Coast guard conducts emergency exercise near Ieodo

   South Korea's Coast Guard said on Tuesday that it carried out an emergency exercise near the Ieodo research station south of Jeju Island.   The exercise took place near the Ieodo Ocean Research Station, located 150 kilometers south of the resort island, and within the country'

Sept. 6, 2011

U.S. begins consultation with Congress for selling drones to South Korea

By Song Sang-ho The Obama administration is consulting with the U.S. Congress on plans to sell to South Korea Global Hawk surveillance planes and related ground facilities, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing two sources.South Korea has been seeking to purchase the high-altitude unmanned aerial ve

Sept. 1, 2011

Groundbreaking ceremony for U.S. schools in Pyeongtaek

The Defense Ministry will hold a ceremony to break ground on new elementary and high schools to be built for children of U.S. military personnel in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, Friday, officials said Thursday.Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin, U.S. Forces Korea commander Gen. James D. Thurman, and oth

Sept. 1, 2011

Government ordered to pay for cleanup around U.S. base

A Seoul court has ordered the South Korean government to compensate the Seoul city government for environmental damage caused by an oil leak from a U.S. military camp here, the city said Thursday.The Seoul Central District Court handed down the ruling in favor of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, w

Sept. 1, 2011

Obama government begins consultation with Congress over drone sale to S. Korea: report

 

Sept. 1, 2011

S. Korea close to clinching Indonesia submarine deal

Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin is to visit Indonesia early next month to seal a $1 billion deal that would result in South Korea’s first submarine exports.If the deal is secured, Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine, which is likely to be chosen as the preferred bidder by the Indonesian government, will si

Aug. 26, 2011

Defense ministry requests revision of history textbooks

The Defense Ministry has requested that the Education Ministry revise the criteria for high-school modern Korean history textbooks to strengthen students’ security awareness, officials said Tuesday.In a formal request to the Education Ministry on Aug. 12, it expressed concern that some current textb

Aug. 23, 2011

S. Korea’s military on alert against hacking attempts: official

South Korea’s military is on alert against hacking into its computer system, as a suspicious email is spreading among its personnel, an official said Friday.All military staff have been asked to take extra precautions when they open emails from a sender whose address is “navyojo@hanmail.net,” said t

Aug. 21, 2011

Joint military academy bill put on public notice

The Ministry of National Defense on Thursday put on public notice a bill to establish a “joint military academy” aimed at improving jointness among the three armed services, officials said.Should the Cabinet approve the bill, the academy will be launched on Dec. 1, they said.The idea of establishing

Aug. 18, 2011

S. Korean, U.S. marines engage in anti-terrorism exercise

South Korean and U.S. marines are conducting a joint anti-terrorism exercise in the southeastern port city of Pohang in efforts to enhance their combined operational skills and bilateral alliance, the Marine Corps said Wednesday.Some 100 South Korean marines and about 50 marines of the U.S. Pacific

Aug. 17, 2011

S. Korea to deploy powerful anti-sub missile this month

A Korean-made powerful anti-submarine missile is expected to be deployed on one of the Navy’s Aegis-equipped destroyers later this month in a move to bolster its maritime defense capabilities.Dubbed a “submarine killer,” the Hongsangeo missile with a range of 30 kilometers is regarded as one of Sout

Aug. 15, 2011

Personal information on retired special forces leaked on Internet

South Korean military authorities said Saturday they were investigating the online leak of the personal information of thousands of retired army special forces troops.Private information of 3,664 former special forces troops -- their Web IDs, names, phone numbers, e-mail addresses and the units they

Aug. 14, 2011

Convicted draft dodgers to be forced to join military

Those who have served jail time for using deception to avoid military service will still have to join the armed services under a tougher conscription rule to take effect next year, the military recruitment agency said Friday.Also starting from next year, the military will no longer randomly select r

Aug. 12, 2011

N.K. claims artillery fire was construction work

S. Korea says no need to respond to ‘hackneyed’ claimsSouth Korea’s military on Thursday flatly rejected North Korea’s claim that the South mistook construction work blasting for coastal artillery near their tense maritime border the day before.North Korea accused the South of making up a story to w

Aug. 11, 2011

Koreas exchange fire near sea border

The South Korean Navy returned fire after North Korea shot artillery near the tense western sea border, military officials said Wednesday. The Navy heard three shots, one of which fell near the Northern Limit Line, and immediately fired back, they said. No casualties or damage have been reported so

Aug. 10, 2011

N. Korea reportedly attempting to assassinate S. Korean defense chief: sources

North Korea is apparently trying to assassinate South Korea's defense chief known for his hard-line stance against Pyongyang, government sources here said Wednesday.A source said Seoul has "received intelligence" that North Korea is after Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin."The defense minister is a key

Aug. 10, 2011