its fifth nuclear test, a rising number of hawkish lawmakers mainly from the ruling Saenuri Party claimed that South Korea must consider developing its own

Sept. 21, 2016

Over 3,400 Korean men decide to drop their nationality each year, suggesting a widespread trend to evade compulsory military service, a lawmaker said Monday.People’s Party Rep. Kim Joong-ro, a former Army general, said that based on data submitted by the Military Manpower Administration, 17,229 Korean men subjected to compulsory military duty lost or rescinded their nationality from 2012 to July this year.Among them, 15,569 forfeited their Korean nationality by acquiring a different nationality

Sept. 19, 2016

Adm. Um Hyun-seong has been promoted and nominated as the new chief of naval operations, the Ministry of National Defense said Monday.Um Hyun-seong / The Ministry of National DefenseThe incoming Navy chairman will relieve incumbent Adm. Jung Ho-sup. The 58-year-old admiral has been serving as the vice chairman of Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.Leem Ho-young / The Ministry of National DefenseLeem Ho-young, 57, chief director of JCS’ Strategic Planning Directorate, will replace Gen. Kim Hyun-jip as

Sept. 19, 2016

South Korea's main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea said Monday the rising voice among hawkish lawmakers that Seoul should develop its own nukes is a mere "populist" move, adding it would conflict with United Nations' resolutions."Discussing South Korea's nuke armament thoughtlessly is a mere populist move against Pyongyang's nuclear tests," Rep. Woo Sang-ho, the floor leader of the opposition party, said.Rep. Woo Sang-ho, the floor leader of the Minjoo Party of Korea (Yonhap)Woo added the devel

Sept. 19, 2016

The head of Finland's army toured a South Korean self-propelled artillery unit as the Scandinavian country is considering adopting the K-9 self-propelled howitzers for its armed forces, a military official here said Sunday.According to the source who declined to be identified, Lieutenant General Seppo Toivonen visited an Army unit that uses the K-9 Thunder on Sept. 10. "The general specifically checked how South Korea employs the artillery system in its units," the official said. The Finnish off

Sept. 18, 2016

South Korea-US Combined Forces said Monday the scheduled deployment of two supersonic bombers to Osan Air Base has been postponed to Tuesday, as the allies plan on sending advanced US strategic assets here to guard against North Korea’s nuclear threats.The B-1B Lancer bombers planned to fly over South Korean skies Monday morning, in an apparent protest and warning against Pyongyang’s fifth nuclear test Friday. The test, assessed to be the hermit nation’s most powerful ever, with a yield of 10 ki

Sept. 12, 2016

South Korea has already developed a plan to annihilate the North Korean capital of Pyongyang through intensive bombing in case the North shows any signs of a nuclear attack, a military source in Seoul said Sunday."Every Pyongyang district, particularly where the North Korean leadership is possibly hidden, will be completely destroyed by ballistic missiles and high-explosive shells as soon as the North shows any signs of using a nuclear weapon. In other words, the North's capital city will be red

Sept. 11, 2016

The United States plans to dispatch a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to South Korea next month in a show of force to deter further military provocations by North Korea following its latest nuclear test, a military official here said Sunday.The USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), the flagship of the Yokosuka, Japan-based Carrier Strike Group Five of the US Navy, will sail to South Korea's Yellow and South Seas to participate in a joint naval exercise with South Korea, slated for Oct. 10-15, the officia

Sept. 11, 2016

The concept of military power has two starkly different subcategories: hard and soft power. The former normally involves the use of coercive military means such as the conventional forces or nuclear weapons, while the latter is achieved by noncoercive means of persuasion, including personal exchanges, joint military drills and military diplomacy.In the 21st century, many states are opting to focus more on military soft power. Direct military confrontations not only pose a grave risk to national

Sept. 8, 2016

The Seoul Defense Dialogue 2016 officially kicked off Thursday to discuss continued and new security crises around the world, in particular North Korea’s evolving military threats with its recent barrage of missile tests.The fifth annual talks were hosted by the South Korean Defense Ministry and brought together delegations from 34 countries and five international organizations under the theme “Complex Security Crisis, Challenges and Solutions.”The opening ceremony, held at the Westin Chosun Hot

Sept. 8, 2016

High-ranking defense officials from 33 countries and five international organizations gathered Wednesday to discuss regional and international security issues, namely the ongoing challenges involving North Korea and maritime disputes involving the US, China and Japan.The Seoul Defense Dialogue 2016, held from Sept.7-9, will kick off with a plenary session Thursday on the denuclearization of North Korea and international cooperation. Seoul Defense Dialogue 2015 (SDD)During the session, the partic

Sept. 7, 2016

Citizens of Seongju and Gimcheon in North Gyeongsang Province on Wednesday met with opposition party leader Choo Mi-ae and visited the US Embassy in Seoul to voice discontent about the government’s plan to locate the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system in the southern towns.The visit came after the residents’ committee in Gimcheon visited Defense Minister Han Min-koo last week to assert that they do not want the US missile defense system in their neighborhood citing health concerns.The Mi

Sept. 7, 2016

Hanwha Techwin’s K9 self-propelled howitzer (right) and Hanwha Corp.’s Korean ballistic aerial target system are displayed at the Defense Expo Korea 2016 held from Wednesday through Sunday at Kintex in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province. The four defense units of Hanwha Group -- including Hanwha Defense systems and Hanwha Thales -- featured a joint booth at Korea’s biggest defense industry exhibition to demonstrate their weapon systems. They include the Chunmoo multiple rocket launching system and the lon

Sept. 7, 2016