The Korea Herald

U.S. Army to deploy 30 OH-58D helicopters back to South Korea

The U.S. Army will deploy an air cavalry squadron made up of 30 OH-58D armed reconnaissance helicopters to South Korea next month after the choppers complete a five-year mission in Iraq, the Combined Forces Command said Thursday. The 4th Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington will be deployed to Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, just south of Seoul, on Oct. 1, the CFC said. Redeployment of the helicopters comes after they completed combat missions in Iraq from 2008-

Sept. 5, 2013

U.S. Army to deploy 30 OH-58D helicopters back to South Korea

U.S. Army to deploy 30 OH-58D helicopters back to S. Korea

The U.S. Army will deploy an air cavalry squadron made up of 30 OH-58D armed reconnaissance helicopters to South Korea next month after the choppers complete a five-year mission in Iraq, the Combined Forces Command (CFC) said Thursday. The 4th Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington will be deployed to Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, just south of Seoul, on Oct. 1, the CFC said. Redeployment of the helicopters comes after they completed combat missions in Iraq from

Sept. 5, 2013

Navy receives its 10th guided-missile destroyer

The Navy has taken delivery of its 10th domestically built guided-missile destroyer on Tuesday, which will join patrol missions to defend the nation’s shoreline and harbor waters, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration said.STX Offshore & Shipbuilding Co. delivered the newest PKG-class (Patrol Killer, Guided Missile) patrol ship to the Navy command, located in Jinhae, some 410 kilometers south of Seoul. The 450-ton high-speed ship can sail at a top speed of 40 knots and is equipped with

Sept. 4, 2013

Korea deploys advanced sea-based radar

South Korea has deployed advanced sea-based radar systems on its naval vessels operating near the western maritime border to better monitor North Korean activities, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration said Monday. STX Engine has developed the sea-based radar platform for 5.1 billion won ($5 million) to replace older systems after the North shelled Yeonpyeongdo Island near the tensely guarded border in November 2010, killing four South Koreans, the DAPA said. The region also saw the si

Sept. 2, 2013

S. Korea slams Syria for apparent use of chemical weapons

South Korea on Sunday denounced Syria for apparently using chemical weapons on its own people, supporting a recent U.S. assessment that a nerve agent attack had been carried out by the Bashar Assad regime."Our government strongly condemns such brutal acts of crime," the foreign ministry here said in a statement. "Individuals in connection with the use of chemical weapons in Syria must be held accountable."The White House earlier announced that it "assesses with high confidence" that the Syrian g

Sept. 1, 2013

U.S. Army honors General Paik

The U.S. 8th Army named Paik Sun-yup, the first-ever South Korean four-star Army general, its honorary commander on Thursday. Paik’s gallantry and command competence during the Korean War were the key reasons for the appointment, Eighth Army officials said. The ceremony was held at Command Post Paik Sun-yup, named after the 93-year-old war veteran in June, at the New Mexico Range near Panmunjeom.Eighth Army Deputy Commanding General for Operations Maj. Gen. Walter M. Golden Jr. said Paik has alw

Aug. 29, 2013

Allies to hold further talks on wartime control transfer delay

Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin on Wednesday indicated a prolonged discussion with the U.S. over the proposed rescheduling of the transfer of wartime operational control of Korean troops. After talks with his U.S. counterpart Chuck Hagel in Brunei, he told reporters that there is no deadline for the decision and that the two sides need more time for working-level consultations. Kim again made Seoul’s case for delaying the transfer, currently slated for December 2015, and Hagel “sufficiently unders

Aug. 28, 2013

Allies to hold further talks on wartime control transfer delay

[Photo News] Supporting the military

Aug. 28, 2013

T-50 trainer crash kills two pilots

An Air Force T-50 trainer jet crashed Wednesday during a training session in the southeastern city of Gwangju, killing both pilots.The plane went down around 1.8 kilometers east of the runway in the Air Force First Fighter Wing, officials said. A major and a captain, both in their 30s, were aboard the domestically produced supersonic jet.“The trainer jet, all of a sudden, fell down and tumbled over the ground,” a witness told reporters.Air Force authorities are investigating the exact cause whil

Aug. 28, 2013

Hurdles lie ahead for Korea-U.S. alliance

This is the third in a series of articles to mark the 60th anniversary of the South Korea-U.S. alliance. ― Ed.The South Korea-U.S. alliance faces daunting tasks to maintain robust deterrence against North Korea and reshape itself in line with the changing contours of regional and global security.Over the last six decades, the alliance has successfully fulfilled its foremost priority of peninsular defense. Now, in the face of an array of new tasks including the transfer of wartime operational con

Aug. 28, 2013

Hurdles lie ahead for Korea-U.S. alliance

Military academy to enhance discipline

The Korea Military Academy on Monday announced a series of measures to tighten discipline amid escalating criticism for a recent series of improprieties, including sexual misconduct.The measures include focusing more on aspiring cadets’ aptitude in the admission process; strengthening the “three-nos” policy banning marriage, alcohol and smoking; building more safeguards for female cadets; and enhancing sexual ethics.Critics, however, questioned the efficacy of these measures, arguing they appear

