S. Korea, U.S. set to begin annual joint military drills

South Korea and the United States will kick off their annual joint military drills this week, the Combined Forces Command (CFC) said Sunday, amid North Korea's repeated threats against the exercises.The computerized command post exercise, called Key Resolve, will be held from Monday to next Friday to improve the combined forces' operation and combat capabilities to deter threats from the North.The two-week war game will involve about 10,000 South Korean and 8,600 American troops to test various

March 1, 2015

New chief vow strong, corruption-free Navy

The new head of the South Korean Navy pledged Friday to build a strong and trustworthy naval force to regain public confidence after a series of scandals that revealed lax discipline.   Adm. Chung Ho-seop took the helm of the 70,000-strong Navy to replace outgoing Adm. Hwang Ki-chul, who stepped down to take responsibility for corruption allegations involving the country's indigenous salvage ship, the Tongyeong.  "We have to squarely face the reality where we've lost trust due to corruption alle

Feb. 27, 2015

S. Korea, U.S. kick off joint naval drills

South Korea and the United States began joint naval maneuver drills in waters off the Korean Peninsula Friday as part of their annual major military exercise Foal Eagle, the Navy here said.  The allies' navies "will stage joint maneuver drills in the South, Yellow and East Seas in succession from today until mid-March to boost joint operations capabilities and to solidify the joint defense posture," the Navy said in a statement.  During the four-day joint drill that began earlier in the day in t

Feb. 27, 2015

U.S. F-22 stealth fighters to take part in Seoul air show

The U.S. Air Force plans to send F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jets to an air show slated for October in Seoul, according to its Web site Wednesday.   According to the U.S. Air Combat Command website, the F-22 demonstration team plans to come to South Korea for six days starting Oct. 20, for the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition 2015.  It will be the first time for the U.S. tactical fighters to visit Korea for an air show, though it has been deployed here to carry out military o

Feb. 25, 2015

Missing Korean teen receiving IS training: spy agency

A Korean teenager who went missing in Turkey last month is training to become a member of the Islamic State militant group, the National Intelligence Service said Tuesday. The 18-year-old tourist from Seoul, surnamed Kim, vanished on Jan. 10 after leaving a hotel in the border town of Kilis. He initially arrived in Istanbul on Jan. 8 and flew to the southern city of Gaziantep before reaching Kilis by car the next day, a typical route locals say is taken by aspiring IS jihadists. The Seoul police

Feb. 24, 2015

Korea, U.S. to go ahead with military drills

South Korea and the U.S. plan to stage their annual joint military drills next month, the allies said Tuesday, as North Korea threatened a military response to what it called a “rehearsal for aggressive war.” Key Resolve, a computer simulated command post exercise, will kick off on March 2 for a 12-day run, involving some 10,000 South Korean troops and 8,600 American servicemen. The Foal Eagle field training drill, which will continue through April 24, is expected to mobilize about 200,000 South

Feb. 24, 2015

Korean Air, KAI to vie for S. Korean fighter project

South Korea's top air carrier Korean Air Line Co. and the country's sole aircraft manufacturer, Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd., placed their bids for Seoul's indigenous fighter development program Tuesday, the arms procurement agency said.  Codenamed KF-X, the 8.5 trillion won ($8.3 billion) project calls for South Korea to develop fighter jets of the F-16 class to replace its aging fleet of F-4s and F-5s. Some 120 jets are to be put into service starting around 2025.  "Korean Air in partnershi

Feb. 24, 2015

S. Korea, U.S. to stage annual joint military drills next month

South Korea and the United States will conduct their annual joint military drills next month, the Combined Forces Command said Tuesday, amid heightened tension on the Korean Peninsula following repeated threats against the exercises from North Korea.  The computerized command post exercise, called Key Resolve, will be held from March 2-13 to improve the combined forces' operation and combat capabilities to deter threats from the North, according to the CFC.  The two-week war game will involve ab

