S. Korea to launch new civilian-military exercise in May: source

South Korea plans to launch a new civilian-military exercise in late May, the latest in a series of reorganization moves of its defense drills to support peace efforts with North Korea, a government source said Wednesday.The Ulchi Taegeuk exercise will take place from May 27-30, the source said. It combines two existing programs -- the Taegeuk command post exercise and the Ulchi government exercise, part of the summertime South Korea-US Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercise.  (AP-Yonhap)The UFG, usual

March 6, 2019

South Korea-US kick off combined exercise Dong Maeng

South Korea and the United States kicked off their weeklong combined exercise Dong Maeng on Monday, replacing the previous large-scale springtime exercises, as announced by the defense ministries of the two sides Sunday.The newly introduced Dong Maeng, a computer-simulated command post exercise, will run through March 12. It is widely understood to be a downsized version of Key Resolve, which had usually been conducted over a period of two weeks. “Dong Maeng” means alliance in Korean.  (AFP-Yonh

March 5, 2019

Allies to launch Dong Maeng exercise this week to replace Key Resolve drills

South Korea and the United States will launch the new Dong Maeng combined exercise this week to replace their springtime Key Resolve drills, their militaries announced Sunday.Seoul's Joint chiefs of Staff and the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command said that the nine-day command post exercise kicks off on Monday, two days after the allies' defense chiefs decided to end the annual Key Resolve and Foal Eagle maneuvers to back diplomacy for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. (AFP)"Don

March 3, 2019

KF-16D fighter jet crashes, 2 pilots rescued

A South Korean fighter jet crashed into the West Sea on Wednesday, with the two pilots safely rescued, the Air Force said.The two-seat KF-16D warplane fell into the sea for an unidentified reason at 12:13 p.m., 13 minutes after departing from an air base in Gunsan, 274 kilometers south of Seoul, it said in a text message sent to reporters. The pilots immediately ejected and were rescued.  KF-16D (Yonhap)"The two pilots are currently returning to their base, and their condition is confirmed to be

Feb. 27, 2019

[Newsmaker] Seoul, Tokyo at odds again over Japan’s participation in maritime exercises

Seoul and Tokyo are at odds over Japan’s participation in planned multinational maritime exercises in spring, raising tension between the two countries already strained by a recent military spat and historical issues. The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations and eight other partner countries, including Korea, plan to hold maritime exercises first in the coastal waters off Busan from April 29 to May 2, followed by waters off Singapore from May 9 to 13.After finalizing details during t

Feb. 24, 2019

Chinese military plane enters S. Korea's air defense zone

A Chinese military jet entered South Korea's air defense zone without notice three times Saturday, defense authorities said. (Yonhap)The aircraft entered the country's air defense identification zone, called the KADIZ, at around 8:03 a.m. near Ieo Island and exited at 8:27 a.m. according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).It re-entered the KADIZ at 9:34 a.m. near the southeastern city of Pohang, and flew between Ulleung and the easternmost islets of Dokdo, eventually leaving the air defense zone

Feb. 23, 2019

Leaders of S. Korea, India celebrate 150th anniversary of birth of Gandhi

South Korean President Moon Jae-in welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday with a ceremony to unveil a bust of late Indian leader and activist Mahatma Gandhi that will be put on permanent display in South Korea.Modi arrived here earlier in the day on a two-day state visit.In the unveiling ceremony at Seoul's Yonsei University, President Moon praised the late Indian leader, saying the greatness of Gandhi lies in the fact that he walked the path of peace despite the violence and thre

Feb. 21, 2019

[Multicultural Korea] Military changing to embrace diversity

The number of foreign residents in Korea continues to grow and now accounts for some 3.6 percent of the country’s population. This story is part of a series that examines how Korea is grappling with the issue of multiculturalism, as well as the challenges facing new arrivals. -- Ed.In a country where the phrase “homogenous nation” was once chanted with pride not long ago, there was nothing strange about a provision within the military law that exempted men of mixed heritage from military service

Feb. 19, 2019

Defense chiefs of Korea, UAE discuss military ties, cooperation

The defense ministers of South Korea and the United Arab Emirates have held talks to discuss ways to strengthen military ties and defense industry cooperation, Seoul's defense ministry said Sunday.During the talks in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo and his counterpart Mohammed Ahmed Al-Bowardi agreed to beef up military personnel exchanges and strengthen cooperation in such areas as military training and responses to cyber threats, the ministry added. Defense Minister Je

Feb. 17, 2019

USFK chief says American troop presence not related to end-of-war declaration or peace treaty

US Forces Korea Commander Gen. Robert Abrams reaffirmed Friday that the issue of the American troop presence in South Korea is not related to any potential declaration of an end to the Korean War or a peace treaty with North Korea. His remarks came amid controversy over his congressional statement this week, which was seen as signaling the possibility of the US troop withdrawal -- or drawdown -- in the event that a peace treaty is signed with Pyongyang. (AFP)"USFK's presence remains a matter of

