The Korea Herald

War Memorial honors late Adm. Sohn as hero

The War Memorial of Korea on Thursday held a ceremony to designate late Admiral Sohn Won-il, the country’s first chief of naval operations, as patriotic hero of the month.Some 200 Navy and Marine troops and top officials attended the ceremony in Seoul. Also at the event were Sohn’s family members, including his widow Hong Eun-hye and eldest son Sohn Myoung-won. The commemorative event for Sohn, often hailed as “the father of the Korean Navy,” came four days before the 68th anniversary of the Nav

Nov. 7, 2013

War Memorial honors late Adm. Sohn as hero

PACOM chief says OPCON transfer timing itself not important

South Korea and the United States, which are now discussing the proper timing of an operational control (OPCON) transfer, should not be distracted from the important task of beefing up their joint combat posture, a top U.S. military commander said Tuesday.The allies will eventually make a "conditions-based" decision on whether to push back the schedule for the OPCON transition, currently set for 2015, said Adm. Samuel Locklear, the commander of the U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM)."Whether the decis

Nov. 6, 2013

[Graphic News] 66% of Korea‘s arms imports brokered by private dealers

About two-thirds of Seoul’s weapons imports were brokered by private dealers, according to data from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. The government purchased foreign weapons systems worth 16.7 trillion won ($15.7 billion) in total from 2007-12. Of the total, weapons worth some 11.41 trillion won, or 66.1 percent, were purchased through private dealers, while the rest were acquired through government-to-government transaction programs.

Nov. 4, 2013

[Graphic News] 66% of Korea‘s arms imports brokered by private dealers

[Newsmaker] Defense Security Command mired in politics

The Defense Security Command is facing a sweeping reform after Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin reportedly directed it to abolish its practice of clandestinely reporting military intelligence to Cheong Wa Dae without his knowledge.Kim is said to have ordered the DSC to focus on supporting his leadership and carrying out its key missions to ensure security in the military and defense industry, and to prevent and investigate espionage and terrorism.Kim’s directives came after former DSC chief Jang Ky

Nov. 3, 2013

[Newsmaker] Defense Security Command mired in politics

Bulk of S. Korea’s arms imports brokered by private dealers

More than 66 percent of South Korea’s arms imports over the past six years were brokered by private dealers, data showed Sunday.According to the data by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, the government bought 16.7 trillion won ($15.7 billion) worth of foreign arms and defense equipment in the 2007-12 period.Of the total arms import, some 11.41 trillion won, or 66.1 percent, were brokered by private dealers while 33.8 percent of them were acquired through the foreign military sales

Nov. 3, 2013

S. Korea nearing decision to buy Northrop's Global Hawks

South Korea is poised to buy four Global Hawks from Northrop Grumman through the U.S. Foreign Military Sale (FMS) program, with a decision expected to come early next year, a government source said Friday.Seeking better surveillance capabilities on North Korea, Seoul has sought to buy the high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), obtaining sales approval for four airplanes from the U.S. government in April.But the higher-than-expected cost for four RQ-4 Block 30s, which was

Nov. 1, 2013

Talks underway over S. Korea's requirements for missile defense: U.S. official

South Korea and the United States are discussing how Seoul can contribute more to regional missile defense, a senior U.S. official said.Rose Gottemoeller, acting under secretary of state for arms control and international security, emphasized bolstering missile defense in the region is crucial in promoting diplomatic efforts toward North Korea."The United States stands ready to work with the Republic of Korea (ROK) to strengthen its ballistic missile defense (BMD) capabilities," she said at a mu

Nov. 1, 2013

Lockheed Martin touts F-35’s strengths in future combat

Following is the second in a two-part series of interviews with the two major arms contractors that bid for the nation’s next-generation fighter jet project. The first on Thursday was with Boeing Co. ― Ed.U.S. defense firm Lockheed Martin highlighted its fighter F-35’s capabilities optimized for future combat conditions, saying that other current generation warplanes had reached the point where “breakthrough” technologies are difficult to incorporate. Dave Scott, director of F-35 International B

Oct. 31, 2013

Lockheed Martin touts F-35’s strengths in future combat

Boeing remains optimistic that Seoul will select F-15 SE

Despite skepticism over the F-15 Silent Eagle’s sustainability and survivability in the future combat environment, Boeing still has an optimistic prospect in South Korea’s high-profile fighter procurement project.Based on its mature platform and the blend of capabilities proven through battle experiences, a senior Boeing official expressed confidence that the F-15 SE remains a strong competitor for the multibillion-dollar project.“When you look, in aggregate, at the mission requirements this air

Oct. 30, 2013

Boeing remains optimistic that Seoul will select F-15 SE

Seoul aerospace fair draws global aerospace giants, defense contractors

ILSAN -- An international aerospace and defense exhibition kicked off here on Tuesday for a six-day run with global aerospace giants and defense contractors participating to showcase their latest weapons systems and technologies.The Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX) underway at the Korea International Exhibition Center (Kintex) in Ilsan, just north of Seoul, brings together 361 exhibitors from 28 countries seeking marketing opportunities for defense contractors and dipl

