S. Korea, U.S. to stage drill for WMD removal

South Korea and the U.S. will form a joint taskforce to practice detecting and eliminating North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction during the upcoming annual joint military exercise later this month, a government official said Sunday.“The allies will form the joint taskforce and conduct virtual an

Aug. 7, 2011

Lockheed denies involvement in espionage case

After a former South Korean air force chief was indicted on charges of leaking military secrets to Lockheed Martin, the U.S. defense firm Thursday denied any illicit activity on its side.South Korea's state prosecutors announced earlier this week that the ex-airman, identified only by his family nam

Aug. 5, 2011

S. Korea, Indonesia to begin research on fighter jet

South Korea and Indonesia will begin their joint technological research to develop new fighter jets on Tuesday in accordance with their agreement signed in April, officials at the state acquisition agency said Monday.They will open the combined research and development center on a 2,700-square-meter

Aug. 1, 2011

Japanese lawmakers arrive at S. Korean airport despite entry ban

Three Japanese lawmakers arrived at a South Korean airport on Monday, defying Seoul's repeated warnings that their entry will be banned due to their attempt to reassert Tokyo's claim to the South Korean islets of Dokdo.Yoshitaka Shindo, Domomi Inada and Masahisa Sato, all from Japan's conservative L

Aug. 1, 2011

U.S. army chief of staff visited South Korea

U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Martin E. Dempsey made a two-day trip to South Korea earlier this week, the militaries of South Korea and the U.S. said Saturday.Dempsey, the nominee to become chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, arrived in South Korea on Thursday and held talks with the outh Korea's JCS chairman and toured the inter-Korean border vllage of Panmunjom on Friday before returning home

July 30, 2011

Korea to send 39 troops to PKO exercise in Mongolia

South Korea will send 39 troops to Mongolia later this week for an annual international peacekeeping exercise, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Friday.At the invitation of the Mongolian military, the troops will participate in the 13-day “Khaan Quest” drill that will begin in an area some 56 kilometers west of the Mongolian capital of Ulan Bator on Sunday. The exercise was created in 2003 to enhance

July 29, 2011

Lee unable to guarantee safe visit for controversial Japanese lawmakers

President Lee Myung-bak has warned that the safety of four Japanese lawmakers could be at risk if they press ahead with a trip here seen as aimed at bolstering Tokyo's claims to the South's easternmost island of Dokdo, an official said Wednesday.Four lawmakers of Japan's opposition Liberal Democratic Party said last week they will visit Ulleung Island near Dokdo in early August in an apparent atte

July 27, 2011

New USFK commander vows to defend S. Korea against aggression

The new commander of U.S. forces stationed in South Korea said their mission is to protect the South against outside aggression and maintain stability in the region.In a posting entitled "Command Philosophy and Priority" on the homepage of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), Gen. James Thurman said in order to accomplish that mission, "readiness is essential.""To stay ready, our combined forces must be led

July 21, 2011

Four candidates short-listed in Korea's stealth jet project

Korea will acquire a new generation of stealth fighter jets from overseas to better counter North Korean provocations, the local defense procurement agency said Wednesday.The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said it has narrowed down the candidates to four fighters: the F-15SE Silent Eagle by Boeing, F-35 Lightning II by Lockheed Martin, Eurofighter Typhoon by the European Aeronau

July 20, 2011

No sign of drums at alleged chemicals site

Investigators say area D test results expected to come out by late JulyA joint Korea-U.S. team investigating the alleged burial of Agent Orange at one of the American army camps here detected no traces of drums underground at one of the alleged burial sites, a government source said Wednesday. The team said earlier this month that they found “anomalies” beneath the helipad at Camp Carroll located

July 20, 2011

Marine Corps to take stringent steps to stamp out abuse at barracks

Measures to include disbanding of units found to have serious problemsThe Marine Corps is seeking to introduce a set of severe measures to stamp out physical and verbal abuse in its units, which have been blamed for suicides and a shooting rampage in recent months, officials said Monday.It plans to take the red name tag, a long-standing marine emblem, off the uniforms of those caught mistreating f

July 18, 2011

China discloses J-10 fighter jet base to S. Korean defense chief

China disclosed a J-10 fighter jet base to the visiting South Korean defense minister last week, a defense official in Seoul said Sunday, a move signaling Beijing's intent to further strengthen bilateral defense and military exchanges.South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin visited a Chinese air force training base in Changzhou, Jiangsu province, on Saturday, the last day of his three-day visit

July 18, 2011

S. Korea's defense minister seeks return of Korean War POWs in China

BEIJING (Yonhap News) – South Korea's Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin requested China's cooperation for the safe return of South Korean prisoners of war (POWs) who are currently in China following their defection from North Korea where they had been held since their capture during the 1950-53 Korean War.The request came at Kim's meeting with Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping as the South Korean mini

July 14, 2011

Military to mobilize reservists in case of N.K. provocations

The Cabinet has passed a new ordinance on war preparation to allow the military to mobilize some reservists and civilian vehicles in case of localized provocations, officials said Thursday.This move comes as South Korea is striving to reform its armed forces and bolster defense capabilities in the wake of North Korean provocations including the sinking of the corvette Cheonan and the artillery att

July 14, 2011

Top Marine commander offers to resign over shooting rampage

South Korea's top Marine commander has offered to resign to take responsibility for the deadly shooting rampage by a marine in his barracks early this month, a military official said Thursday. Marine Corps Chief of Staff Yoo Nak-joon submitted his resignation to Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin on Tuesday, the official said on the condition of anonymity. "Gen. Yoo conveyed his intention to resign at

July 14, 2011