Hagel, Dempsey concerned about growing uncertainty over Korea

U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Gen. Martin Dempsey, who oversees field operations of American troops, voiced strong concerns Thursday about increased uncertainties surrounding North Korea and the possibility of additional provocations.Hagel stressed that North Korea's execution of Jang Song-thaek, a putative number two official, demonstrates the unpredictability of the communist regime. It is "very concerning to everyone and reality of that uncertainty heightens the tensions," Hagel s

Dec. 20, 2013

Seoul to return remains of 425 Chinese war dead

South Korea on Thursday agreed to return the remains of 425 Chinese troops killed during the 1950-53 Korean War to their homeland, a decision that could help ease diplomatic tension caused by their overlapping air defense zones.In June, President Park Geun-hye offered to send the remains back to China during her talks with Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong in Beijing.“The two countries agreed on the return of the remains following a series of working-level consultations. We decided to hand over t

Dec. 19, 2013

Military set to announce interim result of cyber command probe

The defense ministry will announce this week the interim result of an investigation into the cyber warfare command over its alleged online smear campaign in last year's presidential election, military officials said Wednesday.The announcement, scheduled for Thursday, coincides with the one-year mark of last December's election in which the then ruling party candidate, Park Geun-hye, won a tight race against the opposition Democratic Party candidate, Moon Jae-in. Park was sworn into office in Feb

Dec. 18, 2013

Defense minister raises possibility of N.K. provocations

Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin on Tuesday raised the possibility of North Korean provocations between late January and early March, calling for full preparedness and tighter troop discipline.The period is when the militaries of the two Koreas conduct a set of regular troop drills, including an annual South Korea-U.S. exercise, which Pyongyang has routinely condemned as a “rehearsal for a war of invasion.”Rep. Cho Won-jin of the ruling Saenuri Party, a member of the parliamentary intelligence comm

Dec. 17, 2013

Park seeks security office boost as N.K., regional uncertainties grow

Seoul is seeking to revive the standing secretariat of the National Security Council as security concerns increase due to shifts in the North Korean leadership and the region’s simmering territorial rows and historical animosities.Following President Park Geun-hye’s directive on Monday, government officials are discussing how to organize the secretariat, which the former Lee Myung-bak administration abolished amid an administrative overhaul six years ago.The recent execution of Jang Song-thaek,

Dec. 17, 2013

Seoul, Washington resume talks to renew defense cost-share pact

South Korea and the United States resumed their negotiations on sharing the cost of keeping American troops here on Tuesday, but a still-unbridgeable gap over the size of Seoul's contributions is expected to cause the talks to drag on further.The allies kicked off last week the current round of negotiations, the ninth of their kind since July, to renew the current five-year Special Measure Agreement (SMA) but have made little progress.Both sides are pressed for time as the current five-year cont

Dec. 17, 2013

Seoul seeks to complement N.K. contingency measures

Seoul is considering complementing its measures for handling contingencies in North Korea as security concerns are increasing following the execution of Jang Song-thaek, the once-powerful uncle of the dynastic ruler Kim Jong-un.In particular, the government is reportedly seeking to improve Conceptual Plan 5029 ― a set of joint military steps by South Korea and the U.S. to cope with potential instability in the North, including a sudden regime collapse.“The military is in the process of complemen

Dec. 16, 2013

GPS-guided bombs for South Korean fighters to be built in U.S.

South Korea selected two U.S. companies -- Boeing and Kaman Aerospace Corporation -- to jointly produce air-to-ground bombs guided by the global positioning system (GPS) for its fighter jets, the state arms procurement agency said Monday.The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) opened the bid in July to equip F-15Ks and KF-16s with the smart bombs capable of launching precision attacks against North Korea's artillery bases or hidden targets using the GPS system.The precision-guided

Dec. 16, 2013

Korea’s new air defense zone takes effect

South Korea’s newly established air defense zone went into effect on Sunday, with its airborne early warning and control aircraft conducting a patrol and surveillance mission over it.A week ago, Seoul announced the new Korean air defense identification zone to counter China’s unilateral decision to expand its own to cover a reef and other islands off the southern coast of the Korean Peninsula.The new zone is designed to have its southern boundary match the country’s broader flight information re

