The Korea Herald

Son says N.K. leader didn’t want power succession

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il was opposed to the second hereditary power succession, but had no other option in order to stabilize the impoverished communist state, a Japanese newspaper quoted Kim’s eldest son as saying Friday.The Tokyo Shimbun said it had an exclusive interview with Kim Jong-nam, thought to be in his late 30s, in a southern Chinese city earlier this month. “Even Chairman Mao Ze

Politics Jan. 28, 2011

Son says N.K. leader didn’t want power succession

Military academies lower bar for overseas Koreans

Military academies have decided to loosen their admission requirements or lower the cutoff score in their preliminary admission process for children of overseas Korean nationals, officials at the Ministry of National Defense said Thursday.The move comes as the military seeks to nurture soldiers with global mindsets and high proficiency in foreign languages, as the country has been expanding its ov

Politics Jan. 27, 2011

Samho captain in ‘serious condition’

Korea may send military aircraft to bring in five captured pirates for trialThe captain of the Korean freighter rescued from Somali pirates last Friday was in a “serious condition,” according to a Korean doctor dispatched to Oman where he is being treated.On Wednesday, Seok Hae-gyun, the 58-year-old captain of the Samho Jewelry freighter, underwent the second surgical procedure for the abdominal g

Politics Jan. 27, 2011

Seoul proposes military talks with N.K. on Feb. 11

South Korea on Wednesday proposed holding working-level military talks with North Korea next month, adding to the growing mood for inter-Korean dialogue, which has been rare due to the belligerent state’s two deadly attacks last year.Seoul’s Unification Ministry also renewed its call for bilateral talks on Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions, stressing that its earnest intent to denuclearize should be v

Politics Jan. 26, 2011

New military uniforms maximize camouflage

Zippers and Velcro are to replace buttons on military upper garments, and designs will be changed to maximize camouflage and make them more comfortable, the Ministry of National Defense said Wednesday.The ministry plans to replace the military’s current four-color camouflage uniforms, first introduced in 1991, with garments featuring five-color patterns. The new uniforms will not require soldiers

Politics Jan. 26, 2011

Elite forces become national heroes

UDT/SEAL unit members go through harsh trainingDespite the face-numbing weather, the Navy’s elite special warfare troops, clad in black diving suits, hurled themselves into the frigid waters after jumping out of their rubber boats Tuesday.The group of the naval troops, dubbed UDT/SEAL, was engaging in their three-week combat training session, which began off the coast of Jinhae in Changwon City on

Politics Jan. 25, 2011

Somali pirates face punishment in Korea

President Lee Myung-bak has instructed the government to bring the five Somali pirates captured alive last Friday to Korea for criminal punishment, a Cheong Wa Dae official said Tuesday.“The president instructed officials to bring the pirates here for punishment. Therefore, the possibility of them being handed over to a third country is not high,” the official said, on condition of anonymity.Anoth

Politics Jan. 25, 2011

Calls rise for more ships to fight pirates

Calls are growing for the government and shipping firms to strengthen measures against Somali pirates, particularly following reports that pirates have threatened to take revenge for the killing of their comrades by South Korean troops.Currently, the best way to protect seamen passing perilous areas in the Indian Ocean appears to be strengthening self-defense measures such as establishing a bullet

Politics Jan. 24, 2011

S. Korea rolls out armed version of T-50 trainer jet

South Korea on Monday rolled out the first armed version of its T-50 supersonic trainer aircraft, designed to carry out entry-level tactical training missions, according to the state military acquisition agency.The armed variant of the T-50, the nation’s first homegrown trainer jet, is intended to train fledgling military pilots on air-to-air and air-to-surface missions before their full operation

Politics Jan. 24, 2011

Sailor rescue a political boon for Lee

Successful raid on hijacked ship also a message to N.K.: expertThe successful military operation Friday to rescue all of the 21 crew members of a South Korean freighter held by Somali pirates is apparently a crucial political boon for President Lee Myung-bak.Internet sites are now inundated with messages supporting the president and his military that were harshly upbraided for what critics called

Politics Jan. 23, 2011

Seoul consulting with African countries over Somali pirates

The Seoul government is consulting with several countries adjacent to Somalia over how to deal with the five pirates captured during the successful rescue operation Friday, a government source said Sunday.It is currently seeking cooperation from Kenya, Yemen and Oman. However, they remain reluctant to accept the pirates, citing the costs of and lack of facilities for handling them, according to th

Politics Jan. 23, 2011

Seoul consulting with African countries over Somali pirates

Navy strikes pirates, rescues all 21 hostages

Special forces kill eight Somali pirates, capture five in the Indian OceanAll of the 21 crewmembers of a South Korean freighter seized by Somali pirates armed with machine guns and rifles in the Indian Ocean last Saturday were safely rescued by South Korean troops, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Friday.The South Korean 58-year-old captain of the Samho Jewelry suffered abdominal gunshot wounds, but

Politics Jan. 21, 2011

Navy strikes pirates, rescues all 21 hostages

Seoul fraught by Somali pirates’ ship hijackings

The Seoul government appears to be agonizing over how to deal with Somali pirates, after a South Korean cargo vessel carrying 21 crewmembers was seized last Saturday.The 11,500-ton Samho Jewelry freighter, carrying eight South Koreans, was captured in the Arabian Sea between Oman and India en route to Sri Lanka from the United Arab Emirates.The government has reiterated its vow not to negotiate wi

Politics Jan. 20, 2011

Seoul fraught by Somali pirates’ ship hijackings

Seoul in talks with U.S. on longer missile range

South Korea has recently begun consultations with the U.S. over whether to revise their long-standing missile agreement and allow Seoul to develop longer-range ballistic missiles in order to better safeguard itself, according to a government source.The move comes as North Korea continues to develop nuclear programs and long-range missiles that pose a threat not only to its southern neighbor, but a

Politics Jan. 19, 2011

Seoul in talks with U.S. on longer missile range

‘Iran paid N.K. for arms via Bank Mellat Seoul branch’

A U.S. diplomatic cable provided to WikiLeaks suggested that North Korea likely received payment for weapons sales to Iran via a Seoul-based branch of an Iranian bank blacklisted for aiding Iran’s nuclear weapons programs.According to the cable dated March 24, 2008, which was released on Sunday by the Norwegian daily Aftenposten, “Hong Kong Electronics,” an Iranian-based enterprise, wired a total

Politics Jan. 17, 2011

‘Iran paid N.K. for arms via Bank Mellat Seoul branch’

Articles by Song Sangho