S. Korea can reject potential U.S. request for Japan forces entry: defense minister

South Korea is capable of turning down any U.S. request for the entry of Japanese armed forces onto the Korean Peninsula, Defense Minister Han Min-koo said Monday in his latest efforts to defuse concerns over Japan's rearmament moves.  Japan passed a package of security bills into law in the wee hours of Saturday, unshackling its previously self defense-only armed forces from limitations imposed after World War II and empowering them to fight in overseas battles. The rearmament step has sparked

Sept. 21, 2015

Russian security chief due in S. Korea

Russia's security chief was to arrive in Seoul for talks with top South Korean officials, Cheong Wa Dae said Monday.  Nikolai Patrushev, chair of the Russian Security Council, is set to meet with President Park Geun-hye's top security adviser, Kim Kwan-jin, and Ju Chul-ki, senior presidential secretary for foreign affairs, the presidential office said.  The one-day trip is part of an exchange of visits of senior officials between the countries on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the estab

Sept. 21, 2015

Park to grant 2-day vacation to military servicemen

President Park Geun-hye will grant two-day holidays to military servicemen in celebration of the Korean harvest holiday, Chuseok, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Sunday.The vacations will allow noncommissioned officers and other conscripts of lower ranks to take two days off at a time of their choosing, the presidential office said in a statement. "The latest gesture of celebrations was decided in recognition of the efforts the servicemen showed in keeping their combat readiness, espe

Sept. 20, 2015

S. Korea, Russia to hold high-level security dialogue

South Korea and Russia are expected to hold their first high-level security dialogue, government sources said Sunday, amid growing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea ahead of a key anniversary next month.Nikolai Patrushev, a close aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, is likely to visit South Korea before heading to Japan late this month, according to the sources asking not to be named.North Korea has hinted at launching what it called "a series of satellites" ahead of the 70th ann

Sept. 20, 2015

Korea to sell four T50 trainer jets to Thailand

By Shin Hyon-hee South Korea on Thursday secured a contract to export four T-50 trainer jets to Thailand in another coup that marks the local defense industry’s growing technological clout. The $110 million agreement was clinched between the Korea Aerospace Industries and the Thai government in Seoul. The supersonic aircraft, built with technical assistance from the American defense giant Lockheed Martin, is scheduled to be delivered by March 2018. The Thai Air Force has been pushing to replace

Sept. 17, 2015

State arms buyers grilled over graft

By Shin Hyon-heeThe country’s defense acquisition officials came under fire Thursday during a parliamentary audit for a string of fresh allegations of illicit participation of an arms broker, buying subquality supplies and other irregularities. According to Rep. Baek Kun-ki of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy, a Korean weapons brokerage based in the U.S., was involved in the Defense Acquisition Program Administration’s 2012 bid to adopt new AW-159 Wildcat helicopters in br

Sept. 17, 2015

Seoul to host defense exhibition next month

South Korea will host a defense exhibition next month to showcase global high-tech weapons, including the U.S. Global Hawk surveillance aircraft, the Ministry of National Defense said Thursday.The Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition will run for six days starting Oct. 20 at the Seoul Air Base, just south of the capital.Since the official launch of the exhibition in 2009, the ADEX 2015 will be the biggest of its kind, drawing 386 defense manufacturers from 32 countries, according t

Sept. 17, 2015

S. Korea, U.S. to hold defense talks next week

South Korea and the United States will hold their annual senior-level defense talks next week to discuss joint deterrence against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and alliance issues, the Defense Ministry said Thursday.  Yoo Jeh-seung, deputy minister for policy at the Ministry of National Defense, will lead South Korea's delegation to the Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue to be held in Seoul from Sept. 23-24, according to the ministry.  The U.S. will be represented by Abraham Denm

Sept. 17, 2015

Aug. tension apparently caused accidental shootings, desertion in N. Korea military

Several North Korean soldiers were accidentally shot and other soldiers deserted during recent tensions with South Korea, an intelligence official said Thursday, a sign of low morale in the North's military.  The accidents occurred during and after a 48-hour ultimatum North Korea gave to South Korea last month to end propaganda broadcasts, saying it would otherwise launch "strong military action."  South Korea resumed the propaganda broadcasts along the heavily fortified border in August for the

Sept. 17, 2015

Aegis destroyer tasked with detecting N. Korea's possible rocket launch

A South Korean Aegis combat system-equipped destroyer, patrolling in the East Sea, has assumed the key mission of detecting North Korea's launch of a long-range rocket, government sources said.North Korea hinted at the possibility of firing a rocket, which it claims to be carrying a satellite, in the coming weeks to mark the 70th anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea on Oct. 10.The Aegis ship equipped with a state-of-the-art radar system is aimed at countering North Korea's ballistic missil

Sept. 16, 2015

Jeju naval base hosts warship in test operation

South Korea has begun testing its new naval base on the southern island of Jeju as its construction is near completion, the Navy said Wednesday."The Aegis combat system-equipped DDG destroyer, the Sejong the Great, entered the Jeju civil-military combined port for a safety check of the port and pier facilities," the Navy said.It is the first time a Navy warship has docked at the base, of which construction is about 89 percent complete as of Wednesday, according to the Navy. The 37,000-ton warshi

Sept. 16, 2015

S. Korea, Philippines ink pact on protecting classified military info

South Korea and the Philippines on Monday signed a pact to protect classified military information in a bid to exchange military intelligence, Seoul's defense ministry said.South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo and his Filipino counterpart Secretary Voltaire Gazmin signed the deal in Manila following their talks, according to the ministry.Han arrived in the Philippines on Monday for a two-day visit following his trip to Australia for a so-called "two plus two" meeting among the two nations'

Sept. 14, 2015

Joining military increasingly competitive

In the face of a long-running job crunch, young South Korean men are finding it increasingly difficult to join the military for the obligatory two-year service, with an acceptance rate hovering around a mere 13 percent this year, a lawmaker said Monday. Between January and July, only 84,224 out of 630,427 applicants were enlisted in the Army, Navy, Air Force or Marine Corps, beating odds of 1 in about 7.5, said Rep. Chung Mi-kyung of the ruling Saenuri Party, based on data submitted by the Milit

Sept. 14, 2015

More than 16,000 men give up nationality to avoid military service

More than 16,000 South Korean men have relinquished their nationality to avoid the mandatory military service in recent years, an opposition lawmaker said Monday.A total of 4,386 men opted for foreign citizenship in 2014, up from 3,470 men in 2011, said Rep. Jin Sung-joon of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy, citing data of the Military Manpower Administration submitted to the National Assembly for an annual audit.In the first seven months of this year, 2,374 men gave up th

Sept. 14, 2015