Dec. 15, 2013

S. Korea, U.S. again fail to narrow gap on USFK cost sharing

The latest attempt by South Korea and the United States to narrow their gap on sharing the cost of keeping U.S. troops here ended without a clear breakthrough but both sides agreed to meet again next week, Seoul government sources said Saturday.The talks, the ninth in their series since last year, opened in Seoul earlier in the day after a two-day break that followed two days of negotiations. Their goal is to rewrite the so-called special measure agreement (SMA) that sets the amount of financial

Dec. 15, 2013

Seoul okays plan for three more Aegis destroyers

South Korea on Tuesday endorsed a plan to acquire three additional Aegis destroyers for deployment in the mid-2020s, amid intensifying regional competition to boost maritime defense.The procurement project, expected to cost around 4 trillion won ($3.8 billion), was approved during a Joint Chiefs of Staff Council meeting presided over by JCS chairman Adm. Choi Yoon-hee.Once the project is completed, the country will have a total of six Aegis destroyers, which will improve the Navy’s deepwater and

Dec. 10, 2013

China regrets Korea’s air zone expansion

China on Monday expressed regret over South Korea’s declaration of an expanded air defense identification zone, which overlaps with those of China and Japan.Seoul’s decision was announced Sunday amid high tensions sparked by Beijing’s unilateral declaration of a new air zone in the East China Sea, which incorporates Ieodo, a submerged rock controlled by South Korea, and a chain of disputed islands claimed by both Japan and China.“The ROK (Republic of Korea) notified China of its expansion of the

Dec. 9, 2013

Defense minister to visit UAE

South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin plans to visit the United Arab Emirates for talks with his counterpart on increasing military and defense industry cooperation between the two countries, his ministry said Sunday.The three-day trip that starts Monday will also include a visit to South Korea’s military contingent stationed in the country, the ministry said. The “Ahk” unit of some 150 troops has been stationed in the eastern UAE region of Al Ain since 2011 to help train UAE troops in anti

Dec. 8, 2013

S. Korea to declare expanded air defense zone on Sunday: gov't

The South Korean government said it plans to announce an expanded air defense zone on Sunday, amid a growing regional row following China's unilateral expansion of its own.    The Ministry of National Defense will declare the expanded air zone early Sunday at its headquarters, with the exact time of the release to be announced soon, ministry officials said.   Tension has been running high in East Asia since China unexpectedly announced on Nov. 23 an air defense identification zone above the East

Dec. 7, 2013

Lockheed pledges support for Korea’s fighter project

WASHINGTON (Yonhap News) ― With the planned purchase of F-35 stealth fighter jets, South Korea will gain “comprehensive” support from the largest U.S. defense firm, Lockheed Martin, in its bid to produce an indigenous fighter jet, code-named the KF-X, a senior company official said Wednesday.“Lockheed has made a comprehensive offer through our offset program for the KF-X, which would be assistance through technology transfer and engineering expertise that we would place in Korea to help design a

Dec. 5, 2013

Korea to buy 14 CH-47D choppers from the U.S.

WASHINGTON (Yonhap News) ― South Korea plans to purchase 14 CH-47 Chinook helicopters from the United States, according to the Pentagon’s weaponry trade arm.The Defense Security Cooperation Agency has already notified Congress of South Korea’s request for the sale of the twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopters.A proposed package deal estimated at $151 million would include spare parts and logistical support under the Foreign Military Sales program, which requires congressional approval.

Dec. 5, 2013

Lockheed set for 'comprehensive' support for Korea's own fighter jet ambitions

With the planned purchase of F-35 stealth fighter jets, South Korea will gain "comprehensive"support from the largest U.S. defense firm, Lockheed Martin, in its bid to produce an indigenous fighter jet, code-named the KF-X, a senior company official said Wednesday."Lockheed has made a comprehensive offer through our offset program for the KF-X, which would be assistance through technology transfer and engineering expertise that we would place in Korea to help design and develop the KF-X airplane

Dec. 5, 2013