The two Koreas’ militaries “broadly agreed” on the need for disarming a jointly controlled area at the truce village of Panmunjom and excavating war remains inside the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone, Seoul’s Ministry of National Defense said Tuesday. 　At general-level military talks held at Panmunjom Tuesday, the two sides’ delegates shared the need for the withdrawal of guard posts from the DMZ on a trial basis and suspension of hostile activities in the West Sea, the ministry said. 　The

Defense July 31, 2018

　PAJU, Gyeonggi Province -- Under the scorching sun at Gamaksan in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Lt. Col. Ju Gyeong-bae has been standing for hours looking for something unusual in the popular tourist destination famous for having the longest suspension bridge in South Korea. 　Wearing battle dress with a black vest, the 51-year-old Army officer looked as if he were trying to sell something. In fact, he was promoting collecting DNA samples from family members who had lost their loved ones during the K

Defense July 30, 2018

　The defense reform plan announced last week aims to overhaul the military’s command systems and troop organization amid the country’s growing need to adapt to the changing security landscape and the demographic shift. 　However, the plan lacks specific measures for changing the operational scheme in the event of a war with North Korea, which had been expected to be incorporated into the reform blueprint since the military floated the idea last year.　The Ministry of National Defense on Friday unv

Defense July 29, 2018

　With the two Koreas marking the 65th anniversary of signing the armistice agreement of the Korean War, the focus is now on whether they can realize their plan of declaring an official end to the war by the end of this year. 　The two Koreas have been pushing for a formal end to the war since President Moon Jae-in and North Koreas leader Kim Jong-un pledged to replace the armistice agreement with a peace treaty at the Panmunjom summit in April.　But the idea should be pursued with caution and in c

Defense July 26, 2018

Controversy over a martial law document drawn up by the Defense Security Command has escalated into a power struggle between the Defense Ministry and its security command, with the chief of the two organizations blaming each other for the military’s handling of the document. The DSC suggested that it briefed Defense Minister Song Young-moo on the document “in a serious manner,” but Song delayed reporting the document to the presidential office.  Defense Minister Song Young-moo (Yonhap)Song, on t

Defense July 25, 2018

Controversy escalated Tuesday over the defense chief’s alleged attempts to delay briefing Cheong Wa Dae on a martial law document, with the defense security commander offering an account that contradicts the defense chief’s explanation.　During a meeting with lawmakers, Defense Security Commander Army Gen. Lee Suk-koo said he had told Defense Minster Song Young-moo that the document was a “grave issue” and Song acknowledged its seriousness during the briefing on March 16.  　In the document titled

Defense July 24, 2018

The Defense Ministry said Tuesday it will seek to withdraw troops and equipment from guard posts inside the Demilitarized Zone, pledging to transform the heavily fortified area into a symbol of peace between the two Koreas. In a briefing to lawmakers, the Ministry of National Defense said the withdrawal plan would be sought “on a trial basis” until the conditions are in place for a complete withdrawal, following environmental and historical research on the cross-border region. A view of Camp Hum

Defense July 24, 2018

　The defense and justice ministries on Monday announced a plan to launch a joint investigation into the scandal-ridden Defense Security Command, amid mounting controversy concerning the military organization’s involvement in drafting a martial law document. 　According to the Ministry of National Defense, the joint probe team will consist of military and civilian prosecutors. The measure is expected to boost the transparency of the investigation into retired military and civilian government offic

Defense July 23, 2018

The two Koreas’ efforts to ease military tension along the border may be hampered by unexpected obstacles – including the vicissitudes of the real estate market. At the April 27 inter-Korean summit, the leaders of the two Koreas pledged to ease tensions, feeding speculations that South Korea’s military is preparing to reduce its presence across the border. Among possibilities being raised is the pulling back of forward-deployed troops near the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone, particularly t

Defense July 22, 2018

　The government confirmed Friday that the martial law document drawn up by the Defense Security Command during the Park Geun-hye administration included a plan to deploy tanks in Seoul, censor the media and block the National Assembly from ending the emergency action. 　Presidential spokesperson Kim Eui-kyeom said during a press briefing that there were key differences from the usual plans for martial law, such as the people who would be in command, indicating the document in question was designe

Defense July 20, 2018

Tuesday’s Marine chopper crash might have been caused by mechanical defects in the latest deployed helicopter, military officials and experts said, as investigation into the fatal accident that killed five Marines and injured one continues.　The MUH-1 Marineone crashed at a Marine base in the southeastern city of Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, killing five of the six Marines aboard and injuring the other. The helicopter caught fire after plunging to the landing strip from about 10 meters in t

Defense July 19, 2018

Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday the presidential office had not realized the seriousness of a martial law document when it was first reported last month, amid the escalating controversy over the defense minister and presidential aides’ handling of the case. In a meeting with reporters, a senior presidential official said Cheong Wa Dae officials “gradually” began to realize the political significance of the document, which contains a plan to consider declaring martial law at the time of massive protes

Politics July 17, 2018

 　South Korea’s military intelligence organization orchestrated the defection of North Korean waitresses from a restaurant in China in 2016, a local news agency has reported, disputing the restaurant manager’s claim their defection to South Korea was led by the country’s top spy agency.　According to Yonhap News Agency on Tuesday, a source familiar with the issue said the defection was initially led by the Defense Intelligence Command, whose agents convinced the manager to leave with the 12 waitr

North Korea July 17, 2018

　President Moon Jae-in on Monday ordered the military to submit all documents related to the allegation that the Defense Security Command had considered declaring martial law during massive protests against former President Park Geun-hye last year. 　According to Cheong Wa Dae, Moon demanded immediate submission of documents exchanged among military agencies during the anti-Park protests. The agencies involved include the Ministry of National Defense, Capital Defense Command, Army headquarters an

Defense July 16, 2018

South Korea has no plans to discuss arms reduction with North Korea until the country has made progress on denuclearization, Seoul’s defense minister said Thursday, placing priority on building trust amid persistent doubt over Pyongyang’s denuclearization pledge.During a meeting with reporters, Defense Minister Song Young-moo said confidence-building measures will begin with basic processes -- such as reconnecting military communication lines and disarming the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zon

Defense July 12, 2018