The militaries of the two Koreas agreed to verify each other’s work on the removal of 22 guard posts next week, Seoul’s Defense Ministry said Thursday, in an effort to sustain the momentum of a detente between the two Koreas. 　The Ministry of National Defense will conduct an on-site verification on Dec. 12 to ensure the guard posts were dismantled or destroyed as pledged after the two Koreas pulled back their troops and ammunition from the posts.　While the two Koreas agreed to “completely destro

North Korea Dec. 6, 2018

　The South Korean government on Wednesday pledged to simplify the process for civilians to enter the restricted border region, as a part of efforts to lift the ban on developing the military-controlled area amid an inter-Korean detente. 　The Ministry of National Defense and the ruling Democratic Party said they will establish an automated identification system by 2022 for those who want to cross the line that restricts civilians from entering the buffer zone near the heavily fortified Demilitari

North Korea Dec. 5, 2018

The defense chiefs of South Korea and the United Arab Emirates are to hold talks Wednesday, as the two countries seek to improve defense cooperation following the decision to establish a strategic partnership earlier this year. According to the Ministry of National Defense, Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo will meet with his UAE counterpart Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Bowardi. He serves as the UAE minister of state for defense affairs.The meeting is designed to focus on expanding cooperation in defen

Defense Dec. 4, 2018

South Korea’s military network was found to have been paralyzed during a massive network disruption last month, sparking criticism over the government’s attempt to downplay the incident that plunged the nation into a chaos.According to a document submitted by the Ministry of National Defense on Monday to an opposition lawmaker, a total of 28 internal military networks came to a halt after a fire at a building of the country’s No. 2 mobile carrier caused a massive blackout on Nov. 25. Among the d

Defense Dec. 3, 2018

　The South Korean Air Force conducted its own combat drill on Monday in lieu of a suspended combined exercise with the United States, amid concerns that the continued halt of joint training might undermine the allies’ readiness posture. 　According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the South Korean Air Force kicked off a five-day combat drill to replace the Vigilant Ace exercise. The aviation drill was supposed to take place this month, but was suspended in October to support diplomatic efforts to ad

Defense Dec. 3, 2018

　With President Moon Jae-in having wrapped up the G-20 summit following a meeting with US President Donald Trump, hopes are high that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s visit to Seoul will materialize before the end of the year. 　Moon is expected to arrive in New Zealand on Sunday for a three-day state visit after leaving Argentina, where he attended the Group of 20 summit. During his three-day stay in Buenos Aires, Moon held a series of meetings with world leaders to rally support for diplomatic

Foreign Affairs Dec. 2, 2018

A handful of young activists gathered in the heart of Seoul on Nov. 26, chanting words that sound like a propaganda campaign in Pyongyang promoting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. 　“I’m a fervent fan of Chairman Kim,” Kim Soo-geun shouted toward pedestrians in the busy Gwanghwamun Square. “I’m publicly recruiting those who want to become Kim’s fan. … We like the communists.” 　The event was held to welcome a trip to the South by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who pledged to visit the South Kor

North Korea Dec. 2, 2018

　Controversy erupted Tuesday over a US general’s remarks that South Korea had asked the US Air Force to stop sending bombers over the Korean Peninsula in an effort to support ongoing diplomatic talks with North Korea. 　According to Agence France-Presse, US Pacific Air Forces Commander Gen. Charles Brown told Pentagon reporters Monday that US bombers are no longer conducting flights over South Korea, as Seoul has asked for such missions to be halted.  　While the Ministry of National Defense decli

North Korea Nov. 27, 2018

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday said negotiating with North Korea over its nuclear program is a “lengthy process,” amid concerns in Washington over stalled denuclearization talks with Pyongyang. In an interview with a Kansas-based radio network, Pompeo said improving inter-Korean relations should move “in parallel” with progress on denuclearization, and establishing a working group with South Korea aims to serve that purpose. Talks between Washington and Pyongyang have stalled since

North Korea Nov. 26, 2018

In a mountainous region where the two Koreas engaged in one of the fiercest battles during the 1950-53 Korean War, the two sides’ soldiers met in an unusual encounter earlier this month, decades after the war ended without an official peace treaty. While uniformed soldiers carried rifles on their way to Arrowhead Ridge inside the Demilitarized Zone, taking control of the stronghold was not their mission. South Korean soldiers walk at Arrowhead Ridge as they build a tactical road across the Milit

Defense Nov. 25, 2018

　A comprehensive inter-Korean military pact in the absence of significant progress on North Korea’s denuclearization could weaken South Korea’s defense capabilities, security experts and former generals said Wednesday. 　At a defense seminar in Seoul, the participants criticized the Moon Jae-in administration for signing a “one-sided deal” that leaves South Korea vulnerable to North Korea’s asymmetric capabilities, pointing to the establishment of a no-fly zone and the suspension of joint exercis

North Korea Nov. 21, 2018

North Korea on Tuesday demolished 10 frontline guard posts located inside the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone, Seoul’s Defense Ministry said, in a symbolic effort to sustain momentum for inter-Korean detente. According to the Ministry of National Defense, the demolition began at 3 p.m. by simultaneously exploding the guard posts scattered across the DMZ. The ministry said North Korea had notified it of the plan several days earlier. The two Koreas had originally planned to explode the guard

North Korea Nov. 20, 2018

　North Korea on Tuesday ratcheted up its criticism of South Korea’s military procurement projects and a recent joint exercise it undertook with the US Marines, but struck a different tone on Iran’s efforts to expand its military capabilities. 　In an editorial titled “Unjustifiable move,” the state-run Rodong Sinmun denounced the South Korean military, saying the South had damaged the inter-Korean detente by purchasing an air-refueling tanker and surface-to-air missiles and by holding a joint exe

North Korea Nov. 20, 2018

　In light of rumors about the death of a South Korean solider in a heavily fortified cross-border region last week, the military suggested that the death was an apparent suicide unrelated to the North Korean military.  　In light of rumors about the death of a South Korean solider in the heavily fortified inter-Korean border region last week, the military has suggested the death was an apparent suicide unrelated to the North Korean military.  　According to the Army, a 21-year-old private first cl

North Korea Nov. 18, 2018

President Moon Jae-in returned to South Korea on Sunday after wrapping up his five-day trip to Singapore and Papua New Guinea amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to resolve stalled denuclearization talks between the US and North Korea. 　In his meetings with the leaders of China and Russia, as well as with US Vice President Mike Pence, Moon reiterated his role as an honest broker in rallying international efforts to convince North Korea to abandon its nuclear program and open up the country.  　The mo

Foreign Affairs Nov. 18, 2018