Feb. 15, 2019

US 7th fleet's command ship visits Busan

The command ship of the US Navy's 7th Fleet visited the southeastern port city of Busan on Friday to enhance exchanges and friendly ties between the allies' naval forces, South Korea's Navy said.Following months of maintenance work, the 19,609-ton USS Blue Ridge, based in Yokosuka, Japan, is on a regional tour and expected to stay in Korea until early next week, according to an informed source. (Yonhap)A South Korean military official said that the ship's crewmembers may meet South Korean troops

Feb. 15, 2019

Trump says S. Korea should pay US more for defense

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday called for a further increase in South Korea's share of the cost of stationing American troops on the peninsula.Trump's remarks came only days after the allies signed a preliminary agreement renewing their cost-sharing deal for the 28,500-strong US Forces Korea."As you know, South Korea -- we defend them and lose a tremendous amount of money," the US president said at a Cabinet meeting, repeating a signature refrain.(Yonhap)"Billions of dollars a year defendi

Feb. 13, 2019

Korean defense companies selected to maintain F-35 stealth fighters

Korean companies have been selected for the maintenance of F-35 stealth fighters, the acquisition administration here said Tuesday. According to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, Ellen Lord, US undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, has announced that a consortium of Korean defense companies, Team ROK, has been officially selected for the maintenance of F-35 stealth fighter parts.Team ROK consists of Hanwha Systems, Hanwha Corp./Machinery, and Hanwha Techwin -- 

Feb. 12, 2019

[Feature] Mobile phones in barracks: Soldiers no longer under total control

One of the most rigid and conservative groups in South Korea is slowly changing: the military. Upon announcing a comprehensive military reform plan last year, the Defense Ministry has been implementing unprecedented policies out of respect for the rights of rank-and-file soldiers. A recent policy the ministry is moving to implement is allowing its conscripted soldiers to use their mobile phones inside the barracks, albeit for a limited number of hours a day. While it is unimaginable for c

Feb. 12, 2019

S. Korea ditches plan for new military command amid peace efforts

South Korea's military has canceled a plan to establish a new strategic command tasked with countering North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, a Seoul official said Tuesday, amid a full-fledged peace-building initiative.Instead, the Ministry of National Defense is considering installing a new division inside the Joint Chiefs of Staff to cope with the threats from the North's nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction.President Moon Jae-in pledged to launch the command during his election c

Feb. 12, 2019

Details of cost-sharing for US troops in Korea

Korea will spend some 1.04 trillion won ($925 million) this year to help pay for the stationing of US troops here, under an agreement that was preliminarily signed Sunday.Seoul has shared the financial burden for the 28,500-strong US Forces Korea since 1991 under the Special Measures Agreement.Korea’s contributions, increased by 8.2 percent this year, are spent to pay wages for Koreans hired by the USFK, for military construction and on logistics. Chang Won-sam (right), South Korea‘s delegate to

Feb. 11, 2019

South Korea, US ink provisional defense cost-sharing pact

South Korea and the United States signed a provisional agreement Sunday on the sharing of costs to maintain US troops here, with South Korea raising its share by 8.2 percent. Seoul’s negotiator, Chang Won-sam, and his US counterpart, Timothy Betts, met in Seoul to ink the contract. Under the new deal, South Korea will pay about 1.03 trillion won ($890 million) to cover the costs of stationing the 28,500 members of US Forces Korea here throughout 2019. The figure reflects the rate of increase of

Feb. 10, 2019

Korea to launch negotiations on aircraft swap deal with Spain

South Korea and Spain are expected to launch negotiations as early as this month on a proposed deal to swap military transport planes of the European nation with Korean trainer jets, defense officials said Sunday. The deal, if realized, would mark South Korea's first export of aircraft to Europe. (Yonhap)According to government and military officials, South Korea has been reviewing Spain's proposal to trade some of its A-400M transport planes made by Airbus for KT-1 and T-50 trainer jets produce

Feb. 10, 2019

S. Korea denies media report on lodging of additional protests over Japanese aircraft's flyby

South Korea’s defense ministry on Saturday denied a Japanese newspaper report claiming that it had lodged additional protests over a Japanese military plane‘s low-altitude flyby of a South Korean naval ship.Earlier, Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun reported that South Korea lodged protests with Japan between late January and early February over a Japanese maritime patrol plane’s threatening flyby. (Yonhap)However, the South Korean defense ministry said that such a report is not true, adding that

Feb. 9, 2019

S. Korea, US to announce military exercise plan after Trump-Kim summit: source

South Korea and the United States have postponed the announcement of plans for their combined springtime military exercises until after the second summit between Washington and Pyongyang slated for late this month, a government source said Friday.If the allies press ahead with their annual training programs, ongoing preparations for the summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may be affected. There's also a possibility that the leaders will reach a deal to ca

Feb. 8, 2019