Feb. 24, 2015

S. Korea replaces Navy chief over ship controversy

The government on Monday accepted the resignation of the Navy chief who offered to quit over alleged corruption and named a vice admiral as his successor, the defense ministry said.Adm. Hwang Ki-chul expressed his will to step down from the post in December, two weeks after the state audit agency announced the outcome of an investigation into alleged graft involving the country's indigenous salvage ship, the ministry said in a statement.Chung Ho-seop, vice chief of naval operations, will replace

Feb. 23, 2015

Military eyes quick troop dispatch for disaster relief

The military is pushing for a plan to immediately mobilize military personnel and equipment in case of large-scale disasters to better guarantee public safety, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday.  It is part of the country's ongoing efforts to reform its 48-year-old system for integrated defense, which outlines how to respond to a wide range of threats such as enemies' attacks, disasters and terrorism. Earlier this month, key security agencies discussed the issue during a regular meeting pres

Feb. 23, 2015

Seoul: Joint exercises with U.S. unrelated to inter-Korean ties

South Korea's defense ministry reaffirmed its commitment Monday to staging military drills next month with the United States as scheduled, despite North Korea's repeated demands to halt them.  Seoul and Washington plan to carry out their annual major drills -- Key Resolve, a computerized command post exercise, and the field training exercise Foal Eagle -- starting in early March to check and boost their crisis management abilities and joint readiness posture.  "The annual drills to defend the Ko

Feb. 23, 2015

U.S. combat ship to take part in military drill with S. Korea

The United States plans to send a littoral combat ship to South Korea for their joint military exercise scheduled for next month, the U.S. navy said Sunday. The USS Fort Worth, a 3,450-ton Freedom-class littoral combat ship, will take part in the Seoul-Washington military drill Foal Eagle due next month during its rotational deployment to the 7th Fleet, said U.S. Naval Forces Korea spokesman Arlo Abrahamson in a statement.The allies plan to stage their annual field training exercise Foal Eagle i

Feb. 22, 2015

U.S. expert warns against China’s THAAD opposition

China’s heavy-handed opposition to the possible deployment of a THAAD missile defense battery to South Korea could backfire and prompt greater public support in the South for a stronger alliance with the United States, an American expert said.Scott Snyder, a senior researcher on Korea at the Council Foreign Relations, made the point in a recent article posted on the CFR website, saying it makes no sense for Beijing to demand Seoul refrain from bolstering its missile defense capabilities “in the

Feb. 16, 2015

More U.S. soldiers to join military drills with S. Korea: Seoul

The United States will send a larger number of troops to this year's major joint military exercises with South Korea than last year's, Seoul's defense ministry said Monday.The allies plan to stage their annual major drills -- Key Resolve, a computerized command post exercise (CPX), and the field training exercise (FTX) Foal Eagle -- starting in early March to check and boost their crisis management abilities and joint readiness posture."As for the Key Resolve and Foal Eagle exercises, the total

Feb. 16, 2015

Scientists claim N. Korea conducted secret nuclear test in 2010

North Korea appears to have conducted a secret nuclear test in 2010 and the explosion could have gone unnoticed by the outside world, scientists have claimed, adding to a series of similar allegations.   Researchers Michael Schoeppner of Princeton University and Ulrich Kuhn of the University of Hamburg made the claim in an article on the website of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, citing a seismic analysis published last month.   In May 2010, multiple radionuclide and noble gas stations in

Feb. 14, 2015

'No consultations on THAAD': Pentagon press secretary

The United States and South Korea are discussing a wide range of military issues, including missile defense, but no consultations are under way about the controversial THAAD system, the Pentagon press secretary said Friday."We discuss a wide range of military missions and capabilities with our allies there. Some of those do include -- they would have to, of course, include the idea of missile defense. But there's no formal consultations on THAAD," Rear Adm. John Kirby said at a regular briefing.

Feb. 14, 2015