US Senate passes bill calling for enhanced extended deterrence for Korea

WASHINGTON -- The United States Senate on Monday passed a bill that calls for boosting missile defenses and providing greater security assurances to its ally South Korea amid North Korea's growing threats.The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 passed 89-8 to inject $700 billion into the Pentagon budget, including some $8.5 billion toward strengthening US missile and defense systems. That was $630 million more than what the Donald Trump administration reportedly sought.The de

Sept. 19, 2017

Four F-35 jets, two bombers fly near N. Korea

Four US F-35B Lightning II stealth jets and two B-1B Lancer strategic bombers flew over Korea on Monday, training with South Korea's F-15K Slam Eagle fighter jets in a show of the alliance's powerful deterrence against North Korea, their militaries announced.During the mission, the aircraft "flew across the Korean Peninsula and practiced their attack capabilities by releasing live weapons at the Pilsung Range training area" in the eastern province of Gangwon, the US Pacific Command said in a sta

Sept. 18, 2017

US to send aircraft carrier to Korea next month: ministry

The United States plans to send an aircraft carrier to waters near the Korean Peninsula next month for a joint training with South Korea's Navy, the defense ministry said Monday.In a report to the National Assembly, the ministry said the allies will hold the exercise in October involving "the US aircraft carrier strike group."It did not reveal the name of the carrier.South Korea and the US will also conduct a combined missile alert drill joined by Japan between late September and early October,

Sept. 18, 2017

Ex-UN chief warns of all ‘eventualities’ on N. Korea

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Monday the world should brace itself for all possibilities, including military options, in a bid to discourage North Korea from its pursuit of nuclear and missile programs."We must be ready to confront any consequences and any eventualities, including military options. to address this. Otherwise North Korea would be emboldened," he said in a keynote speech for the opening of the 10th Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference in Seoul.It was quite unusual for t

Sept. 18, 2017

S. Korea's underwater forces combat ready against N. Korea

The South Korean Navy's submarine SSK Lee Eok Gi (SS-071) wobbled a bit, setting sail from the country's newest naval port on Jeju Island.The slight odor of oil that filled the cramped, windowless diesel-electric sub made some of the strangers aboard worry about getting seasick."This is (like) a lake," Cdr. Kang Byung-oh, the captain of the 1,200-ton sub, told a small group of reporters in the torpedo room, which doubles as a briefing room, last week. "The waves are only about 1.5 meters high. W

Sept. 17, 2017

Seoul’s own missile fails midway

　In response to North Korea‘s missile launch Friday, South Korea fired off two ballistic missiles, but one of them crashed into the sea, sparking concern over Seoul’s missile capacity to counter the rogue regime. 　According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, one Hyunmoo II-A intermediate-range ballistic missile splashed into the East Sea within a few seconds of being launched. The other flew 250 kilometers and hit its intended target accurately in a simulated pre-emptive strike.　South Korea

Sept. 15, 2017

Korea to display 'strategic assets' in Armed Forces Day event

South Korea will put some of its "strategic" weapons on display during the Armed Forces Day event late this month in a show of firepower against North Korea, the Ministry of National Defense said Thursday.The anniversary falls on Oct. 1 to commemorate the service of the country's former and current troops. On the day in 1950, the South's forces broke through the 38th parallel border line during the war against the invading North.This year, the government's official ceremony will be held on Sept.

Sept. 14, 2017

[Video] Seoul carries out missile drill targeting NK’s nuclear sites

South Korea has successfully conducted its first live-fire exercise for an advanced long-range cruise missile capable of striking North Korea’s underground military facilities and command centers, Seoul’s Air Force said Wednesday. According to the military, the Taurus missile fired from a F-15K fighter jet traveled about 400 kilometers before hitting a target on Jikdo in the West Sea on Tuesday. It flew through obstacles at a low altitude of 500 meters and rose up to 3 kilo

Sept. 13, 2017

Moon calls for thorough reform of Coast Guard

President Moon Jae-in said Wednesday the Coast Guard should revamp itself to regain public trust after mishandling the deadly 2014 ferry sinking that claimed the lives of more than 300 people.Moon made the remarks during a ceremony marking the 64th anniversary of the establishment of the Coast Guard, formerly known as the Maritime Police Agency, saying the agency should take the sinking of the ferry Sewol as an "eternal lesson" and carry out deep reforms. President Moon Jae-in delivers an addres

Sept. 13, 2017

Korea succeeds in live-fire drill of Taurus long-range missile

South Korea's Air Force said Wednesday it has successfully conducted its first live-fire exercise for Taurus, a long-range air-to-surface missile introduced from Germany for precision bombing of key facilities in North Korea.In the exercise, which took place in the air over Taean, South Chungcheong Province, on Tuesday, the Air Force's F-15K fighter jet fired a Taurus missile, which flew some 400 kilometers and precisely hit an intended target in the coastal waters off Gunsan, North Jeolla Provi

