U.S. nuclear-powered submarine, USS Mississippi, arrives in Busan port

The USS Mississippi (SSN-782), a nuclear reactor-powered United States submarine, entered the port of Busan on Monday as part of the vessel’s maiden voyage to the Asian region, the U.S. military said Monday.The 7,800-ton Virginia-class attack submarine is one of the U.S. Navy's newest vessels, having started its mission with the U.S. Pacific Fleet in June 2012. "With a crew of approximately 141 sailors, the Mississippi will conduct a multitude of missions while maintaining proficiency of the lat

June 13, 2016

Defense Minister Han to visit France to up pressure on N. Korea

South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo will visit France this week as part of an ongoing effort by Seoul to increase pressure on North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program, the defense ministry said Monday.Han will travel to France from Tuesday to Thursday to meet his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian in order to discuss the two countries' joint efforts to pressure the North as well as ways to expand bilateral defense cooperation measures, the ministry said.Both South Korea and Fr

June 13, 2016

Defense ministry demands 5.3% increase in defense budget for 2017

The Ministry of National Defense has demanded a 5.3 percent on-year increase in its defense budget for 2017 as it plans to accelerate efforts to bolster the welfare of military conscripts and build up the country's air defense system, the ministry said Friday.The ministry has submitted its defense budget demand to the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, requesting a budget of 40.87 trillion won ($35.18 billion) for next year, according to a statement. The defense budget for this year stands at 38.

June 10, 2016

New naval contingency unit conducts 1st warfare drill

South Korea's new naval contingency unit is conducting a warfare exercise in the West Sea in its first stand-alone military drill aimed at fending off North Korea's potential aggression, the military said Wednesday. "The quick reaction unit is carrying out an exercise in the West Sea area from May 5-11," the Marine Corps said in a statement.This is the first exercise conducted by the some 4,000-strong contingency team comprised of Marine Corps and Navy troops. The unit was launched in March to c

June 8, 2016

S. Korea should make use of robotics for potential conflict with N.K.: researcher

South Korea should capitalize on its evolving robotics technology to cope with future combat operations, a local researcher said Wednesday, noting that ground-based military robots would put the country at an advantage in a potential conflict with poorly-equipped North Korean forces.Kim Do-jong, a researcher at the state-run Agency for Defense Development, said in his latest research paper that the South can utilize robots as part of its "reverse asymmetric weapons systems" to counter the North'

June 8, 2016

Korea conducts maritime drills to protect Dokdo

South Korea's military and coast guard on Wednesday began two-day maritime drills aimed at better safeguarding the country's easternmost islets of Dokdo, amid Japan's persistent sovereignty claim.The South Korean military mobilized some 10 vessels, P-3 maritime surveillance aircraft and Lynx antisubmarine helicopters, along with Marine Corps personnel for the maneuvers in the East Sea, military officials said.The drills are being staged based on a scenario under which foreign forces are making a

June 8, 2016

U.S. missile defense system aimed only at N. Korea, Iran, not China, Russia: White House

The U.S. missile defense system is designed to counter "limited attacks from Iran and North Korea" and are not aimed at the strategic deterrence forces of Russia and China, the White House said Tuesday.The White House Office of Management and Budget made the point in a policy statement, expressing opposition to a proposal to remove the word "limited" from a section of the National Missile Defense Act of 1999 that says the U.S. policy is to deploy "an effective National Missile Defense system cap

June 8, 2016

Korea develops wheeled armored combat vehicles for infantry troops

South Korea has developed new wheeled armored combat vehicles that can greatly enhance the mobility and striking power of its infantry troops, the defense acquisition agency said Tuesday. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration’s wheeled armored vehicle project, undertaken by Hyundai Rotem since 2012, has been successfully completed, the DAPA said in a statement. It said the locally built vehicles passed their final qualification test on May 9. The project was aimed at improving the mobil

June 7, 2016

Russia, China share concern about THAAD deployment in Korea

Senior officials from Russia and China held talks in Beijing and shared concerns about the possible deployment of an advanced U.S. missile defense system to South Korea, according to China's official media on Tuesday. The talks, led by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov and Kong Xuanyou, China's assistant foreign minister, were held on Monday, on the same day the U.S. and China began their high-level talks in Beijing. During the Monday talks, Russia and China expressed their "firm opp

June 7, 2016

U.S., Korea moving forward in THAAD talks: Pentagon

The United States and South Korea are moving forward in negotiations on the potential deployment of the THAAD missile defense system in the South, and are now focused on working out unspecified "complicated issues," the Pentagon said Monday.Following the North's long-range missile test in February, Seoul and Washington launched official talks about placing a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery in the South to bolster defense against missile threats from the communist nation. The move has

June 7, 2016

THAAD to 'dramatically' enhance capacity to counter NK threat: defense chief

South Korea's defense chief said the possible deployment of a U.S. advanced missile defense system to South Korean soil will help "dramatically" enhance Seoul's capacity to counter North Korea's missile threats.Seoul and Washington have been discussing the potential deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery in the South, where about 28,500 American troops are stationed, in an effort to better defend against growing missile threats from the communist nation."South Korea only has

June 7, 2016

Trump insists allies should pay 100 pct of troop stationing costs

U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump insisted Sunday that allies should pay 100 percent of the stationing cost for American troops and the U.S. should end the protection offered unless they agree to do so."We right now defend Japan. Japan pays us a small fraction of the cost, a very small fraction. I want them to pay us at least the cost," Trump said in an interview with CNN. "It's actually less than 50 percent. But a general got on and said 50 percent recently. But, even if it wa

June 6, 2016

Korea to publish summary of defense white paper in six foreign languages

Korea's Ministry of National Defense will publish a summary of its biennial defense white paper in six foreign languages starting this year in an effort to help foreign countries have a better understanding of Seoul's defense policies, officials said Sunday.The summary of the 2016 Defense White Paper due out at the end of this year will be published in six foreign languages -- English, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Spanish and Arabic -- said the officials, adding the abridged foreign-language edit

June 5, 2016

Carter stresses U.S. committed to protecting S. Korea from N. Korean aggression

Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the United States is committed to implementing a full range of military capabilities to deter any North Korean attacks on South Korea, Seoul's defense ministry said Saturday after the allies' defense chiefs held bilateral talks."Secretary of Defense Carter stressed that the U.S. will continue to provide extended deterrence to South Korea, utilizing all categories of military capabilities," the Ministry of National Defense said in a statement.Defense Minister Han

June 4, 2016

Shangri-La Dialogue set to discuss N.K. nuclear issue, S. China Sea rows

An annual regional defense ministers' summit, the Asia Security Summit, is set to kick off its three-day run in the city-state of Singapore on Friday, with North Korea's ever-growing nuclear ambition and South China Sea rows expected to top this year's agenda.The regional forum, also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue after its venue at the Shangri-La Hotel, will bring together defense ministers from 23 countries, including South Korea, the United States, Japan, China and France. Another 12 countr

June 3, 2016

Korea, U.S. have no plan to discuss THAAD at defense chiefs' meeting: Seoul

South Korea's defense ministry on Friday said the issue of deploying a U.S. advanced missile defense system on South Korean soil will not be discussed at the upcoming meeting of the two countries' defense chiefs."The two countries are in consultation over the deployment of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery on South Korean soil. After the consultation is over, the results will come out," the ministry said in a statement.Seoul's reaction came as U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said

June 3, 2016