S. Korea set for on-site survey in DMZ project

South Korea plans to conduct a field survey next week in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) bisecting the Koreas to select a site for a "peace park," an official said Thursday.The Park Geun-hye administration has pushed for the ambitious project to create an ecological park in the heavily-armed DMZ as part of efforts to reduce military tensions on the peninsula."A government-civilian survey team has been created. Around 20 members will look around several candidate sites from Dec. 10-12," the unificat

Dec. 4, 2014

S. Korea launches large-scale airlift exercise

The South Korean military kicked off a large-scale airlift exercise on Thursday to boost air transportation capacity for enhanced wartime capabilities, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.The two-day exercise took place in the city of Yangju, north of Seoul, involving some 1,300 service personnel from 15 units of the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the Marine Corps. It also mobilized around 900 units of equipment and vehicles includingC-130 transport aircraft and CH-47 helicopters, according

Dec. 4, 2014

Chief U.S. nuclear envoy to visit Seoul Thursday

The U.S. special representative for North Korea policy will visit South Korea this week, the State Department announced Tuesday, his first trip to the region since taking office last month.Ambassador Sung Kim will be in Seoul on Thursday for meetings with Seoul’s special representative for Korean Peninsula affairs, Hwang Joon-kook, and other officials. Kim will be accompanied by his deputy, Sydney Seiler, special envoy for the six-party talks, and Allison Hooker, director for Korea at the Nation

Dec. 3, 2014

Military ombudsman to be installed at antigraft body

An ombudsman bureau to investigate human rights abuses in the military will be installed at the state-run Anti-Corruption & Civil Rights Commission, military sources said Wednesday.In response to repeated reports of abuse in the barracks, military officials have worked to establish an ombudsman system to deal regularly with such cases. Amid growing public concern over soldiers’ well-being, the Defense Ministry in August launched a committee dedicated to stamping out abuses in the military, compr

Dec. 3, 2014

S. Korea ups defense budget by 4.9 pct for next year

South Korea has finalized its 2015 defense budget that calls for a 4.9 percent increase from this year to improve the welfare of servicemen and enhance combat capabilities, the defense ministry said Wednesday.Next year's defense spending has been set at 37.4 trillion won (US$33.6 billion), accounting for some 9.9 percent of the nation's total budget of 375.4 trillion won passed Tuesday by the National Assembly. The ministry had originally sought a 5.2 percent rise.Of the total defense budget, 26

Dec. 3, 2014

S. Korean Navy receives new amphibious landing ship

The South Korean Navy took delivery Friday of the country's first indigenous next-generation amphibious landing ship expected to boost the military's landing and transportation capabilities, the state arms procurer said.  The 4,500-ton LTS-II ship Cheonwangbong, named after the country's second-highest peak of Mount Jiri in the southern region, had been built with the country's own technology by shipbuilder Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction Co. since 2011.   Capable of accommodating 300 ful

Nov. 28, 2014

Stray bullet from USFK chopper hits civilian office

A bullet, thought to have been fired by an attack helicopter of the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division, penetrated the roof of a civilian office last Friday, raising questions about whether the military training was being conducted in due consideration of residents’ safety.After a complaint was filed about the stray bullet in Yeongbuk in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, near the Rodriguez Firing Range, the U.S. division and South Korea’s 8th Division set up a probe team to look into the incident, the 2ID tol

Nov. 26, 2014

China's envoy opposes possible THAAD deployment in S. Korea: lawmaker

China's top diplomat to Seoul said Wednesday he is opposed to the possible U.S. deployment of an advanced missile-defense (MD) system in South Korea as it would hurt Sino-Korean ties, a lawmaker said.   The United States has said it is considering deploying a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery, an integral part of its MD system, to South Korea, citing evolving threats from North Korea. It is designed to shoot down short, medium and intermediate ballistic missiles at a higher alt

Nov. 26, 2014

Study offers clues about ‘childhood Alzheimer’s’

Korean researchers managed to identify the cause behind an early childhood disease that degrades the nervous system, the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning said Tuesday.According to the ministry, researchers from Kyungpook National University discovered the mechanism behind Niemann―Pick Type C disease, an inherited lipid storage disorder that affects the central nervous system.The symptoms for NP-C ― which is found in 1 in 150,000 people and usually appears in early childhood ― include

Nov. 25, 2014

JCS chief to control cyberwarfare operations

The Defense Ministry is seeking to put its cyberwarfare operations under the control of the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman in a bid to broaden the scope of the operations to include full-scale wartime procedures.The decision comes as the ministry is struggling to shore up public trust in its cyberwarfare command, which has come under fire for political interference amid North Korea’s escalating security challenges in the increasingly militarized cyberdomain.“We are working on a legal revision to

Nov. 24, 2014

Korea conducts military drill to defend Dokdo

The South Korean military carried out a drill to deter trespassers on its easternmost islets of Dokdo on Monday, the Defense Ministry said. The drill began earlier in the day on the rocky outcroppings in the East Sea and in its surrounding waters with an aim to repel non-military forces that approach the islets via a sea or air route, according to the ministry.The exercise involved Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard officers, as well as around six destroyers and convoys, fighters and patrol p

Nov. 24, 2014

Military pushing to deploy controversial salvage ship

The military is pushing to put the country's first indigenous salvage vessel into service to replace aging ships, officers said Monday, amid controversy over substandard equipment on the vessel.    The next-generation rescue and salvage ship Tongyong was launched in September 2012, two years after the sinking of the warship Cheonan by North Korea, to enable the military to effectively carry out rescue operations and tow away damaged vessels.   The 160 billion won ($154 million) vessel, however,

Nov. 24, 2014

S. Korea conducts military drill to defend Dokdo

The South Korean military carried out a drill to deter trespassers on its easternmost islets of Dokdo on Monday, the defense ministry said.    The drill began earlier in the day on the rocky outcroppings in the East Sea and in its surrounding waters with an aim to repel non-military forces that approach the islets via a sea or air route, according to the ministry.   The exercise involved Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard officers, as well as about six destroyers and convoys, fighter jets and

Nov. 24, 2014

Gov't launches task force on defense industry corruption

The government launched a joint investigation team of prosecutors, military officers and government officials Friday in an effort to root out corruption in the country's defense industry. The move comes amid growing allegations of bribery and other underhand dealings between military officials and defense firms, as well as cozy relations between the arms procurement agency and retired service personnel at private defense companies.  The special team -- composed of 105 prosecutors, military prose

Nov. 21, 2014