S. Korea, Indonesia to hold last-stage talks over overdue payments for fighter jet project

South Korea and Indonesia will hold what could be the final round of negotiations in the Southeast Asian country next week to address the latter's overdue payments for a joint fighter development project, informed sources said Friday. Officials from Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI), South Korea's sole aircraft maker, will meet with negotiators from Indonesia's defense ministry, the sources said, as Seoul seeks to squelch lingering concerns over Indonesia's commitment to the 8.8 trillion-wo

Nov. 5, 2021

Military plays down rift over command transfer

South Korea and the US are still working for Seoul to take over wartime operational control of the joint military forces from Washington by the time they had agreed, the Ministry of National Defense said Thursday in response to the top US general who hinted at a delay. “We will have to look at what exactly the US commander said, but the bottom line is that the transfer is taking place as scheduled, as agreed by both our commanders-in-chief,” ministry spokesperson Boo Seung-chan said

Nov. 4, 2021

CFC chief LaCamera hints at possible adjustment in OPCON transfer plan

The top US military commander in South Korea hinted Thursday that the two allies could adjust their plan for a conditions-based transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON). Speaking at a webinar, Gen. Paul LaCamera, the chief of the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command, touched on the envisioned OPCON transition, saying, "Most plans never survive first contact." Seoul and Washington have been working on the bilaterally agreed-upon transfer -- a process that has been delayed due

Nov. 4, 2021

Military reports 9 additional COVID-19 cases

South Korea's military reported nine additional COVID-19 cases Thursday, bringing the total caseload among its personnel to 2,059, the defense ministry said. Among the new cases were three Army officers stationed in Damyang, 344 kilometers south of Seoul, who were tested positive following an infection of one of their acquaintances. An Army officer based in Chuncheon, 85 kilometers northeast of Seoul, was also infected after a virus case was reported at the base. Another Army official based in

Nov. 4, 2021

US military investigating death of American soldier in S. Korea

The US military said Wednesday it was looking into the death of an American soldier dispatched to South Korea on a rotational mission. US Army Sgt. Joe Haflei, 33, of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, was pronounced dead on Oct. 17 at a South Korean Army base near the central city of Daejeon, the US military said in a press release. Authorities are investigating details of the soldier's death, it said, adding that foul play was not suspected. (Yonhap)

Nov. 3, 2021

S. Korea seeks to sell 10 fighter jets to Slovakia

Korea Aerospace Industries, South Korea’s sole aircraft manufacturer, is in talks with the Slovakian government to sell 10 FA-50 homegrown trainer jets in a $500 million deal, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration said Wednesday. KAI is set to sign a deal with Slovakian aircraft repair company LOTN on Wednesday in Hungary upon President Moon Jae-in’s European tour this week. The president, who arrived in Budapest on Tuesday for a state visit, will hold a summit Thursday

Nov. 3, 2021

Military reports 6 additional COVID-19 cases

South Korea's military reported six additional COVID-19 cases Wednesday, bringing the total caseload among its personnel to 2,050, the defense ministry said. Among the new cases is a Navy officer who tested positive while in quarantine following a vacation. A civilian employee of the Army also contracted the virus after a family member tested positive. The other cases are an officer of a military unit attached to the defense ministry, a Navy officer and two Army soldiers. Of the cumulative c

Nov. 3, 2021

‘Army puts life on hold. KATUSA makes it easier’

Despite efforts by the military to introduce a culture that better respects soldiers’ rights, young Korean men still favor an alternative to their mandatory military service: the Korean Augmentation to the United States Army. Last week, the military loosened rules on hairstyles that can be worse by conscripts, in its latest move to drop discriminatory practices and boost morale following a number of scandals involving allegations of abuse and subsequent cover-ups. Nevertheless, KATUSA -

Nov. 2, 2021

S. Korea to develop homegrown lightweight torpedoes by 2028

South Korea approved a plan Monday to develop homegrown lightweight torpedoes by 2028 to enhance the Navy's anti-submarine capabilities, the state arms procurement agency said. Presided over by Defense Minister Suh Wook, the Defense Project Promotion Committee endorsed the project worth 160 billion won ($135 million), the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said. The move came after North Korea test-fired a new submarine-launched ballistic missile last month, in a development tha

Nov. 1, 2021

Military monitors NK for signs of missile test

South Korean and US intelligence are closely monitoring for signs of North Korea’s next missile test, the military said Monday in response to satellite images showing preparations to launch a submarine-launched ballistic missile for the second time since October. The images -- made public last week by 38 North, which monitors North Korea -- showed activity involving a mobile crane and a submerged barge at Sinpo, a port city along the east coast where North Korea runs a major submarine shi