Oct. 29, 2013

International air defense show begins

GOYANG, Gyeonggi Province ― An international air defense exhibition will kick off here Tuesday with the aim of boosting local defense exports and military-industry cooperation, organizers said Monday.Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition 2013 will run through Sunday at KINTEX in Ilsan, Goyang City, showcasing the world’s state-of-the-art weapons and equipment.“This exhibition is unique in that it showcases both land and aerial defense systems together ― something that we believe wil

Oct. 28, 2013

Boeing, Lockheed team up for new U.S. Air Force bomber

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- Boeing and Lockheed Martin said Friday they have teamed up to bid for a new $55 billion US Air Force bomber program aimed at replacing the aging bomber fleet.Boeing is acting as the prime contractor, and Lockheed is the main teammate in the bid to supply the Air Force's Long-Range Strike Bomber program, the companies said in a joint statement."Boeing and Lockheed Martin are bringing together the best of the two enterprises, and the rest of industry, in support of the Long-Ran

Oct. 26, 2013

Government reshuffles senior military officers

The government on Friday conducted a military reshuffle of senior officers following the appointments of four-star positions including the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman a month ago. Lieut. Gen. Kim Hyun-jip, who has served as the Defense Ministry’s intelligence division, was appointed the vice JCS chairman. Lieut. Gen. Lee Jae-soo, the Army’s chief of personnel management, was picked to lead the Defense Security Command.Major Gen. Chun In-bum, the deputy chief of staff at the Korea-U.S. Combine

Oct. 25, 2013

Korea stages military drills for Dokdo

South Korea on Friday deployed Navy commandos, warships and fighter jets in a military exercise to defend its easternmost islets of Dokdo after Japan recently repeated its territorial claim.The military mobilized five warships including the 3,200-ton destroyer Gwanggaeto the Great, two F-15K fighters, P-3C Orion anti-submarine aircraft, CH-60 and CH-47 choppers, and some members of the Navy’s Underwater Demolition Team.The exercise, which has been carried out about twice a year since 1986, coinc

Oct. 25, 2013

Seoul considers increasing budget for fighter acquisition

The Defense Ministry is in consultation with the Finance Ministry over the issue of increasing the 8.3 trillion won ($7.8 billion) budget for its next-generation fighter procurement project, a Seoul official said Thursday.“When the military is reconsidering which fighter jet it would procure, it has presented its position to the government that the budget also needs to be increased,” he said, declining to be named.“The Defense Ministry is considering several options. Taking into account various

Oct. 24, 2013

Seoul to acquire stealth radars

South Korea is seeking to acquire radars capable of detecting stealth aircraft by the 2020s as neighboring states such as China and Japan are pushing to deploy radar-evading warplanes in pursuit of air superiority.“The Air Force made the request to procure stealth detecting radars in July 2011 and the Joint Chiefs of Staff decided last November to procure it as part of the long-term acquisition plans,” a military source said, declining to be named.“We have decided to determine whether to develop

Oct. 23, 2013

OPCON transfer in 2015 'realistic,' U.S. Army leader says

A top U.S. Army commander in charge of the Asia-Pacific region said Friday the current schedule for the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) of Korean forces from Washington to Seoul is "realistic," but further assessment is needed to determine whether it's appropriate in terms of political realities.Army Gen. Vincent Brooks, commanding general of U.S. Army Pacific, said a proper timeframe from the military perspective is a matter to be discussed by new South Korean and U.S. defense l

Oct. 22, 2013

S. Korea requests Pentagon's information on THAAD missile defense system: source

The South Korean military has formally asked the Pentagon to provide detailed information on Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems, an informed source here privy to defense issues said Thursday.As part of efforts to bolster its missile defense against North Korea's threats, South Korea is apparently seeking to combine U.S.technologies with its own, added the source."South Korea recently requested additional information on THAAD as well as PAC-III from the Pentagon, including prices

Oct. 18, 2013

S. Korea's national security chief to visit U.S.

The top security advisor to South Korean President Park Geun-hye plans to visit the United States next week for talks about the North Korean nuclear standoff and bilateral security issues, a news report and an official said Friday.Kim Jang-soo, the chief of the presidential national security office, plans to meet with the White House national security advisor, Susan Rice, and other senior foreign affairs and security officials during the trip, the Dong-a Ilbo newspaper reported.A presidential of

Oct. 18, 2013

Missile command system delay raises concern

The construction of a command and control system for the nation’s envisioned missile defense program has been delayed due to unspecified defects, the state defense acquisition agency said Thursday.The postponement, revealed during the parliamentary audit of the administration, has added to growing security concerns as North Korea has strengthened its missile capabilities with its successful test-launch of a long-range rocket in December. Analysts believe the rocket had a range of up to 10,000 km

Oct. 17, 2013