[NEWS ANALYSIS] Pros and cons of potential THAAD locations

South Korea and the U.S. decided on the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense here last week and the talk of the town has been where the advanced missile defense system will be located.Korea and the U.S. kicked off talks to station THAAD on the peninsula in February, on the heels of North Korea’s long-range rocket launch that followed its nuclear test in January. Various locations around the country are considered to be potential candidates including Osan and Pyeongtaek in Gyeong

July 12, 2016

PM says THAAD deployment does not require parliamentary approval

Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn on Tuesday reiterated the government's position that the recent decision by Seoul and Washington to deploy an advanced antimissile system here does not require parliamentary approval.Some opposition lawmakers have argued that the allies' decision to station a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery in South Korea requires ratification by the National Assembly, while others have called for a referendum on the issue.Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn attends a parliament

July 12, 2016

THAAD deployment sparks fear of ‘new Cold War’

South Korea and the U.S.’ decision to deploy the advanced missile defense system here is touching off concerns of destabilizing safety and security in the Northeast Asia region, with neighboring China and Russia openly berating the move.The allies announced last week that they will station here the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system against North Korea’s growing nuclear and missile threats.South Korea‘s Deputy Minister of Defense Ryu Je-seung (right) and Lt. Gen. Thomas S. Vandal, comman

July 11, 2016

Cheong Wa Dae reiterates THAAD is self-defense measure

The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae on Monday reiterated the recent decision by South Korea and the United States to station an advanced antimissile system here is a "self-defense" measure to counter growing military threats from North Korea."The (planned) deployment of (the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense) is a self-defense step to safeguard the well-being of the country, the lives of the people and their properties," presidential spokesman Jung Youn-kuk told reporters.The statement is a

July 11, 2016

S. Korea hit by THAAD backlash

South Korea is facing opposition within and beyond the peninsula following its announcement made with the U.S. of a plan to station an advanced U.S. missile defense system here.On Friday, Seoul and Washington presented their plan to complete the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system here to counter growing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea, ending a five-month consultation period. As of Sunday, North Korea had yet to release a statement on the matter, but expert

July 10, 2016

[Herald Interview] KATUSA fraternity aims to be voice of alliance

When U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump started accusing Seoul of getting a “free-ride” from Washington for its defense, many South Koreans reacted angrily, since they collectively pay nearly 1 trillion won ($865 million) each year for the upkeep of U.S. troops here. There were also concerns about the future of the security alliance. For Kim Jong-wook, the chairman of the KATUSA Veterans Association, Trump’s remarks highlighted the sheer absence of robust voices at home and in t

July 8, 2016

[Weekender] Original KATUSA soldier shares memories of war, pride of service

Yu Yong-bong has not gone hiking for decades. The haunting memories of fighting in the mountains have kept him away from the trails.The 84-year-old former member of the U.S. Army 7th Infantry Division was one of the original 313 Korea Augmentation to the U.S. Army soldiers recruited in the first few months of the 1950-53 Korean War.He was among South Korean and U.S. soldiers who marched to the Yalu River on Nov. 20, 1950. “We grabbed a chunk of ice and ate it because we were so happy. We thought

July 8, 2016

[Weekender] KATUSA, symbol of Korea-U.S. alliance

They were there in 1950 when the U.N. troops landed in Incheon to besiege the North Korean Army during the Korean War. They were there when the allied forces pushed North Korea to the brink at the Yalu River, only to be pushed back by massive forces of China.Over half a century later, soldiers of the Korean Augmentation to the United States Army are still here to serve as an integral piece of the South Korea-U.S. alliance.KATUSA is a group of to South Korean soldiers augmented to the 8th U.S. Ar

July 8, 2016

[Weekender] Misunderstandings about KATUSA

When faced with mandatory conscription in South Korea, all able-bodied men between 18 and 35 face the dilemma of choosing where to serve during their 21-month duty. This ranges from the regular army and the navy to auxiliary police and the marines. Among these choices, serving in KATUSA, or the Korean Augmentation to the United States Army, is almost a dream come true and the most envied. KATUSA soldiers and U.S. soldiers jointly participate in a combat exercise in this file photo. (8th ARMY, RO

July 8, 2016

[Weekender] Competent warriors, vital military ambassadors since start of alliance

Every year, on the morning of June 25, the Korean War Veterans Memorial is greeted by a slew of government officials, military personnel and war veterans who gather to pay tribute to the fallen warriors of the Korean War that cost the lives of 130,000 Korean and 36,000 U.S. soldiers. But the 66th Anniversary this June had new additions to those honored -- fallen Korean soldiers who had served under the Korea Army Augmented to the 8th U.S. Army, or “KATUSA.” The names of 7,052 unknown heroes were

July 8, 2016

S. Korea, U.S. to deploy THAAD system here by end-2017

Seoul and Washington said Friday they plan to complete the stationing of advanced U.S. missile defense assets in the South within next year, adding that this will help counter North Korea’s growing nuclear and missile threats. Following five months of consultations, the two countries said they have decided to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system here and expect to unveil the site “within a couple of weeks.” Despite Beijing’s stringent opposition, the allies reiterated that the p

July 8, 2016

Korea, U.S. reach decision to deploy THAAD defense system in Korea

South Korea and the United States have agreed to deploy a high-tech antiballistic-missile interception system in the Northeast Asian country to upgrade the allies' defense against North Korea's increasing nuclear and missile threats, the defense ministry said Friday.The decision came after five months of negotiations between Seoul and Washington over whether to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, an advanced air defense shield that makes up the U.S.' mainland missile defense s

July 8, 2016

Military suspends flight of Surion choppers over defective gearbox

Korea's military has suspended the flight of locally-developed KUH-1 Surion helicopter after defects in the imported gearbox were reported following the deadly crash of a Norwegian chopper using the same European component, the defense procurement agency said Thursday.The EC-225 Super Puma chopper of Norwegian oil company Statoil crashed off the Scandinavian country's southwest coast on April 29, killing all 13 people aboard. Korea has recently been informed by the chopper's manufacturer, Airbus

July 7, 2016

USFK veterans to launch fraternity this year

Retired and in-service members of the U.S. Forces Korea plan to launch a fraternity group this year to foster camaraderie and support the two countries’ alliance, Seoul defense officials said Tuesday. The Korea Defense Veterans Association will be reportedly chaired by Walter Sharp, a former USFK commander from 2008-11, and joined by other ex-generals including Leon Laporte and James Thurman.  Former USFK commander Walter Sharp (Yonhap)Last month, Kim Jong-wook, chairman of the KATUSA Veterans A

July 5, 2016