Cyber warfare officials admit to political activity

Several employees of the military’s cyber warfare command have admitted to having posted political comments online, an official at the Defense Ministry said Thursday.Their admission came as the ministry’s Criminal Investigation Command and the military prosecution were conducting an investigation to see if they violated the military criminal code that bans any political activity by service members.“Under the direction of the defense minister, we are carrying out an investigation to clarify all t

Oct. 17, 2013

Parties clash over military’s alleged election interference

Political bickering over the cyber warfare command’s alleged election interference escalated Wednesday as the main opposition Democratic Party called for a thorough investigation and the dismissal of its chief.The ruling Saenuri Party downplayed the scandal, saying the “unconfirmed” allegations should not be exaggerated and politicized pending the Defense Ministry’s ongoing probe into the case.During a parliamentary audit of the government Tuesday, the allegation emerged that three civilians in

Oct. 16, 2013

‘Korea will not join U.S. missile defense system’

Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin reiterated Wednesday that South Korea would not join the U.S.-led global missile defense system, stressing there was no “appropriate logic” for Seoul to do so.Speaking at a meeting with reporters, Kim also said Seoul was not considering the purchase of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system and ship-based Standard Missile-3, which are core assets of the multi-layered U.S. missile shield program.“If we consider various conditions such as the necessity, its ad

Oct. 16, 2013

South Korea pushes to build three more Aegis destroyers

The South Korean Navy has made a request to build three more Aegis destroyers to bolster defense against its Asian neighbors and North Korea amid increasing military tension due to territorial disputes, a military source said Wednesday. South Korea currently operates three 7,600-ton Aegis warships, but the Navy has sought to increase its fleet to cope with rising regional tension in light of Pyongyang's third nuclear test conducted earlier this year and ongoing territorial disputes between China

Oct. 16, 2013

Seoul seeks to ward off N. Korea with multi-layered missile defense

South Korea will speed up building its own missile defense aimed at low-flying targets, while seeking ways to develop “multi-layered” deterrence against North Korea, the defense ministry said Tuesday. Seoul has been gradually building an independent, low-tier missile shield called the Korea Air and Missile Defense, with mid-term plans to acquire the latest Patriot missiles and long-range early warning radars. In addition to the terminal phase system, the defense ministry said it is considering m

Oct. 15, 2013

‘U.S. not in full support of Japan’s military expansion’

Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se said Monday that Washington’s recent support for Tokyo’s push for the right to collective self-defense is still within the confines of the U.S.-Japan security pact.“It is not that the U.S. has given a blank check to Japan. It is to allow (the pursuit of the right) within the limits of their security pact,” he told the parliamentary foreign affairs committee during a government interpellation session.“In the remarks the U.S. side made, there is an expression pointing

Oct. 14, 2013

S. Korea, U.S. to decide timing of OPCON transfer next year

Seoul and Washington have agreed to reset the timing of the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) next year after reviewing North Korean threat and the South Korean forces capabilities to deal with it, the defense ministry here said Monday.  The issue of the OPCON transfer to Seoul surfaced as the major issue in this year's parliamentary audit on the defense ministry, which in May proposed the U.S. government to reconsider the December 2015 deadline in light of the rising North Korean

Oct. 14, 2013

Missile interceptor out of order for 4 months last year: lawmaker

One of South Korea’s core missile interceptors remained out of order for longer than four months last year due to a failure to quickly replace a faulty part, an opposition lawmaker said Monday.According to a report the Air Force submitted to Rep. Baek Gun-ki of the main opposition Democratic Party, one Patriot Advanced Capability-2 system was left unfixed for 132 days as the Air Force failed to replace the faulty part in the interceptor’s radar system domestically.The PAC-2 system in question sa

Oct. 14, 2013

JCS chief nominee vows to beef up S. Korea's defense capabilities

The nominee for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) vowed Friday to speed up major weapons programs to bolster defense capabilities, saying North Korea's missile and nuclear ambitions are posing the greatest threat to South Korean national security.President Park Geun-hye last month appointed Adm. Choi Yun-hee to the JCS chief, marking the first time that a Navy chief has been appointed to the top commander post. His appointment is subject to parliamentary approval.Choi said the Sout

Oct. 11, 2013

USFK has over 1tr won in unspent money paid by Korea

The United States Forces Korea is sitting on more than 1 trillion won ($930.5 million) in South Korean contributions for stationing the troops here, a Defense Ministry report showed Thursday.According to the report submitted to lawmaker Park Joo-sun, USFK had a total of 1.04 trillion won from South Korea‘s payment in defense cost sharing for American troops as of early this year.The total is composed of a 738 billion won bank balance plus the 303.5 billion won yet to be contributed by Seoul, acc

Oct. 10, 2013

Infrared search track equipment developed for warships

South Korea has developed an infrared search and track (IRST) system with indigenous technology to improve reconnaissance capabilities of its naval warships, the state arms procurement agency said Tuesday. Samsung Thales Co. and the state-funded Agency for Defense Development began its development of IRST in 2006 with a 19 billion won ($17.7 million) budget, with the goal of deploying the censor system to its frigates by 2017, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said. South Kor

Oct. 8, 2013

S. Korean defense chief says 2015 OPCON transfer 'inappropriate'

South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin on Tuesday expressed his reservations about taking over wartime operational control (OPCON) in 2015 from the United States as scheduled, citing growing North Korean threats. Kim made the remark while briefing lawmakers on last week's bilateral meeting with U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel in Seoul, which was dominated by discussions of the politically sensitive issue in South Korea, as the two Koreas are still technically at war. "North Korea is di

Oct. 8, 2013

Typhoon delays naval drill involving S. Korea, U.S., Japan

A planned naval drill involving South Korea, the United States and Japan in waters off the Korean Peninsula's southern coast has been delayed as a typhoon is fast approaching, bringing high waves and strong gusts, military officials in Seoul said Tuesday. The trilateral drill was scheduled to take place from Tuesday to Thursday to carry out maritime maneuvering, and search and rescue operations as part of routine training that involves the American aircraft carrier the USS George Washington, and

Oct. 8, 2013

S. Korea, U.S. hold small group talks on USFK defense cost sharing

South Korea and the United States held small group talks Saturday on how best to share the cost of maintaining American troops on the Korean Peninsula after past negotiations failed to make headway.Diplomatic sources said the closed door meeting was attended by Hwang Joon-kook, special ambassador for the Special Measures Agreement (SMA) talks, and his U.S. counterpart Eric John.The location of the talks has not been disclosed other than that it is taking place on the outskirts of Seoul. Insiders

Oct. 5, 2013

Remains of S. Korean POW who died in North repatriated

The remains of a South Korean prisoner of war (POW) who died in the Northwere returned home, the defense ministry here said Saturday.The ministry said the remains of Sohn Dong-shik arrived earlier in the day and were sent to the Agency for Killed in Action Recovery & Identification for DNA analysis to confirm his identity.The transfer of Sohn's remains, who held the rank of sergeant in South Korea's 9th Infantry Division during the Korea War (1950-53), was facilitated by local civic groups such

Oct. 5, 2013

S. Korean soldier stabs colleague to death in military hospital

A South Korean soldier was arrested after he fatally stabbed a colleague at a military hospital on Friday, officials said.The Army private first class, only identified by his surname Oh, attacked his colleague with a knife at around 3:50 a.m. during a night shift at a military hospital in Chuncheon, some 85 kilometers east of Seoul.The victim, the same rank as Oh, was fatally wounded and died during treatment, military officials said.After the knife attack, a senior officer shot Oh on his should

Oct. 4, 2013