Korea to double fines against illegal fishing by Chinese

The government will submit a bill next month for a law revision that would double fines against illegal fishing, in its latest effort to counteract Chinese fishing boats poaching in South Korean waters in the Yellow Sea, an official said Saturday.Korea has vowed to take tougher measures against ille

Jan. 21, 2012

U.S. to import M1 rifles from S. Korea

The U.S. is set to import antiquated firearms from South Korea that were previously banned from entry, officials here said Thursday.Defense ministry officials said the United States has approved imports of M1 Garrand rifles, which were used by U.S. forces during the 1950-53 Korean War.“The U.S. sent an approval letter in September last year,” a ministry official said. “The U.S. will be willing to review legal procedures once we seek to export the rifles.”The official added that an exporter will

Jan. 19, 2012

Defense ministry to access technical information at state lab

The defense ministry on Thursday reached an agreement with a state-run science laboratory to borrow the latter’s technical data and patent information to develop military supplies.The ministry signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), under which the ministry will be able to access technical information to manufacture and commercialize products under the military’s non-weapons system.The non-weapons system includes military supplies, su

Jan. 19, 2012

Korean, U.S. marine corps to strengthen collaboration

South Korean and U.S. Marine Corps will increase joint exercises and strengthen measures for defending the islands near the northern limit line in the West Sea.On Thursday, Commander of the South Korean Marines Lt. Gen. Lee Ho-yeon and U.S. Marine Corps in Korea Commander Maj. Gen. Michael Regner confirmed that the two forces will conduct the largest joint landing exercise in 23 years during the first half of 2112 as agreed last year.The exercise will combine the joint brigade-level landing exer

Jan. 19, 2012

Navy appoints first female commanders of high-speed boats

The Navy has appointed its first two female officers to command fast attack craft, as it looks to expand female presence on vessels in operation, officials said Monday.“We’ve finalized a plan to name female captains to command our Chamsuri boat patrolling the South Sea,” a high-ranking military source said, referring to a 150-ton patrol vessel. “Last Thursday, we named two female officers on a trial basis.”According to the source, Adm. Choi Yun-hee, the Chief of Naval Operations, briefed Defense

Jan. 16, 2012

Marine corporal sentenced to death for killing four fellows

HWASEONG, South Korea, Jan. 13 (Yonhap) -- A 19-year-old marine corporal surnamed Kim was sentenced to death by a military court on Friday for killing four fellow marines in a shooting rampage on Ganghwa Island, west of Seoul, last July.A marine private found guilty of assisting Kim in the July 4 ra

Jan. 13, 2012

Hackers target soldiers

South Korean military officials are being targeted by hackers using e-mails with North Korea-related attached files.According to local news reports, South Korean military officials have been receiving e-mails containing attached files with titles related to North Korea or Seoul-Washington relations.One e-mail contains a file with a title that suggests it is an analysis of North Korea’s New Year’s editorial.Another appears to be from a U.S. military officer, and contains a hacking program in a fi

Jan. 12, 2012

U.S. to keep ‘operationally resilient’ troops in Korea

WASHINGTON (Yonhap News) ― The U.S. Department of Defense assured Sunday that it will maintain “operationally resilient and politically sustainable” troops in South Korea under a new long-term defense strategy.“We will continue to maintain a force posture that is geographically distributed, operationally resilient and politically sustainable,” a department official said in a reply to Yonhap News Agency’s inquiry over the possibility of a troop level cut.The U.S. has around 28,000 soldiers in Sou

Jan. 9, 2012

South Korea sets W10 trillion defense projects in motion

The government has set in motion three large defense contract projects with a combined value of more than 10.6 trillion won ($9.1 billion). On Friday the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, or DAPA announced the acquisition plans for the AH-X project and the maritime operations helicopter project.In addition, the DAPA plans to make the announcement for the third part of the F-X project late next week.The deadline for the bids for the two helicopter projects are May 10. All three projects

Jan. 9, 2012

State held responsible for soldier’s suicide

The Seoul Central District Court ruled on Monday that the state was partially responsible for the death of a soldier surnamed Lee who was pushed to suicide after being abused by other soldiers. In passing the ruling, the court ordered the government to pay Lee’s family 60 million won ($51,500) in compensation. The court sided with Lee’s family, saying that a lack of measures to address Lee’s psychological status contributed partially to his suicide.“Senior soldiers repeated profanities, verbal a

