Chinese aircraft enters S. Korea's air defense zone

A Chinese military airplane entered South Korea's air defense identification zone without notice on Monday, less than a month after the last such reported intrusion, Seoul's military authorities said.The Air Force deployed some 10 fighter jets to track the aircraft and send a warning message to the aircraft, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. (Yonhap)The Chinese plane first entered the KADIZ from northwest of South Korea's southern island of Jeju at around 11 a.m. and flew out of the zone toward Ie

Nov. 26, 2018

Seoul still seeking declaration of end of Korean War before year's end: official

South Korea still hopes to declare an official end to the Korean War before the year's end, an official from the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Monday, amid an apparent stumbling block in denuclearization talks between the United States and North Korea."Have we not said the goal was to declare an end of the war before the year's end?" Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said when asked if there has been any changes to the goal. (Yonhap)He, however, noted the move requires the participa

Nov. 26, 2018

Defense minister calls for 'unshakable' readiness posture in his first command letter

South Korea's Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo has called for an "unshakable" readiness posture in the process of implementing an inter-Korean military accord aimed at reducing tensions and building trust, his office said Monday.Jeong made the call on Friday in his first "command letter" to all armed services since he took office in September, amid worries that the accord could lead to a weakening of South Korea's defense posture when the North has yet to take tangible steps towards denucleariz

Nov. 26, 2018

[Newsmaker] Transformation underway inside no-man’s land

In a mountainous region where the two Koreas engaged in one of the fiercest battles during the 1950-53 Korean War, the two sides’ soldiers met in an unusual encounter earlier this month, decades after the war ended without an official peace treaty. While uniformed soldiers carried rifles on their way to Arrowhead Ridge inside the Demilitarized Zone, taking control of the stronghold was not their mission. South Korean soldiers walk at Arrowhead Ridge as they build a tactical road across the Milit

Nov. 25, 2018

KAI to unveil light armed helicopter next month

Korea Aerospace Industries, a South Korean defense firm, plans to roll out the prototype of a light armed helicopter for the country's Army in December, its officials said Sunday.The LAH is to replace an aging fleet of the Army's attack choppers, including MD500s and 70 AH-1S Cobras.  (KAI=Yonhap)"Following the rollout of the LAH's prototype next month, an engine test is scheduled in March next year and a maiden flight in May," a KAI official said.Based on the Eurocopter EC 155 helicopter, the L

Nov. 25, 2018

Korea to deploy new Navy missile next year

South Korea is set to deploy newly developed weapon systems next year, including ship-based guided interceptors, defense industry officials said Sunday.The state-run Agency for Defense Development has already completed the development of the guided missile, named Haegung (sea bow), designed to intercept incoming enemy missiles or shoot down aircraft. (Yonhap)It's launched from a vertical platform, with its radar system able to detect several targets simultaneously.In an evaluation test, nine out

Nov. 25, 2018

Govt. conducts military reshuffle to enhance readiness posture, boost defense reform

South Korea's government on Thursday conducted a major reshuffle of generals and admirals as part of efforts to enhance its military readiness and facilitate defense reform.The defense ministry said that Air Force Lt. Gen. Won In-choul, the director of military support at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was appointed as deputy JCS chief. Lt. Gen. Won In-choul, new deputy JCS chief (Yonhap)Lt. Gen. Choi Byung-hyuk, commander of the Army's 5th Corps, was named the deputy Army chief of staff, while R. A

Nov. 23, 2018

Possible scaling down of allied exercise could boost NK diplomacy, weaken military readiness

The United States' consideration of reducing the size of a major combined exercise with South Korea next year signaled its desire for continued diplomacy with North Korea, but deepened fears over a possible weakening of the allies' defense posture.On Wednesday, US Defense Secretary James Mattis told reporters that the springtime Foal Eagle exercise will be "reduced in scope" and that it is being "reorganized a bit" to keep it at a level that will not be harmful to diplomacy with Pyongyang over i

Nov. 22, 2018

Korea, US to scale back military drill next spring: Mattis

South Korea and the United States will scale back a joint military exercise next spring to facilitate negotiations over North Korea's nuclear weapons program, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Wednesday.Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon that the Foal Eagle exercise will be "reduced in scope," the AFP reported. US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis (Yonhap)It will be the fifth joint exercise to be adjusted as a concession to the North following its promise to dismantle its nuclear and ballistic

Nov. 22, 2018

Ministry denies inter-Korean pact delayed chopper transport of dead soldier

South Korea's defense ministry denied a news report Wednesday that an Army chopper failed to take off from a border unit to transport a fatally shot soldier last week due to an inter-Korean military agreement.The report cited an opposition lawmaker's claim that the chopper failed to promptly depart due to approval and notification procedures stipulated in the agreement, which slow the mobilization of military aircraft near the inter-Korean border. (Yonhap)"We make it clear that the media report