Nov. 1, 2021

S. Korea's defense minister holds talks with Australian Army chief

South Korea's Defense Minister Suh Wook held talks with the visiting Australian Army chief in Seoul on Monday to discuss defense industry cooperation and regional security, his office said. During the talks with Australian Chief of Army Lt. Gen. Rick Burr, Suh noted that a South Korean company has been chosen as the preferred bidder to supply self-propelled howitzers to the Australian military, and called for deeper bilateral cooperation in the artillery sector. The two sides also agreed to de

Nov. 1, 2021

S. Korea, US kick off joint air exercise

South Korea and the United States kicked off a combined annual air exercise Monday, a source said, in a low-key manner apparently to back ongoing diplomacy to resume dialogue with North Korea. For the five-day exercise, the allies mobilized some 100 air assets each, including F-15K and KF-16 jets from South Korea and F-16s from the US, the source said, noting no military assets were deployed from the US mainland this time. The allies have regularly held the air exercise in a scaled-down, low-k

Nov. 1, 2021

Military to ease social distancing rules, offer booster shots to all troops

South Korea's military plans to ease its social distancing restrictions, including curbs on off-base trips, in phases and administer booster shots for all service members by early next year, the defense ministry said Friday. Defense Minister Suh Wook finalized the plan at a video-linked meeting with top military commanders, as the government plans to enforce eased anti-COVID-19 rules starting next month for a gradual return to normal life. Set to take effect Monday, the military's plan includ

Oct. 29, 2021

US Marine commander posthumously named Korean War hero of month

South Korea's veterans ministry said Friday it has named late Gen. Oliver Prince Smith of the US Marine Corps as the Korean War hero of the month for his role in a major evacuation mission during the 1950-53 conflict. Under his leadership, the 1st Marine Division of the US fought their way against Chinese forces at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, which is considered one of the fiercest battles of the war. The 1950 battle enabled the famous Hungnam evacuation, in which UN troops helped evacuate

Oct. 29, 2021

Military reports 12 additional COVID-19 cases

South Korea's military reported 12 additional COVID-19 cases Friday, bringing the total caseload among its personnel to 2,035, the defense ministry said. Two Army conscripts stationed in Paju, north of Seoul, tested positive after returning from their vacations, according to the ministry. A Marine based on the front-line island of Daecheongdo was also infected. Other remaining cases included two Army officers based in the central city of Daejeon, and a trainee at a boot camp in Nonsan, some 2

Oct. 29, 2021

S. Korea to develop homegrown naval interception system

South Korea will launch a project next month to develop a homegrown naval interception system designed to protect warships from hostile aircraft and missiles, the state arms procurement agency said Friday. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said the project aims to develop the Close In Weapon System-II (CIWS-II) -- a ship-based gun capable of countering incoming attacks in the final stage of the Navy's multilayered interception program -- by 2027. The Navy currently employs

Oct. 29, 2021

S. Korea, US military discuss bolstering ties

Defense Minister Suh Wook and US Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro on Thursday discussed deepening naval ties and expanding alliance, during a meeting held at the Defense Ministry headquarters in Yongsan, Seoul. Suh thanked Del Toro for US support in bringing in nearly 400 Afghans in August who worked on South Korean projects in Afghanistan before the Taliban seized power. Seoul amended the law to grant them long-term stays. Del Toro said he expects to see a growing alliance that will allow

Oct. 28, 2021

S. Korea's defense minister holds talks with US Navy chief on regional security, alliance

South Korea's Defense Minister Suh Wook held talks with the visiting US secretary of the Navy in Seoul on Thursday to discuss security on the Korean Peninsula, the bilateral alliance and other issues, his ministry said. The talks between Suh and Secretary Carlos Del Toro came as Seoul and Washington seek to ensure their defense readiness, following a recent series of North Korean missile launches, and advance joint efforts to resume dialogue with Pyongyang. During the meeting, Del Toro express

Oct. 28, 2021

S. Korea discovers more Korean War remains in DMZ

South Korea has found more than two dozen bone fragments presumed to be from troops killed in the 1950-53 Korean War during recent excavation work in a former battle site, the defense ministry said Thursday. The military has discovered 26 bone pieces and 5,132 articles, including combat gear, in the White Horse Ridge, the site inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas. Many of them are thought to be from fallen South Korean troops, the ministry said. In September, the minis

Oct. 28, 2021

Military reports 4 additional COVID-19 cases

South Korea's military reported four additional COVID-19 cases Thursday, bringing the total caseload among its personnel to 2,023, the defense ministry said. A Navy officer stationed in Jinhae, 410 kilometers south of Seoul, tested positive after a family member was infected, according to the ministry. Three Army draftees were also infected. Of the cumulative cases in the military, 1,966, or 97 percent, have been fully cured, with 57 still under treatment. (Yonhap)

Oct. 28, 2021