S. Korea to stage military drill to defend Dokdo

South Korea said Wednesday it will carry out a drill to deter trespassers on its easternmost islets of Dokdo later this month amid Japan's renewed claims to the island. The drill is scheduled to take place for a two-day period on the rocky outcroppings in the East Sea and in its surrounding waters with the detailed plan subject to change, a military officer said, requesting anonymity.  "The exercise aims to repel non-military forces that approach the islets via a sea or air route," he added.The

May 6, 2015

[News Focus] Debate on South Korea’s nuke armament reignited

Debate has resurfaced over the possibility of South Korea’s nuclear armament as North Korea’s nuclear threat remains unabated with growing security rivalry in the region most recently stoked by Japan’s push for heavier armament.Lingering doubts over the reliability of the U.S.’ nuclear umbrella has also added to the possibility that Seoul could seek a more viable way to bolster its self-defense capabilities to fend off Pyongyang’s security challenges, analysts said.Charles Ferguson, head of the

May 4, 2015

S. Korea to create arms acquisition academy

South Korea said Thursday it is preparing to launch a special academy to train civilian experts in the defense acquisition field as part of efforts to weed out corruption by relevant military officers.   The move is one of the key measures Seoul's arms procurement agency put forth in the wake of corruptive cases involving its personnel mainly caused by cozy ties between businesses and former and current service personnel.   "We are drawing up concrete plans, including funding schemes, to establi

April 30, 2015

2 officers die after near drowning

Two Army officers died Tuesday hours after falling unconscious during a training at a reservoir, authorities said.  The two were being trained for guerrilla warfare at around 3:30 p.m. at a four-meter deep reservoir in the southwestern city of Gwangju. They went missing while swimming through the reservoir, and was rescued around an hour later. They were taken to an Army hospital for treatment, but were pronounced dead later in the afternoon.  Sources said there were no rescue equipments nor med

April 28, 2015

Korea to remove barbed-wire fence on east coast

South Korea announced a plan Monday to replace some of the barbed-wire fences along the east coast with unmanned border security equipment to help facilitate the lives of local residents there.  Under the agreement among the defense and home affairs ministries and the country's eastern province of Gangwon, the government will launch the project in the first half of this year to eliminate part of 26.4 kilometers of fencing set up in 41 areas on the eastern coastal border region.  The barbed-wire

April 27, 2015

New guided rocket system to be deployed

A new guided rocket system will be deployed to South Korea’s border islands as early as next year to better counter growing infiltration threats from North Korea’s hovercrafts, according to the state-run Agency for Defense Development.Since 2012, the ADD has been developing the 2.75 inch-caliber rocket system with a budget of 70 billion won ($64.8 million). During the recent four rounds of testing, the system successfully hit targets, ADD officials said, noting the development project has procee

April 26, 2015

New guided rocket to target N. Korean vessels to be deployed in '16

A new South Korean guided rocket designed to target North Korean vessels could be deployed as early as next year, military officials said Sunday.  The Agency for Defense Development said it recently conducted a successful test-fire of a 2.75-inch guided rocket. Following further tests in the next four months, the rocket could be deployed on the islands of Baengnyeong and Yeonpyeong in the Yellow Sea, located northwest of Seoul and just south of the border.  The ADD began development of the rocke

April 26, 2015

S. Korea, U.S. to wrap up joint drill this week

South Korea and the United States are to complete their annual joint military drill Foal Eagle this week, officials here said Thursday, amid Pyongyang's continued threat of retaliation.The allies' field training exercise kicked off on March 2 aimed at improving the combined forces' operation and combat capabilities against threats from North Korea. It is scheduled to end on Friday, according to the Combined Forces Command and Seoul's defense ministry officials. "The tactical training has been ca

April 23, 2015

Military seeks to diversify rations menu

The South Korean military is seeking to diversify the menu for its meal-ready-to-eat packages to meet the tastes of young conscripts, Army officials said Wednesday.Currently, there are 11 different MREs, but the military hopes to increase that number to 36. The military will hold a public hearing Tuesday with food companies and nutritional experts before finalizing the plan to update the menu, the officials said.The military is also considering reducing the number of types of MREs to two from th

April 22, 2015

China scholar warns of more nuclear warheads if THAAD deployed in S. Korea

China could increase its nuclear warheads if an advanced U.S. missile-defense system is deployed in South Korea, a Chinese scholar warned. Teng Jianqun, a senior researcher at the state-run China Institute of International Studies, has also said the possible deployment of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system to South Korea has become a "tough choice" for how Seoul is balancing bilateral ties with Washington and Beijing. China's concerns over the possible deployment of the THAAD battery

