Army aims to 'mechanize' all squads by 2030

South Korea's Army unveiled an ambitious plan Thursday to equip all of its squads nationwide with advanced armored vehicles and other transportation by 2030.The Mount Paektu Tiger project, worth 1.25 trillion won ($1.1 billion), aims to enable all ground troops to move by wheeled-armored carriers, such as the K200 armed vehicle and other small tactical vehicles, rather than on foot. (Yonhap)All vehicles will be installed with improved bullet-proof and remote controlled weapon station systems.The

Oct. 18, 2018

No change in Korea's defense commitment to NLL: military

South Korea's military said Tuesday it remains firmly committed to the defense of the Northern Limit Line, the de facto sea border with North Korea.The two Koreas have long disputed the demarcation of their Yellow Sea border, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended in a truce.The South has maintained the NLL, while the North has drawn its own "security line" further south, leading to some deadly naval skirmishes.In April, the leaders of the two sides agreed to turn the tense area into a

Oct. 16, 2018

Two Koreas, UNC hold first trilateral talks to disarm JSA

The North and South Korean militaries and the US-led United Nations Command on Tuesday held their first three-way meeting at the border village of Panmunjom to discuss measures about disarming the jointly patrolled area inside the heavily fortified border region. 　According to the Ministry of National Defense, the three militaries held a “consultation” on “working-level” issues related to demilitarizing the Joint Security Area, such as removing land mines, withdrawing firearms and guard posts an

Oct. 16, 2018

Defense Ministry claims delay in missile test not politically motivated 　

  South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense on Monday denied allegations that the presidential office had instructed the military to cancel a scheduled ballistic missile test out of concern that it would hamper inter-Korean detente. 　The ministry’s spokesperson Choi Hyun-soo told reporters that while the military had changed the schedule for the flight test for a long-range, surface-to-air missile, the decision was to do with “technical issues” rather than political reasons.　“As we proceed with

Oct. 15, 2018

Military says L-SAM interceptor missile test delayed for technical reasons

South Korea's defense ministry said Monday it has decided to put off the testing of a new surface-to-air interceptor missile due to technical, not political, reasons.The military has sought to develop the L-SAM missile system aimed at shooting down ballistic missiles from North Korea. (Yonhap)If deployed, it's expected to serve as a key element of the Korean Air and Missile Defense in the making, along with the existing PAC-III system.The military authorities had planned to conduct a firing test

Oct. 15, 2018

International fleet review in Jeju concludes 5-day campaign

An international fleet review on the southern resort island of Jeju concluded its five-day campaign on Sunday, South Korea's Navy said.    Some 10,000 troops from 12 countries and naval representatives from 46 countries attended the International Fleet Review in Jeju and promoted world peace through the sea, while sharing ideas on harmony and co-existence.    Nineteen foreign vessels, including the US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, will leave the South Korean port of Jeju on

Oct. 14, 2018

S. Korea's military mulling drawing up rules of engagement against cyberattacks

South Korea is considering drawing up rules of engagement in cyberspace to effectively deal with growing threats from North Korea and other unidentified players, military authorities said Sunday. "Since 2004, discussions have been under way at the UN meetings to enact international laws related to cyber war," a source told Yonhap News Agency on condition of anonymity. "We will closely watch the relevant situations and cautiously review and push for drawing up the rules of engagement."The envisio

Oct. 14, 2018

JCS says it will exhibit 'flexibility' over deployment of US strategic assets, 3-axis system

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Friday that it will "flexibly" handle the issue of the deployment of US strategic arms to Korea and its plan to establish a key defense system in line with progress in North Korea's denuclearization.The remarks during a parliamentary audit spawned speculation that it could desist from requesting a US show of force with formidable assets, such as nuclear-capable bombers and aircraft carriers, and scale back its envisioned "three-axis" system.The three-axis

Oct. 12, 2018

Moon voices regret over dispute over building of naval base

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday expressed "deep regret" over the dispute over the building of a naval base on South Korea's southern resort island of Jeju in a move widely seen as the first apology by a sitting president.South Korea selected Gangjeong, a small fishing town on the island's southern coast, as the site for its naval base in 2007 when Moon was chief of staff for liberal President Roh Moo-hyun. South Korean President Moon Jae-in (Yonhap)The project touched off angry protests from v

Oct. 11, 2018

US aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan joins Jeju fleet review

The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan joined South Korea's once-in-a-decade international fleet review in waters off the southern island of Jeju on Thursday.The 103,600-ton Nimitz-class aircraft carrier of the US 7th Fleet based in Yokosuka, Japan, was among the 15 warships from 10 foreign countries that joined the naval event designed to promote trust and cooperation among world navies. USS Ronald Reagan (US Navy - Yonhap)On Friday, it is set to dock at the island's civilian-mi

