Most Popular
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Jung's paternity reveal exposes where Korea stands on extramarital babies
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Samsung entangled in legal risks amid calls for drastic reform
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Heavy snow alerts issued in greater Seoul area, Gangwon Province; over 20 cm of snow seen in Seoul
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Seoul blanketed by heaviest Nov. snow, with more expected
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[Herald Interview] 'Trump will use tariffs as first line of defense for American manufacturing'
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Samsung shakes up management, commits to reviving chip business
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K-pop fandoms wield growing influence over industry decisions
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Heavy snow of up to 40 cm blankets Seoul for 2nd day
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Korea's auto industry braces for Trump’s massive tariffs in Mexico
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Seoul's first snowfall could hit hard, warns weather agency
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Seoul to reinforce military organization in charge of N. Korean WMD threats
The South Korean military will strengthen its preparedness against increasing North Korean nuclear and missile threats by forming a new organization, multiple government sources said Sunday.The sources said the Joint Chiefs of Staff will seek to expand what is currently a department handling threats of weapons of mass destruction into the tentatively named "North Korean Nuclear and WMD Response Center."The sources added that the new center will be formed within November, with an Air Force brigad
Nov. 27, 2016
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Korea scandal could affect THAAD deployment: expert
The massive corruption scandal threatening to unseat South Korean President Park Geun-hye could paralyze her government for months to come and pose greater opposition to the planned deployment of the US THAAD missile defense system, a US expert said.Park has been under growing pressure to step down following revelations that a long-time confidante, Choi Soon-il, exercised enormous influence over her and her handling of state affairs, while amassing huge ill-gotten wealth."Regardless of whether P
Nov. 25, 2016
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[Graphic News] Military information sharing between Seoul, Tokyo
Under the General Security of Military Information Agreement that came into effect Wednesday, South Korea and Japan are to share military information classified as second-degree or less.
Nov. 24, 2016
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Korea's trainer jet conducts 1st test flight in US
South Korea's trainer jet made its first test flight in the United States last week after the two countries agreed to mutually recognize its airworthiness certification in September, the defense acquisition agency said Thursday. On Saturday, the 'T-X' trainer, a modified version of the T-50 planes in service with the South Korean Air Force, showed off its flight performance as a candidate to replace the existing jets operated by the US Air Force in South Carolina, the Defense Acquisition Program
Nov. 24, 2016
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US welcomes Korea-Japan intel-sharing deal
The White House on Wednesday welcomed the signing of a military intelligence sharing agreement between South Korea and Japan, saying it will bolster three-way cooperation between the two allies and the US in defending against North Korea.Earlier in the day, Seoul and Tokyo formally signed the information sharing accord, known as the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), the first military pact between them since South Korea's liberation from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule."
Nov. 24, 2016
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Korea, Japan sign pact to share military information
South Korea and Japan signed a pact on Wednesday to share military intelligence to better counter mounting missile and nuclear threats from North Korea. Defense Minister Han Min-koo and Japanese Ambassador to Seoul Yasumasa Nagamine officially signed the General Security of Military Information Agreement at the defense ministry in Seoul. The final signing comes less than a month after discussions resumed on Oct. 27, following a hiatus of four years. They tentatively signed the pact last week. On
Nov. 23, 2016
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US approves sale to Korea of anti-missile system for large aircraft
The US government has approved a proposed sale to South Korea of an anti-missile system designed to protect large aircraft, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency.South Korea has requested to buy Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) systems for up to four aerial refueling tanker aircraft, and the State Department approved the sale, the agency said in a statement.The estimated cost is $141 million, it said.The LAIRCM system, manufactured by Northrop Grumman, is designed
Nov. 23, 2016
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S. Korea approves military pact with Japan despite backlash
The military intelligence information sharing agreement between South Korea and Japan was approved by President Park Geun-hye on Tuesday, sparking complaints from the opposition who called it a rushed and unilateral decision by the Park administration.Seoul and Tokyo will sign the General Security of Military Information Agreement on 10 a.m. Wednesday, with South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo and Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Yasumasa Nagamine acting as representatives. The two count
Nov. 22, 2016
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Choi exerted influence helping Lockheed Martin win projects: lawmaker
An opposition lawmaker alleged Tuesday that Choi Soon-sil, the scandal-ridden confidante to President Park Geun-hye, illicitly helped Lockheed Martin Corp. of the United States win South Korean defense projects.Rep. An Min-suk of the Democratic Party said the defense company bankrolled a study abroad trip for the children of a Korean national security official some years ago. The figure in return introduced Choi to the firm, the lawmaker said during an interview with MBC Radio."I have received a
Nov. 22, 2016
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Gov't approves controversial military intel sharing pact with Japan
