The Korea Herald

S. Korea decides against picking Boeing's F-15 SE as next fighter jet

South Korea decided not to select Boeing's F-15SE as the country's next fighter jet Tuesday amid concern the sole-remaining candidate for the 8.3 trillion won (US$7.2 billion) project is not suitable as it lacks stealth features. The decision, which came in a meeting of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) presided over by Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin, prompted the government to restart the procurement program from the beginning, further delaying the replacement of the aging fl

Sept. 24, 2013

Korea set to go ahead with purchase of Boeing F-15 SE

U.S. aerospace giant Boeing is moving closer to win South Korea’s 8.3 trillion won ($7.2 billion) contract as the state procurement agency is set to recommend F-15 Silent Eagle as the sole candidate that comes within the budget in an upcoming meeting of top military officials. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration has completed biddings and evaluations on three jets ― Boeing’s F-15 SE, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 and the EADS’ Eurofighter ― and briefed President Park Geun-hye on the results

Sept. 23, 2013

U.S. military reform offers lesson to South Korea: analyst

The key targets of the current deficit-driven U.S. military transformation are efficiency and inter-service cooperation ― crucial areas that South Korea’s armed forces should also focus on to better defend against North Korea, a security expert said.In a recent interview with The Korea Herald, Ohm Tae-am, a senior research fellow at the state-run Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, also said Washington’s pursuit of a lighter and more agile military was unlikely to undermine the alliance’s fore

Sept. 23, 2013

U.S. military reform offers lesson to South Korea: analyst

‘Seoul should use alliance to boost diplomatic clout’

This is the fifth in a series of articles to mark the 60th anniversary of the South Korea-U.S. alliance. ― Ed.South Korea’s dependence on its alliance with the U.S. for security and diplomacy has been credited with helping the once-war-ravaged country rapidly emerge as one of Asia’s economic powerhouses.But the fruits of the six-decade-old partnership did not come without cost, according to Kim Tae-hyun, the director of the Center for the Study of Grand Strategy at Chung-Ang University.“From a b

Sept. 23, 2013

‘Seoul should use alliance to boost diplomatic clout’

Statistics agency fines companies for not responding to surveys

South Korea's statistics agency has fined companies for not responding to its surveys in a move to encourage public participation in government efforts to collect key policy-related data, agency officials said Monday.Statistics Korea fined four manufacturers a combined 400,000-500,000 won ($460) each late last year for not responding to its surveys on the mining and manufacturing industries, according to the officials.The penalties were the first of their kind. They also came amid the falling re

Sept. 23, 2013

U.S. Army unit set for Korea missions after Iraq

A U.S. Army attack reconnaissance squadron is set to return to South Korea after missions in Iraq as part of Washington's rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region, according to the Pentagon. The main body of 4th Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, will deploy next week from a base in the U.S. state of Washington, the Pentagon's American Forces Press Service quoted Army Maj. Gen. Stephen R. Lanza as saying. The unit, which would be the first U.S. rotational land forces in Korea, has 380 members with

Sept. 20, 2013

Man shot near border sought asylum in Japan

A South Korean man who was shot dead while trying to swim across a border river had sought refugee protection in Japan before making a rare attempt to defect to the North, a senior military official said Tuesday. “The dead man had applied for refugee status in Japan for political reasons, but his application was turned down and he was expelled from the nation,” Army Brg. Gen. Jo Jong-seol, deputy operation commander at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a briefing. “It is known that (Nam) did si

Sept. 17, 2013

Korea to deploy coastal surveillance system

South Korea will develop an advanced coastal surveillance system composed of radar and cameras for deployment in border and offshore areas prone to infiltrations by next year, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration said Monday.The DAPA said it will spend 41.8 billion won ($38.6 million) to upgrade the current radar and thermal observation devices placed in coastal areas and additionally install day and night surveillance cameras developed by Daebo Communication & Systems, a South Korean

Sept. 16, 2013

Authorities face tough choice over Hongsangeo torpedo

Defense acquisition authorities are facing a tough choice over whether to resume the production of Hongsangeo, a domestic anti-submarine torpedo, as the final testing of the weapon was not satisfactory.Since July, two practice Hongsangeo torpedoes and two live ones have been tested. Three of them hit the intended targets, while one live torpedo failed, a Defense Acquisition Program Administration official said, declining to be named.The testing came after one Hongsangeo failed to hit its target

Sept. 15, 2013

Authorities face tough choice over Hongsangeo torpedo

Hongsangeo torpedo fails to hit target again in latest test-firing

A homegrown torpedo failed to hit the target again in the latest test-firing conducted earlier this month, an official said Sunday, raising questions about possible faulty designs and casting clouds over the prospect of resuming its production.The Navy has test-fired four rounds of the torpedo, named "Hongsangeo," or "Red Shark," since July in waters off the east coast. The first three rounds hit the target, but the final one went off the mark, the official at the Defense Acquisition Program Adm