April 22, 2015

S. Korea, Uzbekistan to boost defense ties

South Korea and Uzbekistan agreed Tuesday to expand cooperation in military education and personnel exchange.South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo and his Uzbek counterpart, Kabul Berdiev, signed the memorandum of understanding on promoting bilateral partnerships following their talks here, according to Seoul's defense ministry."The MOU aims to promote the exchange among the two nations'service personnel and military students through which the two sides are expected to share military-related

April 21, 2015

S. Korea, Peru vow to cooperate in trainer jet project

President Park Geun-hye and her Peruvian counterpart, Ollanta Humala, vowed Monday to continue to cooperate in Peru's advanced trainer jet project, a move that could raise the prospects of a South Korean defense firm winning a lucrative deal.The move "is designed to further expand mutual cooperation in high-tech aviation technology," Park said in a joint news conference with Humala after their summit in Peru, the second stop on her four-nation swing to South America.The comments came as Korea Ae

April 21, 2015

Ministry to invest W9 trillion to deter N.K. nuke, missiles

Ministry to invest W9 trillion to deter N.K. nuke, missilesBy Song Sang-ho The Defense Ministry plans to spend nearly 9 trillion won ($8.31 billion) from 2016-2020 to secure military capabilities to detect and destroy North Korea’s nuclear arms and ballistic missiles, amid escalating security threats from the regime. It also plans to deploy unmanned reconnaissance aircraft to division-level units and establish a command and control system, which will provide field units with more visual informat

April 20, 2015

Enlisted soldiers allowed to use smartphones

The military will allow enlisted soldiers to rent and use mobile phones at post exchanges or outside military installations as part of efforts to help them better communicate with family and friends, welfare officials said Monday.The Ministry of National Defense’s Welfare Agency said from Monday, soldiers who leave their bases for vacation can rent cellphones from PXs to use until they return to their units. All draftees were previously banned from using cellphones for security reasons.The agenc

April 20, 2015

N. Korea likely to launch missiles, drills: Seoul

North Korea will likely launch missiles and large-scale military drills for its military foundation day later this month, South Korea's defense ministry said Monday.The North is also capable of conducting a nuclear test with little preparation at its nuke test site at Punggye-ri in North Korea's northeast North Hamgyong province, the ministry added.Pyongyang conducted nuclear tests, in 2006, 2009 and 2013. The move comes as Seoul and Washington are to wrap up a months-long joint military exercis

April 20, 2015

S. Korea to raise defense spending by 2020

South Korea said Monday it will sharply raise the defense budget over the next five years to beef up its capabilities against North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.The budget injection of 8.7 trillion won ($8.03 billion) is based on the assessment that Pyongyang is believed to have reached a "significant" point in efforts to master the technology to miniaturize nuclear warheads that fit atop missiles. It is part of the ministry's budget plan for the 2016-2020 fiscal period, which calls for

April 20, 2015

THAAD 'litmus test' for S. Korea-U.S. alliance: report

The potential deployment of a THAAD missile defense unit to South Korea has become a "litmus test" for how Seoul is aligned between Washington and Beijing, according to a U.S. congressional report.The Congressional Research Service made the point in a report published earlier this month and titled, "Ballistic Missile Defense in the Asia-Pacific Region: Cooperation and Opposition," noting China's outspoken opposition to a THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) battery in the South."In one se

April 20, 2015

S. Korea warns against N. Korea's nuke pursuit

South Korea bashed North Korea on Friday for its renewed pledge to cling to its nuclear weapons program, saying it would deal sternly with the communist nation's provocative act.The response by Seoul's defense ministry came after Hyon Yong-chol, the chief of Pyongyang's People's Armed Forces, claimed during an international security conference in Moscow on Thursday that its possession of nuclear weapons "is the direct result of the hostile policy by the United States and ... aimed at eliminating

April 17, 2015

U.S. in discussions about potential THAAD deployment to S. Korea: Pacific commander

The United States is in discussions about a potential deployment of the THAAD missile defense system to South Korea to counter North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, the U.S. Pacific commander said Thursday.  Adm. Samuel Locklear made the remark during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, but did not elaborate on what those discussions are, including whether they are internal discussions in the U.S. military or whether they mean talks with South Korea.  "Our ability in the region to pa

April 17, 2015

N. Korea threatens S. Korea over THAAD deployment

North Korea threatened South Korea Thursday over the possible deployment of a U.S. anti-missile defense system in the South, saying it would only trigger an arms race between the Koreas.  A spokesman for the National Peace Committee of Korea, a propaganda organ, issued a statement condemning the move as an "unpardonable provocation" against North Korea and a "hideous sycophantic and traitorous act that may bring nuclear holocaust to the nation and reduce South Korea into the most dangerous nucle

April 17, 2015