Sept. 13, 2017

Army soldier wounded in Aug. firing accident dies

An Army soldier, who was wounded in a firing accident involving a K-9 self-propelled howitzer in Gangwon Province last month, died in a hospital on Wednesday, the Army said.The death of Wie Dong-min, a 20-year-old sergeant, raised the number of victims to three in an explosion of a 155-mm K-9 which took place on Aug. 18 during a firing drill in Cheorwon near the border with North Korea. This photo, taken on Aug. 21, 2017, shows Army soldiers at a funeral for two victims in a firing accident in A

Sept. 13, 2017

Budget for Seoul’s own anti-missile system “dramatically” slashed: lawmaker

South Korea’s 2018 budget for developing its own missile defense system against North Korea’s ballistic missiles and nuclear attack has been slashed compared to this year, an opposition lawmaker claimed Tuesday. 　The government, instead, allotted more money to bankroll President Moon Jae-in’s election pledges -- a hike in enlisted soldiers’ wages and a cut in the mandatory service period, said Rep. Kim Hack-yong of Liberty Korea Party, citing next year’s budget plan of the Ministry of National D

Sept. 12, 2017

[News Focus] US nukes in S. Korea, mere talk or feasible plan?

 　Despite repeated rebuttals from the South Korean government, talk of bringing US tactical nuclear weapons here continues to grow, with signs of Washington warming to the idea amid North Korea’s persistent nuclear and missile threats. 　But experts here are still cautious, questioning whether the US would really have the intention to redeploy tactical nukes on the Korean Peninsula, risking sparking military tensions in Northeast Asia, and potentially, a regional nuclear arms race. 　Over the past

Sept. 11, 2017

S. Korea, Egypt vow ties on N. Korea, defense industry

The defense ministers of South Korea and Egypt agreed Monday to deepen the partnership between their countries on North Korea and arms development, Seoul's ministry said.In talks with his South Korean counterpart Song Young-moo here, Egyptian Defense Minister Sedki Sobhi stressed that his country has already severed all military ties with North Korea, according to the ministry.He was quoted as telling Song that Egypt will actively cooperate with South Korea against North Korean acts that threate

Sept. 11, 2017

Pacific Army chiefs to discuss N. Korea in Seoul next week

Top Army officers from Indo-Asia-Pacific countries will gather in Seoul next week for a biennial meeting on North Korea and other security threats, South Korea's Army said Monday.The four-day Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference will open Monday under the theme "Unity of Effort: Building Civil-Military Partnerships in Land Force Response to Non-Traditional Security Threats." It will bring together army chiefs of staff and senior commanders from 29 nations, the Army said. It will be co-hosted by Sout

Sept. 11, 2017

Conservatives to push harder for nukes in South Korea

With public sentiment worsening over North Korea, South Korea’s main opposition party is revving up its call for the nation’s nuclear armament by bringing back the United States’ tactical nuclear weapons. 　However, Seoul’s presidential office Cheong Wa Dae on Sunday reiterated its opposition to the measure, saying that it would undermine the government’s effort to denuclearize Pyongyang and trigger an nuclear arms race in East Asia. 　The Liberty Korea Party, which has been boycotting parliamenta

Sept. 10, 2017

[Hwang Jae-ho] The road ahead for Seoul Defense Dialogue

Seoul Defense Dialogue, set to wrap up its three-day run today, is in its sixth year. The scale of the annual event has doubled since 2012, when it was first launched with participants from 15 countries and two international organizations. This year, the number has increased to 37 countries and three international organizations. SDD is Korea’s only high-level multilateral security dialogue and has developed into one of the top three security dialogues in Asia along with Shangri-la Dialogue and C

Sept. 8, 2017

Security policymakers call for deterrence, sanctions against NK military threat

Regional security policymakers on Thursday called for extended deterrence and international sanctions against North Korea, denouncing the country for destabilizing peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. During the Seoul Defense Dialogue 2017, senior diplomats, military generals and security scholars called for enhanced multilateral cooperation, while stressing the need to prepare a “contingency plan” against a North Korean miscalculation.The annual security forum came amid ris

Sept. 7, 2017

[Exclusive] ‘US does not support tactical nuke deployment to South Korea’

The United States does not support the idea of South Korea rearming with nuclear weapons to match North Korea, a high-ranking US military official said Thursday.“The US does not support the reintroduction of tactical nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula, although we certainly understand those feelings especially in light of the recent nuclear test (by the North),” said Lt. Gen. Thomas W. Bergeson, deputy commander of USFK and commander of the 7th Air Force, at a forum in Seoul. The US provide

Sept. 7, 2017

Opposition party to send delegation to US to call forredeployment of tactical nukes

The main opposition Liberty Korea Party said Thursday that it will send a delegation to the United States to drum up support for its drive for the redeployment of US tactical nuclear weapons to the Korean Peninsula.Rep. Kim Gwang-lim, the party's policy chief, said that the delegation will meet US politicians and journalists who share the need for the redeployment to counter escalating North Korean nuclear threats. Rep. Kim Gwang-lim (Yonhap)"The redeployment of the tactical nukes and the deploy

Sept. 7, 2017