Aug. 26, 2013

[Newsmaker] Army academy rocked by sexual misconduct

The Korea Military Academy, once touted as the birthplace of the country’s elite warriors, is losing public trust under growing criticism for a recent series of shameful cases of sexual misconduct.The Army said on Sunday that the military prosecution was investigating a senior cadet for allegedly having sex with a middle school girl and stealing her mobile phone in Seoul last month. The cadet, 22, met the 16-year-old girl through an online chat service and purportedly had sex with her on July 13

Aug. 25, 2013

[Newsmaker] Army academy rocked by sexual misconduct

Korea-U.S. alliance faces next crucial shift

This is the second in a series of articles marking the 60th anniversary of the South Korea-U.S. alliance. ― Ed.Since being forged six decades ago, the Korea-U.S. alliance has undergone major shifts in line with Washington’s global strategies to cope with changing security environments.From the Cold War era to today, the shifts involved changes to the U.S.’ troop level, deployment strategy and operational concepts ― which, sometimes, triggered friction in bilateral relations or served to cement t

Aug. 21, 2013

Korea-U.S. alliance faces next crucial shift

Controversy escalates over purchase of new jet fighters

Concerns are escalating over Seoul’s high-profile project to procure next-generation fighter jets as it is seen leaning toward a cheaper, older candidate fighter due primarily to budgetary constraints.Experts called on the government to go back to the drawing board and reconsider which candidate would serve the best interests of the country facing security challenges from North Korea and potentially from other neighbors including China.In a three-way competition for the 8.3 trillion won ($7.5 bi

Aug. 20, 2013

Controversy escalates over purchase of new jet fighters

Military cadets booze in Thailand

Nine Korea Military Academy cadets touring Thailand earlier this month on a mission were caught stepping outside their barracks without authorization to go for drinks or receive foot massages, defense officials said Tuesday. Four cadets were drinking beer at a local bar while another five were inside a traditional foot massage parlor, according to an academy spokesman. Officials told media that the nine cadets, who were there to visit Korean War veterans, would most likely face tough disciplinar

Aug. 20, 2013

S. Korea, U.S. begin two-week joint war drills

South Korea and the United States on Monday began their annual two-week joint war exercise, the Combined Forces Command (CFC) said, amid North Korea's unusual low-key stance to the war game that they strongly condemned in the past.The computer-aided Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG) kicked off for a 12-day run, mobilizing about 50,000 South Korean forces and approximately 30,000 U.S. servicemen, including some 3,000 from the U.S. and other bases in the Pacific region.The CFC said the drills are inten

Aug. 19, 2013

Boeing emerges as most likely candidate in fighter jet project

Boeing’s F-15 Silent Eagle has become the most likely candidate for South Korea’s high-profile fighter procurement project as European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company’s Eurofighter Typhoon failed to stay within the 8.3 trillion won ($7.5 billion) budget.The EADS was virtually excluded from the contest to sell 60 combat aircraft to Seoul as it offered the price estimate after “arbitrarily” altering mutually-agreed conditions, according to sources.The Defense Acquisition Program Administratio

Aug. 18, 2013

Boeing emerges as most likely candidate in fighter jet project

S. Korea, U.S. to launch 2-week joint war exercise this week

South Korea and the United States will launch their annual two-week joint war exercise this week, the Combined Forces Command said, amid North Korea‘s unusual low-key stance to the war game that they strongly condemned in the past.The computer-aided Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG) will kick off on Monday for a 12-day run, mobilizing about 50,000 South Korean forces and approximately 30,000 U.S. servicemen, including some 3,000 from the U.S. and other bases in the Pacific region.The CFC said the dri

Aug. 18, 2013

Boeing reportedly selected as final candidate for Korea fighter jet program

The Eurofighter Tranche 3 Typhoon by the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS) has reportedly been eliminated from South Korea's multibillion-dollar project to buy new fighter jets, leaving Boeing's F-15 Silent Eagle as the sole final candidate, government sources in Seoul said Sunday.Earlier on Sunday, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration said that one of the two finalists -- Boeing and EADS -- in the nation's 8.3 trillion won (US$7.2 billion) fighter project has droppe

Aug. 18, 2013

S. Korea, U.S. to launch two-week joint war drills this week

SEOUL-- South Korea and the United States will launch their annual two-week joint war exercise this week, the Combined Forces Command (CFC) said, amid North Korea's unusual low-key stance to the war game that they strongly condemned in the past.The computer-aided Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG) will kick off on Monday for a 12-day run, mobilizing about 50,000 South Korean forces and approximately 30,000 U.S. servicemen, including some 3,000 from the U.S. and other bases in the Pacific region.The CF

Aug. 18, 2013