U.S., Korea hold ‘constant’ THAAD discussions: Pentagon

The United States holds constant discussions with South Korea about the THAAD missile defense system, the Pentagon press secretary said Tuesday.“We all recognize the importance of the capability,” Rear Adm. John Kirby said during a press briefing in response to a question about whether the U.S. has had any talks with South Korea about the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system.“There’s constant discussions and certainly with our South Korean allies about that. But I have no detail to provide

Feb. 11, 2015

N.K. leader urges troops to get combat-ready: Seoul minister

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has actively toured military units to encourage his troops to be fully prepared to fight as part of efforts to consolidate his regime, Seoul's defense minister said Wednesday.  "Since November when the North began to stage winter drills, Kim has visited military units 10 times. While leading some aggressive exercises, he has encouraged the military to complete their readiness this year to fight," Defense Minister Han Min-koo told lawmakers.  While carrying out an

Feb. 11, 2015

U.S., S. Korea holds 'constant' discussions about THAAD: Pentagon spokesman

The United States holds constant discussions with South Korea about the THAAD missile defense system, the Pentagon press secretary has said.   "We all recognize the importance of the capability," Rear Adm. John Kirby said during a press briefing on Tuesday in response to a question about whether the U.S. has had any talks with South Korea about the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system.  "There's constant discussions and certainly with our South Korean allies about that. But I have no detai

Feb. 11, 2015

JCS chairman to take control of cyber operations

The Cabinet decided Tuesday to empower the chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff to control the operations of the cyber command as part of efforts to counter growing security threats online.Currently, the cyber command tasked with countering threats in cyberspace is under the Ministry of National Defense, with its activities being regarded more as administrative measures rather than military operations.At a weekly meeting, the Cabinet approved a revised decree on the cyber command, giving the JCS

Feb. 10, 2015

S. Korea's bidding for fighter project falls through

A bid for South Korea's indigenous fighter development program failed on Monday due to a lack of bidders, leading to a second auction later this month, the state arms procurement agency said.Codenamed KF-X, the 8.5 trillion won ($8.3 billion) project calls for the country to develop and produce some 120 fighter jets of the F-16 class to replace its aging fleet of F-4s and F-5s."After closing the bid on Monday, the Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. was found to be the sole applier," an official of

Feb. 9, 2015

S. Korea to join multilateral military drill

South Korea has sent Navy and Marine troops to participate in one of the world's largest military exercises held every year in Thailand later this week, the Marine Corps said Sunday.Cobra Gold, a regional drill initiated by the United States and Thailand, will run from Monday to Feb. 20 this year. The largest Asia-Pacific exercise was started in 1981 and has been an annual fixture in the Southeast Asian nation.This year would mark the sixth time South Korea joins the pan-continental exercise. Se

Feb. 8, 2015

S. Korea to face budget crunch for key defense projects: data

South Korea will likely lack some 30 trillion won ($27.5 billion) to fund defense projects over the next five years, data showed Sunday, causing concern over a delay in key programs to boost military capabilities.According to the data by the defense ministry, the country's arms procurement agency, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, estimated that 96 trillion won would be required to implement defense projects scheduled for completion between 2016 and 2020."The amount is some 30 tril

Feb. 8, 2015

S. Korea says 'no consultation' with U.S. on missile defense

South Korea reaffirmed Thursday that it has not consulted with the United States on Washington's plan to deploy an advanced missile defense system on the Korean Peninsula.  The U.S. has expressed its desire to deploy a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery, an integral part of its Missile Defense system, in South Korea, citing evolving threats from North Korea. It is designed to shoot down short-, medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles at a higher altitude in their terminal phas

Feb. 5, 2015

Park urges military readiness against N.K. provocations

South Korean President Park Geun-hye called on the military Thursday to maintain its readiness to deter North Korea's possible provocations amid tensions on the divided Korean Peninsula.  North Korea has ratcheted up rhetoric against South Korea over anti-Pyongyang leaflets and its planned annual joint military drills with the United States.  Propaganda leaflets critical of North Korea have long been a constant source of tension between the two rival Koreas. The tension flared up in October when

Feb. 5, 2015

Korean Air, Airbus join hands for S. Korean fighter project

South Korea's top air carrier Korean Air Line Co. plans to sign a partnership agreement with Europe's Airbus this week to jointly bid for Seoul's indigenous fighter development program, officials said Thursday.  Codenamed KF-X, the 8.5 trillion won ($8.3 billion) project calls for South Korea to develop and produce some 120 fighter jets of the F-16 class to replace its aging fleet of F-4s and F-5s.  "The two sides reached a verbal agreement earlier this week to jointly bid for the development pr

Feb. 5, 2015

S. Korea launches large-scale aerial drill

The South Korean Air Force said Thursday it has started a large-scale aerial exercise involving indigenous light attack fighter jets as part of efforts to evaluate and improve its strategic and combat capabilities.  The exercise "Soaring Eagle" kicked off Monday for a two-week run at an air base in the central city of Cheongju, 137 kilometers south of Seoul, according to the Air Force.   The biannual drill, which was inaugurated in 2008 with air-to-air and air-to-surface operations across the co

Feb. 5, 2015

Korea pushing to export FA-50 fighter jets to Peru

The South Korean military is seeking to export $1 billion worth of an indigenous light attack aircraft to Peru, informed sources said Tuesday.“We’ve been pushing to sell 24 units of the FA-50 to Peru, and are planning to submit a proposal for Lima’s fighter purchase project this month,” said a source, requesting anonymity.“Factoring in the necessary logistics support, the total amount of the envisioned exports would reach $2 billion.”South Korea is likely to vie with Russia, Italy and China, wit

Feb. 3, 2015

U.S. nuke sub visits S. Korea for joint drill

A nuclear-powered U.S. submarine has arrived in South Korea to participate in an annual joint military drill this week, a naval officer here said Monday.The USS Olympia (SSN-717), a Los Angeles-class submarine, carrying some 120 sailors, arrived in the southern port city of Jinhae, 410 kilometers south of Seoul, on Friday, to attend the joint Seoul-Washington three-day naval drill starting Thursday, the naval officer said, requesting anonymity."The submarine will join a South Korean fleet to lau

Feb. 2, 2015

Army sex offenders to face forcible discharge

The Army is seeking tougher punishments for sex offenders in the military including immediate dismissal and demotion following a spate of recent sexual assault cases that have damaged public trust and troop morale. It is also considering employing a “one-strike” system in which senior officials, caught sexually harassing subordinate soldiers, will be forcibly expelled from the military for good, a senior Army official said.“We will toughen our disciplinary rules for sex crimes to mete out heavy

Feb. 1, 2015

S. Korean Navy launches submarine command

The South Korean Navy on Sunday inaugurated a submarine command as part of efforts to bolster its underwater capabilities and combat readiness against North Korea.The fleet of the command, based in the southern port city of Jinhae and led by a rear admiral, is composed of 13 submarines under the Ninth Submarine Flotilla, the Navy said in a statement.The Navy operates nine 1,200-ton submarines and four 1,800-ton subs, while planning to add five more 1,800-ton submarines to be built by 2019. In ad

Feb. 1, 2015

Army deserter nabbed for killing his mother

An Army deserter addicted to online games has been arrested on charges of killing his mother and setting fire to her body, military police said Friday.The 21-year-old private first class identified only by his surname Kang, allegedly murdered his 54-year-old mother at their residence in Seoul and burned her body on Jan. 22, while failing to return to his unit in the country's eastern province of Gangwon after a leave, according to the military police.The enlistee "hit his mother on the head more

Jan. 30, 2015