The South Korean government on Tuesday approved a controversial intelligence sharing pact with Japan, citing the need to expand cooperation with the neighboring country in the face of growing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea. The endorsement of the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) comes less than a month after they resumed discussions on Oct. 27 following a hiatus of four years.Defense Minister Han Min-koo and Japanese Ambassador to Seoul Yasumasa Nagamine
Nov. 22, 2016
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CSIS chief: Troop presence in Korea serves US national interest
The United States has kept troops in South Korea for decades because it's in the country's own national interest, not just to help the Asian ally, the head of a major US think tank said Monday.John Hamre, a top security expert and president of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, made the point during a discussion on Korea-US defense cooperation, rejecting President-elect Donald Trump's rhetoric that the US gains little from maintaining troops in allied nations. John Hamre, presid
Nov. 22, 2016
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Korea will have to pay up if US demands more defense-cost sharing: official
South Korea will have to embrace an increase in its share of the cost of American troops stationed in the country if the incoming US administration makes such a demand, Seoul's arms procurement chief said Monday.Chang Myoung-jin, head of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, made the remark during a discussion at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington amid keen attention as to whether President-elect Donald Trump would put into action his campaign pledge to ha
Nov. 22, 2016
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S. Korea-Japan military deal may be inked Wednesday
South Korea’s Defense Ministry said Monday that it may clinch the disputed military information-sharing agreement with Japan as early as Wednesday.The bilateral General Security of Military Information Agreement, which was tentatively signed on Nov. 14, will be put to a vote at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday. “The signing of the deal will take place as early as Wednesday, at (the South Korean) Ministry of National Defense. ... It will be done as soon as President (Park Geun-hye) endorses it,” said mi
Nov. 21, 2016
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Korea, Japan to sign intel-sharing pact Wednesday
South Korea and Japan plan to sign a military intelligence-sharing pact this week to better counter mounting threats from North Korea, the defense ministry said Monday. The two countries signed a provisional General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) last week, less than a month after they resumed discussions on Oct. 27. "We are planning to formally sign the GSOMIA on Wednesday upon approval by President Park Geun-hye after it is passed by the Cabinet on Tuesday," a ministry o
Nov. 21, 2016
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Korea, US to sign pact to share info on defense industry firms
South Korea and the United States plan to share information on their defense industry companies in a move to facilitate the trade of weapons, the state defense procurement agency said Monday. Chang Myoung-jin, head of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, and Deputy Secretary of Commerce Bruce H.Andrews will sign a memorandum of cooperation for information sharing on each other's weapons manufacturers in Washington, an official statement said. The bilateral pact will be reached Monday
Nov. 21, 2016
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Ex-Joint Chiefs of Staff chief gets jail term for bribery
A Seoul court on Friday sentenced former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Choi Yoon-hee to a year in prison on charges of bribery in the latest ruling that highlights the corruption in the country's defense industry.The Seoul Central District Court found the 63-year-old, who served as the JCS chief from 2013 to 2015, guilty of receiving 20 million won ($17,000) from an arms broker, identified only by his surname Ham, in 2014. Ham brokered the import of the AW159 Wildcat, which the Navy adopted in
Nov. 18, 2016
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China prepares diplomatic, military measures against THAAD: expert
China is preparing all necessary measures, including diplomatic and military responses, to South Korea's planned deployment of an advanced US anti-missile system on its soil, a former Chinese diplomat and expert on Korean affairs said Thursday.Yang Xiyu, a senior research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, emphasized that there will be "no winners" in the arms race, such as the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD) in South Korea.He served as h
Nov. 17, 2016
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Korea to develop long-range rocket to counter N.K. threats
South Korea on Wednesday approved three major defense projects, including a long-range rocket system, to help bolster its capabilities to better counter growing North Korean military threats.The government's approval comes amid mounting geopolitical uncertainties surrounding the Korean Peninsula as Pyongyang ratchets up its saber rattling and many countries in the region feel uneasy about Donald Trump's surprise victory in last week's U.S. presidential race.During the 2017-2020 period, Seoul wil
Nov. 16, 2016
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Defense Ministry secures site for THAAD
South Korea’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday it has reached an agreement to acquire a Lotte Group-owned plot of land as the site for the upcoming deployment of an advanced US missile defense system.According to the agreement, the ministry will exchange state-owned land in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, for the Lotte Skyhill Country Club and its surrounding land. The golf resort sits in the southeastern county of Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, which was designated on Sept. 30 as the spot for
Nov. 16, 2016
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Defense ministry concludes deal to secure site for THAAD
South Korea's defense ministry concluded a deal Wednesday to acquire a site for an advanced US missile defense system from Lotte Group. The Ministry of National Defense has agreed to secure the Lotte Skyhill Country Club in the southeastern rural county of Seongju from the country's fifth-largest conglomerate. The ministry will give state-owned military land near Seoul to Lotte in exchange for the golf course, the ministry said in a statement. It said an appraisal of the value of the two sites w
Nov. 16, 2016