Sept. 15, 2013

Park to visit Indonesia, Brunei for APEC, ASEAN summits

President Park Geun-hye will visit Indonesia and Brunei for regional cooperation summits next month, her office said Thursday.Park will attend a summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum to be held in Indonesia‘s resort island of Bali on Oct. 7-8. She will then attend a series of meetings related to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to be held in Brunei on Oct. 9-10, senior presidential press secretary Lee Jung-hyun said. (Yonhap News)

Sept. 12, 2013

Ex-Air Force chiefs disapprove of Boeing

A group of retired Air Force chiefs have stepped up opposition to the government’s plan to buy 60 Boeing F-15 Silent Eagles, criticizing the selection process that put top priority on price over capabilities, sources said Thursday.In late August, 17 four-star Air Force generals sent letters to the National Assembly, presidential office and defense ministry to suggest a reconsideration of the current evaluation process that effectively weeded out the other two bidders with higher price tags ― Loc

Sept. 12, 2013

S. Korea eying PAC-III, THAAD for missile defense: industry official

The South Korean military is apparently seeking to upgrade its missile defense capability to Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC)-III, with the purchase of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems in mind as a possible next step, a U.S. defense industry official said Wednesday.If confirmed, it would contradict South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin's statement that his country is just pushing for the so-called low-tier Korea Missile Defense (KAD) system.South Korea is reportedly unde

Sept. 12, 2013

KATUSAs: Crucial contributors to alliance

This is the fourth in a series of articles to mark the 60th anniversary of the South Korea-U.S. alliance. ― Ed.Shared goals of defending against North Korea and safeguarding democracy and free markets have held together the South Korea-U.S. alliance for the past 60 years. At the core of their chemistry is a little-known corps of young soldiers called the KATUSA, or Korean Augmentation Troops to the U.S. Army.“Korea and the U.S. are intertwined as the two cogwheels of the alliance, and I am conv

Sept. 11, 2013

KATUSAs: Crucial contributors to alliance

‘Shining symbol’ of alliance

The KATUSA program is a “shining symbol” of the Korea-U.S. alliance and plays a crucial role as a bridge between the two militaries, said the commander of the U.S. Army garrison in Yongsan, Seoul. Since taking office a year ago, Col. Michael E. Masley has prioritized the swift integration of the young Korean soldiers into the U.S. military so that they can serve to maintain the alliance and readiness for peninsular defense.“The KATUSAs stand as a shining symbol of the alliance and they have for

Sept. 11, 2013

‘Uniformed diplomats’ for Korea

KATUSAs are “uniformed diplomats” that promote the image of the Korean Army while working side by side with American troops, the commander of the U.S. 8th Army ROK (Republic of Korea) Support Group said.Paying particular attention to such a role, Col. Lee Seok-jae has focused on their discipline, integrity and camaraderie since his inauguration last July.“For new U.S. staff coming to Korea, KATUSAs are the first Korean soldiers they come across. As such, KATUSAs are a window through which they e

Sept. 11, 2013

S. Korea launches first home-built 4,500-ton landing ship

South Korea on Wednesday unveiled its first indigenous 4,500-ton amphibious landing ship, which will be deployed on the Navy's landing and transportation operations in 2015, the Navy said. The lead ship of 3,500-ton class named after Cheonwangbong, the highest peak of Mount Jiri, was built with domestic technology by Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction Co. A launching ceremony was held in Hanjin's shipyard in the southern port city of Busan, which was attended by Adm. Choi Yoon-hee, the Navy

Sept. 11, 2013

No trilateral missile drills planned this year: source

The United States has no plans this year for tripartite ballistic missile defense exercises with South Korea and Japan despite Washington's continued push for bolstering three-way military cooperation with the key regional allies, according to a Pentagon source."I do not believe we have any trilat missile exercise scheduled this year," the source told Yonhap News Agency.The three countries had the Pacific Dragon exercise last year, in which they successfully tracked two near-simultaneous launche

Sept. 11, 2013

Surveillance blimp project delayed due to transmission errors

South Korea's plan to deploy a surveillance blimp near the northwestern border has been delayed due to errors in its data transmission system, the state arms procurement agency said Sunday.The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) spent 24 billion won (US$21.9 million) to build an airship with imported parts to monitor the North Korean military near the tensely guarded border. The moored blimp, equipped with an optical camera, radar and a ground control system, was delivered to the M

Sept. 8, 2013

S. Korea, U.S. draw up N. Korean nuclear deterrence plan

South Korea and the United States have completed a draft of a joint military plan that outlines how to handle the North Korean nuclear threat, a government source said Sunday. South Korean and U.S. officials have prepared a customized deterrence plan over the last 10 months, which will be signed at the Security Consultative Meeting between the two nation‘s defense chiefs slated for Oct. 2, the source said. “The deterrence plan can be considered equivalent to an operational plan,” another source

Sept. 8, 2013