Oct. 11, 2018

New defense paper no longer describes NK military has ‘overwhelming superiority’

　South Korea’s new defense white paper will no longer describe North Korea’s military as having overwhelming superiority over that of South Korea by incorporating the South’s advanced weapon systems and technologies, Seoul’s military said Thursday　According to the documents submitted by the Ministry of National Defense for parliamentary audit, the 2018 defense white paper will include “qualitative assessment” of the two Koreas’ military capabilities. 　The move is designed to paint an accurate pi

Oct. 11, 2018

New JCS chief stresses military preparedness ahead of wartime OPCON transfer

Gen. Park Han-ki, the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Thursday he will push to reinforce advanced military capabilities as they prepare for the envisioned transfer of wartime operation control to South Korea. “The security situation of the Korean Peninsula is now at a major historical turning point as we proceed towards peace and prosperity after long periods of confrontation,” Park said in his inaugural ceremony at the Ministry of National Defense on Thursday morning.“The people

Oct. 11, 2018

Beyond the Peninsula: South Korean Navy aims to expand role

　JEJU ---- Under the mist hovering over the Navy base on Jeju Island on Tuesday, South Korea’s newest landing ship, the Ilchulbong, cruises along the coastline waiting for a signal from the deck. Alongside it are its sister ship, the Cheonjabong, and a bigger version called the Dokdo. 　With the buzzing sound of anti-submarine helicopters and patrol aircraft, the 7,600-ton Aegis destroyer the Yulgok Yi I leads a fleet of combat destroyers. Those onboard salute the three landing ships packed with

Oct. 10, 2018

Navy to host international maritime security forum

South Korea's Navy will host a global forum on maritime security on the southern resort island of Jeju this week on the occasion of its once-in-a-decade international fleet review, officials said Monday.The 16th biennial Western Pacific Naval Symposium will take place on Friday, bringing together 150 naval representatives from 46 countries, including the United States, China, Japan, Russia and Britain.  (Yonhap)The forum was launched in 1988 with an aim to promote trust and cooperation among nav

Oct. 8, 2018

S. Korean cadets to join military training in Japan: Defense Ministry

　South Korean naval vessels carrying military cadets will travel to Japan later this month for a joint training, Seoul’s Defense Ministry said Sunday, despite an ongoing diplomatic row between Seoul and Japan over the latter’s use of a controversial military flag. 　According to the Ministry of National Defense, three vessels carrying about 600 cadets from the Army, Navy and the Air Force will participate in the cruising exercise to be held in the Japanese port city of Sasebo from Oct. 28 to Nov.

Oct. 7, 2018

Japan opts out of naval event over flag row with S. Korea

Japan has reportedly decided not to attend an international naval event to be held in South Korea next week, amid a dispute over its plan to raise the Rising Sun Flag widely seen as a symbol of Japan’s military aggression here. A Japanse warship is seen with a Rising Sun flag in the foreground in a Japanese port in 2014. YonhapJapan notified South Korea of the decision on Friday morning. It will instead send a delegation to a symposium to be held as part of the Jeju International Naval Fleet Rev

Oct. 5, 2018

Military chief nominee vows full combat readiness amid changing security conditions

The nominee to become South Korea's top military officer made clear Friday that North Korea remains the country's enemy despite a conciliatory mood."Our existing enemy ... It's North Korea, which is a clear enemy that threatens the Republic of Korea," Army Gen. Park Han-ki, nominated to lead the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during his confirmation hearing at the National Assembly.He was answering a question about the biggest security threat to South Korea. Army Gen. Park Han-ki (Yonhap)On the rec

Oct. 5, 2018

Rising Sun Flag vs Dokdo ship: controversy erupts over naval festival

Controversy over the Japanese Rising Sun Flag shows no sign of abating ahead of an international naval festival to be held in Korea next week, with politicians and activists calling for measures to ban what they see as a symbol of Japanese military imperialism. A ruling party lawmaker proposed a bill to ban the entry of Japanese warships to the South Korean territory if they raise the Rising Sun Flag. And a well-known professor sent emails abroad to denounce the Japanese decision to show the con

Oct. 4, 2018

[From the scene] S. Korea’s ‘Hurt Locker’ mission: Removing landmines in DMZ

　CHEORWON, Gangwon Province -- A group of soldiers who gathered at the entrance of the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone in Cheorwon began picking up gear for a special mission Tuesday: grass cutters, metal detectors and air pressurizers. 　It is day two of the mission to locate land mines buried at Arrowhead Ridge in Cheorwon County, Gangwon Province, one of the two major sites where the two Koreas began demining operations to clear the path for excavation of the remains of those killed durin

Oct. 3, 2018