Jan. 9, 2012

U.S. to keep 'operationally resilient' troops in Korea: official

The U.S. Department of Defense assured Sunday that it will maintain "operationally resilient and politically sustainable" troops in South Korea under a new long-term defense strategy."We will continue to maintain a force posture that is geographically distributed, operationally resilient and politic

Jan. 9, 2012

Military to study response to increasing naval force in neighboring states

The military will begin looking into preparing countermeasures to increasing naval powers in South Korea‘s neighbors and potential territorial claims that may ensue, officials said Saturday.A military official said the National Assembly’s Special Committee on Budget and Accounts late last year earmarked 500 million won ($430,660) for the related research. The official said it will focus on responding to China‘s and Japan’s growing naval power by strengthening South Korea‘s own naval forces in th

Jan. 8, 2012

Military to study response to increasing naval force in neighboring states

The military will begin looking into preparing countermeasures to increasing naval powers in South Korea's neighbors and potential territorial claims that may ensue, officials said Saturday.A military official said the National Assembly's Special Committee on Budget and Accounts late last year earma

Jan. 7, 2012

Financial watchdog asks police to investigate N. Korea rumors

South Korea's financial watchdog said Friday it has asked police to investigate market rumors about an explosion at North Korea's nuclear facilities to find out whether speculators intentionally spread them to take profits.Korea's stocks and currency sharply fell on Friday, hit by market talks there

Jan. 6, 2012

Helsinki OKs shipment of Patriot missiles to S. Korea

HELSINKI (AFP) ― Sixty-nine Patriot missiles impounded in Finland after being found on a merchant vessel in mid-December were headed for South Korea, the Finnish government said Wednesday, granting their transit through Finnish territory.“The missiles in question had been sold to the Republic of Korea by Germany,” the government said in a statement, adding that it had granted a license to Seoul’s “Defense Acquisition Program Administration to transit through Finnish territory 69 Patriot missiles

Jan. 5, 2012

Israeli official in Seoul to discuss jet

Director General of Israel’s Ministry of Defense Udi Shani came to Korea on Thursday to discuss issues regarding the T-50 advanced trainer jet.Shani’s visit comes on the heels of his visit to Italy, Korea’s competitor for a lucrative defense contract estimated to be worth $1 billion. Israel has been weighing the Korean-made T-50 against Italy’s M-346 to replace the U.S.-made A-4 Skyhawk advanced trainer jet. While the Israeli defense ministry is said to be planning to make the decision within we

Jan. 5, 2012

S. Korea seeks U.S. cooperation for safe delivery of missiles from Europe: sources

SEOUL, Jan. 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is seeking U.S. cooperation to ensure safe shipment of missiles that were detained in Finland, government sources said Thursday.One source said a British-registered ship, named Thor Liberty, has been authorized to leave the port in Kotka, southern Finland.The sh

Jan. 5, 2012

S. Korea adds cyber-security to defense plan

South Korean military to enhance readiness on border and improve conditions for conscriptsThe South Korean military has included cyberspace in its comprehensive defense plan, the Ministry of National Defense said in its annual report on Wednesday.Meanwhile the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs revealed that it is reviewing plans to introduce a quota in the civil service for those who have served military duty, as a possible alternative to the points system that gives ex-draftees an advan

Jan. 4, 2012

U.S. Forces Korea extends curfew on military staff

The U.S. Forces Korea commander on Tuesday extended the off-base curfew on military personnel until further notice.The new curfew begins Jan. 7 at 1 a.m. The hours of the curfew are from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. throughout the week. Previously, the curfew had been enforced from midnight until 5 a.m. on weekdays and from 3 a.m. to 5 a.m. on weekends and public holidays. The U.S. military introduced a curfew on its members on Oct. 7 following a series of serious crimes, including the rape of a high school

Jan. 3, 2012

Ministry to complete cleanup of ex-U.S. bases this week

The defense ministry said Thursday it is scheduled to finish cleaning up former U.S. military bases returned to South Korea by the end of this week.The ministry said 16 former U.S. installations have been cleaned up after more than two and a half years of work, covering 425.7 million square meters. One other base will join the list by July next year, it added.The U.S. forces here have returned 48 of 80 designated bases amid an ongoing relocation of their troops, and 17 of those 48 showed soil co

Dec. 29, 2011