Nov. 21, 2018

Korea's Navy receives new landing ship

South Korea's Navy received a new 4,500-ton landing ship capable of speedier and long-distance military support operations during a delivery ceremony on Wednesday, the state arms procurement agency said.The Defense Acquisition Program Administration delivered the Nojeokbong vessel, named after a mountain peak in the southwestern city of Mokpo, to the Navy in the event at Hyundai Heavy Industries' shipyard in Ulsan, some 370 kilometers southeast of Seoul. Nojeokbong vessel (Yonhap)It is the Navy'

Nov. 21, 2018

USFK chief vows full support for strong alliance

The new top commanding general of American troops in South Korea said Tuesday he will make every effort to beef up the allies' combined defense posture.In an introductory meeting with Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, Army Gen. Robert B. Abrams said, "The alliance is ironclad." (Yonhap)He added, "I have every intention to strengthen it even more as we move forward together."The general was sworn in as the leader of the 28,500-strong US Forces Korea earlier this month, replacing Army Gen. Vincent

Nov. 20, 2018

Navy to promote renowned trauma surgeon to honorary commander

The Navy will promote a renowned trauma surgeon to honorary commander next month for his contribution to enhancing the armed service's image with his medical and public activities, its officials said Tuesday.Lee Guk-jong of Ajou University Hospital, best known for saving Seok Hae-gyun, the captain of a South Korean freighter who was shot during a mission to rescue the vessel from Somali pirates in 2011, will be honored with the new insignia on Dec. 3.(Republic of Korea Navy=Yonhap)"We recognize

Nov. 20, 2018

Korea launches arms export promotion center

South Korea's arms procurement agency on Monday launched an institution dedicated to supporting the country's defense firms seeking to advance into foreign markets.The Defense Acquisition Program Administration held an opening ceremony for the Defense Export Promotion Center at its headquarters in Gwacheon, just south of Seoul, as Korea seeks to develop future growth engines in the defense industry."The opening of this center signals that DAPA is making a shift towards the export sector from its

Nov. 19, 2018

Korea discovers 5 more sets of Korean War remains in DMZ

South Korea has found five more sets of Korean War remains during its demining work in a notorious battle site inside the Demilitarized Zone, Seoul's defense ministry said Monday.Including the latest discovery, it has excavated a total of nine sets of remains from Arrowhead Ridge, a site of fierce battles during the 1950-53 Cold War conflict, since Oct. 1 when it began the land mine clearance operations.   Remains discovered on Nov. 5. (Yonhap)The Koreas have been demining the area to ensure saf

Nov. 19, 2018

Korean Navy's first training ship to be launched Friday

The first training ship of South Korea's Navy is set to be launched on Friday afternoon. The ceremony for the ATH-81 Hansando vessel, which will be deployed in early 2021, will take place at the shipyard of Hyundai Heavy Industries in the southeastern city of Ulsan, the Navy said.ATH is the acronym of Auxiliary Training Ship Helo. (Yonhap)The 4,500-ton, 142-meter-long ship can sail more than 12,000 km at the speed of 18kts (33km/h). The maximum pace is 24kts. It's equipped with 76-mm and 40-mm g

Nov. 16, 2018

Government considers 36 months in correctional facilities for alternative service

The South Korean government is seeking to require 36 months of work in correctional facilities from those seeking alternative to military service, after the country’s top court recognized conscientious objection as a valid reason for rejecting mandatory military service. 　While the Ministry of National Defense and the conscription agency have yet to finalize plans for an alternative service program, they said their preferred option is to involve conscientious objectors serving at correctional fa

Nov. 15, 2018

Koreas, UNC discuss ways of allowing tourists to access JSA

Military officials from South and North Korea and the United Nations Command held another round of working-level consultations at the border truce village of Panmunjom Tuesday on disarming the Joint Security Area in the Demilitarized Zone and allowing civilians to travel freely inside the restricted area.According to a government source, the three sides conducted a joint on-site inspection to further discuss the operation of surveillance equipment at the JSA along the inter-Korean border, as wel

Nov. 13, 2018

S. Korea’s first aerial refueling tanker arrives at peninsula

South Korea’s first aerial refueling tanker was delivered to the Air Force on Monday, amid expectations that the long-sought-after asset will boost the country’s military capabilities. The Air Force said Monday an A330 MRTT arrived at an air base in the southern city of Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province. The tanker plane is expected to become operational next month after undergoing a series of performance tests. The military expects that the tanker will boost South Korea’s air combat capability

Nov. 12, 2018

S. Korea defends joint marine drill with US against N. Korea's criticism

South Korea's defense authorities made clear Monday that Seoul will continue the ongoing joint marine exercise with the United States, countering North Korea's claim that the exercises amount to a breach of a recent military agreement between the Koreas.Last week, the allies resumed the Korea Marine Exercise Program involving US Marines from Okinawa, Japan, and such military equipment as amphibious assault vehicles, ending a six-month pause. (Yonhap)The Ministry of National Defense stressed the

Nov. 12, 2018