Around 70% of N.K. missiles target S. Korea

Around 70 percent of the some 1,000 North Korean missiles are designed to strike South Korean targets, a missile expert said Monday, underscoring the communist state’s increasing asymmetric military threats.“Since the late 1990s, North Korea has produced some 100 missiles of various types each year, and I think the North should have more production capacity by now,” he told reporters on condition of anonymity.Seoul presumes that the North has deployed some 1,000 missiles including intermediate-r

March 4, 2013

Civilian workers at USFK may face sequester layoffs

Most civilian workers at the United States Forces Korea may face a furlough in the coming months as the U.S. government’s automatic spending cuts, including a drastic reduction in defense spending, have taken effect, military officials said Monday. Gen. James Thurman, the USFK commander, sent a letter on Feb. 27 to about 10,000 civilian personnel to notify them that they may be placed on periods of unpaid leave if the automatic spending cuts, the so-called “sequester,” take effect. His letter ca

March 4, 2013

New Pentagon chief vows to strengthen alliance

Chuck Hagel started his work Wednesday as U.S. secretary of defense, pledging to accelerate Washington's renewed focus on the Asia-Pacific region and promote partnerships with other nations on global security."I've always believed that America's role in the world is one that -- and we've had variations of this throughout history -- has been one that should engage the world," Hagel said, addressing Pentagon officials at its building on the outskirts of Washington.The former Republican senator's c

Feb. 28, 2013

Specter of U.S. sequestration spills looms over South Korea defense

Possible automatic, across-the-board spending cuts by the U.S. government are feared to take the toll on the allied defense posture on the Korea Peninsula.Experts said South Korea should ready necessary steps to ensure the impact of budget cuts, or “sequestration,” will not send any wrong signals to a provocative North Korea.The U.S. Department of Defense said Tuesday there could be “certain impacts” as part of what it calls the “devastating consequences” of the spending cut, which will take eff

Feb. 27, 2013

Problems with F-35 program stir concern over Seoul’s fighter plans

A series of defects found in Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighters pose a hurdle to its plans to sell the costly next-generation fighter jets to U.S. allies, including South Korea. This week, the U.S. Defense Department said a small amount of smoke in the aircraft’s cockpit was found during the testing process. Based on its initial assessment, the Pentagon said the problem appeared to be isolated and software-related.The F-35 jets were also grounded for the second time this year recently because of a

Feb. 26, 2013

U.S. military halts test flights for F-35 fighter

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- The US military suspended all test flights Friday for the new F-35 fighter jet over potential engine problems, officials said, the latest setback for a program dogged by cost overruns and technical glitches.The move was described as a "precautionary measure" after a crack was discovered on a turbine blade in one F-35 engine at Edwards Air Force Base in California."It is too early to know the fleet-wide impact of this finding, however as a precautionary measure, all F-35 fligh

Feb. 23, 2013

Seoul maintains high alert for possible further provocations

South Korean authorities maintained high alert on Wednesday over concerns of possible further provocations from Pyongyang including additional nuclear and missile tests.“North Korea appears likely to carry out further provocations using the UN Security Council’s strong measures as an excuse,” an official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade was quoted as saying by a local news agency. He added that it is unclear when the alert triggered by North Korea’s actions would be eased. Such specu

Feb. 13, 2013

Military considers unmanned attack copters against N.K.

The South Korean military is pushing to develop unmanned attack helicopters capable of hitting North Korea’s front-line bases as a way to counter growing threats from the communist country, a senior military official said Monday.Seoul has been mulling ways to beef up deterrence and combat capability to cope with rising tension following Pyongyang’s warning of a third nuclear test in response to the U.N. sanctions for its December rocket launch. Last week, South Korea’s military chief warned of a

Feb. 11, 2013

Navy pushes blue-water operations

South Korea’s chief of naval operations on Thursday vowed to bolster blue-water capabilities to handle not only North Korean threats but also a broader range of maritime challenges from overseas.During a security forum in Seoul, Adm. Choi Yoon-hee said he would push to change the paradigm of wartime theater operations for the Navy to assume an active, leading combat role. He also stressed the need for a strategic maneuver fleet.“The Navy will go beyond the current maritime operations concept und

Feb. 7, 2013

Military commander hints at 'pre-emptive strike' on N. Korea

South Korea's top military commander said Wednesday that his military is ready to make a "pre-emptive strike" against North Korea, even at the risk of a full-scale war, if there are signs that the North may attack using nuclear weapons ahead of its third nuclear test.Gen. Jung Seung-jo, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made the remarks during a parliamentary defense meeting convened as tension runs high on the Korean Peninsula after Pyongyang vowed to conduct a nuclear test in retaliat

Feb. 6, 2013

S. Korea, U.S. to hold naval exercise amid signs of N. Korean nuclear test

  (Yonhap) -- South Korean and U.S. forces will conduct a three-day joint naval exercise next week in the East Sea, military officials here said Saturday, a move seen as a warning to North Korea ahead of its possible nuclear test.   "South Korea and the U.S. will launch the joint comprehensive military drills on Monday for a three-day run in the East Sea," a military official said. "It will include diverse exercises for anti-submarine, anti-aircraft and anti-ship training."   The communist count

Feb. 2, 2013

Defense chief calls for early deployment of 800-km missiles

South Korea's defense minister on Thursday ordered an early development and deployment of long-range ballistic missiles that can hit all parts of North Korea. Minister Kim Kwan-jin visited a front-line unit to urge the military to stay vigilant against any provocations from the North after it threatened a third nuclear test in response to the U.N.Security Council sanction for Dec. 12 rocket launch.His inspection came after President Lee Myung-bak warned of "grave consequences" against the North

Jan. 31, 2013

Korea has low corruption risk in defense sector: report

South Korea has a low risk of corruption in its defense sector, but it still needs to improve transparency, an international anti-corruption index showed Tuesday.The Transparency International’s defense and security program listed South Korea among seven countries in the “B band,” which means they have a “low risk” of corruption, based on detailed assessments of five main indicators: politics, finance, personnel, operations and procurement.Other countries included in the group were the United St

Jan. 29, 2013