Seoul reiterated its calls on Tokyo to uphold the pacifist principle and transparency in carrying out its defense policy after Japan’s parliament enacted legislation early Saturday that will allow its military to fight overseas in a contentious overturn of its strictly defensive postwar security law. Following a fiery political battle and late-night vote, the upper house approved 11 related bills, lifting constraints enshrined in Japan’s constitution on its military after World War II. The new r

Foreign Affairs Sept. 20, 2015

China has added to the pressure on North Korea to refrain from provocations after Pyongyang hinted at nuclear and missile threats ahead of the 70th anniversary of the founding of its ruling Workers’ Party next month. In recent weeks, Seoul has been ramping up diplomatic efforts to avert any test of a long-range missile or atomic device. Washington, Beijing and other countries have also warned of further sanctions should Pyongyang press ahead with a major provocation. Last week, the communist sta

Foreign Affairs Sept. 20, 2015

With a reclusive and erratic leader at the helm of North Korea, the U.S. Coast Guard is ready to respond to any contingency on the peninsula, its chief said Wednesday, expressing concerns of a possible miscalculation and unintended escalation. Commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft said his organization has a “significant force package” including vessels and personnel as part of Washington’s broader plan designed to deal with an armed conflict involving the two Koreas.Paul Zukunft“When you deal with the l

Defense Sept. 16, 2015

Army Gen. Lee Sun-jin was named the first-ever Army Academy graduate to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Monday in a major reshuffle of the top military leadership. Lee Sun-jin. Yonhap The 61-year-old chief of the Army’s 2nd Operations Command will replace Adm. Choi Yoon-hee, whose two-year stint ends in October.If he wins presidential approval on Tuesday and the ensuing parliamentary hearing, Lee will become the first Army Academy alumnus to take up South Korea’s highest-rankin

Defense Sept. 14, 2015

Army Gen. Lee Sun-jin was named the first-ever Army Academy graduate to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Monday in a major reshuffle of the top military leadership. The 61-year-old chief of the Army’s 2nd Operations Command will replace Adm. Choi Yoon-hee, whose two-year stint ends in October. Gen. Lee Sun-jin (Defense Ministry)If he wins presidential approval on Tuesday and the ensuing parliamentary hearing, Lee will become the first Army Academy alumnus to take up South Korea’

Defense Sept. 14, 2015

A grenade exploded at an Army recruit training center in Daegu on Friday, killing one instructor and injuring two other soldiers, military officials said. The incident took place at 11:08 a.m. as a 20-year-old trainee, identified only by his surname Sohn, was preparing to throw a K413 hand grenade right after removing its safety hook. A 27-year-old sergeant surnamed Kim who was giving guidelines in the same trench was immediately hospitalized to treat shrapnel wounds all over his body but died a

Defense Sept. 11, 2015

The foreign and defense ministers of South Korea and Australia pledged to jumpstart high-level strategic dialogue, logistics support and other bilateral and multilateral military partnerships as they unveiled their blueprint for defense and security cooperation in Sydney on Friday. Foreign ministers Yun Byung-se and Julie Bishop and defense ministers Han Min-koo and Kevin Andrews held the second round of their “two-plus-two” meeting and explored ways to beef up their defense and security collabo

Foreign Affairs Sept. 11, 2015

The foreign and defense ministers of South Korea and Australia pledged to jumpstart high-level strategic dialogue, logistics support and other bilateral and multilateral military partnerships as they unveiled their blueprint for defense and security cooperation in Sydney on Friday. Foreign ministers Yun Byung-se and Julie Bishop and defense ministers Han Min-koo and Kevin Andrews held the second round of their so-called two-plus-two meeting and explored ways to beef up their defense and security

Foreign Affairs Sept. 11, 2015

A grenade exploded at an Army recruit training center in Daegu on Friday, killing one instructor and injuring two other soldiers. The incident took place at around 11 a.m. as a 20-year-old trainee, identified only by his surname Sohn, was gearing up to throw a K413 hand grenade right after removing its safety hook. A 27-year-old sergeant surnamed Kim who was giving guidelines in the same trench was immediately hospitalized to treat shrapnel wounds all over his body but died shortly before 1 p.m.

Defense Sept. 11, 2015

South Korea, the U.S. and China should initiate a mechanism to head off a possible handover of North Korean nuclear weapons to terrorist groups and boost substantive top-level talks to better prepare for the future of the peninsula, a U.S. scholar said Thursday. 　Robert Pape, a professor at the University of Chicago who leads its project on security and terrorism, singled out “loose nukes” as the “first and foremost” crisis that may break out following a sudden collapse of the Kim Jong-un regime

North Korea Sept. 10, 2015

Some 250 top defense policymakers, military executives and academics from more than 30 countries on Thursday stressed the significance of concerted efforts of neighbors in achieving a peaceful integration of the Koreas, saying their division remains a regional threat. As the Seoul Defense Dialogue kicked off, the participants explored possible scenarios of the unification, from a “soft landing” based on a mutual consent, to a “hard landing” involving an abrupt fall of the Kim Jong-un regime or p

Defense Sept. 10, 2015