U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert on Monday noted the need for Seoul and Washington to create an “official consultative mechanism” to discuss the U.S.’ potential deployment of an advanced missile defense asset to Korea.But he said during his courtesy visit to Rep. Moon Jae-in, chief of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy, that it is premature yet to publicly discuss the dispatch of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system, as Washington is still internally dis

June 29, 2015

South Korea plans to release personal information of those who evade compulsory military service starting next year, the military said Monday. The name, age, address and background of the draft evader will become available online if an active duty candidate continues to stay overseas illegally after the date of enlistment, dodges a physical examination for conscription or does not respond to the notice of enrollment, Defense Ministry deputy spokesman Na Seung-yong said. The measure will take eff

June 29, 2015

South Korea and the United States launched Monday a joint logistics exercise on the west coast to enhance their logistical war readiness, the allies said.   The Combined Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore Exercise, which will run till July 9 at Anmyeon Beach, will train South Korean and U.S. "service members on how to accomplish vital logistical measures in an area with strategic access to Seoul," the Republic of Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command said in a press release.   Around 1,700 service memb

June 29, 2015

South Korea is expected to pick the winner of its 1.4 trillion won ($1.25 billion) project to procure four in-flight refueling tankers at a session of the National Defense Acquisition Program Committee on Tuesday, a procurement official said Sunday.“Included in the agenda for Tuesday’s session is the issue of determining the winner for the project,” an official at Seoul’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration said on condition of anonymity. “Unless anything else comes in at the last minute,

June 28, 2015

A group of international personalities calling for an end to nuclear testing visited the inter-Korean border Friday to face the only country that has tested nuclear weapons this century -- North Korea.The Group of Eminent Persons for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty was launched in 2013 to promote the treaty's entry into force. Some its members, including Hans Blix, former chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency; Angela Kane, former U.N. High Representative for Disarmament Affai

June 26, 2015

South Korea and Japan have begun sharing military intelligence on North Korea under a trilateral agreement with the United States, a U.S. defense official said Wednesday.In December, the three countries signed a memorandum of understanding that calls for voluntary sharing of military secrets on North Korea's nuclear and missile programs between the three countries. The deal paved the way for Seoul and Tokyo to share such intelligence via the U.S. after the two countries failed to strike a bilate

June 25, 2015

Experts call on both Koreas to strive harder to restore trust and cooperationSixty-five years after the outbreak of the Korean War, the two Koreas face the daunting task that the armed conflict has left behind -- replacing the current “armistice regime” with a permanent peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.In the 1990s and 2000s, Seoul and Pyongyang moved to lay the groundwork for the peace system, but their efforts failed due to the communist state’s nuclear ambitions, and the two sides’ politi

June 24, 2015

On the back of new momentum for thawing ties, South Korea and Japan are to expedite exchanges and cooperation in defense fields, Defense Ministry officials said Wednesday.Such moves come after the leaders of the neighboring countries called for progress earlier this week in bilateral relations long weighed down by history issues."Working-level talks for policy coordination between officials of the defense ministries are planned this fall," an official said."The planned meeting is meant to assess

June 24, 2015

The U.S. nuclear-powered submarine USS Michigan made a port call Tuesday in South Korea's southeastern port city of Busan to conduct diverse missions and showcase its latest capabilities, the group in charge of its operation said.The 18,000-ton submarine, one of the world's largest, arrived at a Busan base with some 165 crew members to "conduct a multitude of missions and showcase the latest capabilities of the submarine fleet," the U.S. Navy's Submarine Group Seven said in a release.The submari

June 23, 2015

The U.S. strategic commander reaffirmed his commitment Tuesday to strong deterrence against potential threats by North Korea.Adm. Cecil Haney, who leads the U.S. Strategic Command, made the remarks while in Seoul for a four-day trip starting Sunday at a time when tensions remain heightened on the Korean Peninsula over North Korea's continued provocative actions.Haney's trip here is part of his visit to the Asia-Pacific region, which also includes stops in Hawaii, Japan and Alaska.The visit to So

June 23, 2015

South Korea's trade dependence on Japan has dropped to the lowest level in decades, apparently affected by their worsening diplomatic ties and the global economic slowdown, a report showed Thursday.According to the report by the Korea International Trade Association, South Korea's trade with Japan during the January-May period of this year accounted for 7.6 percent of its total volume of imports and exports.The ratio is the lowest since both countries normalized diplomatic relations in 1965 when

June 18, 2015

The Defense Ministry is seeking a 7.2 percent increase in its budget for next year to beef up its capabilities to counter North Korea’s growing threats and improve the military service environment. The ministry said Wednesday it requested the Finance Ministry to set aside 40.14 trillion won ($36.2 billion) for 2016. Nearly 70 percent of the proposed budget, or 27.76 trillion won, is allocated to raise the salary for enlistees, newly provide them with child support and enhance the living environm

June 17, 2015

Army chaplains of South Korea and the United States staged their first-ever joint drills in Seoul on Tuesday as part of the allies’ efforts to cultivate the officers’ roles during wartime, military officials said.Some 100 Catholic priests, pastors and Buddhist monks in the two countries’ militaries, as well as medics and interpreter officers, are taking part in the three-day field training exercise at the Special Warfare Command, according to the South Korean Army. The chaplains provide spiritua

June 16, 2015

Defense Minister Han Min-koo visited a military medical center Sunday for MERS patients to help soothe the growing concerns over the disease that has claimed 14 lives in the country over the past weeks.Han arrived at the medical center at the Osan air base in Osan, Gyeonggi Province, 55 kilometers south of Seoul, early in the morning, the Defense Ministry said in a statement, adding Han asked the medics to be fully prepared for any additional breakouts of the disease among servicemembers.No conf

June 14, 2015

Two U.S. fighter jets made an emergency landing at a South Korean air base after suspected problems with their fuselage, military officers said Friday.   The F-16 jets landed at Wonju Air Base in Gangwon Province, 132 kilometers south of Seoul, on Thursday while taking part in a shooting training session at a range in the nearby mountain of Taebaek, they said.   "Upon detecting signs of problems with the bodies of the planes, the pilots, affiliated with the U.S. Air Force 8th Fighter Wing in the

June 12, 2015

U.S. President Barack Obama approved a civilian nuclear energy cooperation deal with South Korea on Thursday, saying it will promote the "common defense and security."  In April, the two countries initialed the revision to their 1974 nuclear cooperation pact after more than four years of negotiations to reconcile Seoul's demand for the right to reprocess spent nuclear fuel and enrich uranium with Washington's concerns about proliferation.   The new deal still bans Seoul from reprocessing and enr

June 12, 2015

The U.S. State Department has approved a proposed sale to South Korea of Aegis combat systems that will be used to arm the country's next-generation destroyers.  South Korea has asked to buy 3 Aegis Shipboard Combat Systems, associated equipment, parts and logistical support and the State Department approved the proposed sale, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said.  The total estimated cost is $1.91 billion, it said.  "The Aegis Combat System will provide enhanced capabilities on the ROK'

June 12, 2015