South Korea’s key ally and regional powers congratulated Moon Jae-in’s election as the country’s new president, expressing hopes the new government will enhance ties with neighboring countries amid North Korea’s growing nuclear and missile threats. The White House delivered a congratulatory message to President Moon in the hope the new government will continue to strengthen the bilateral alliance amid concerns Moon’s administration might clash with Washington’s hard-line approach toward North Ko

Politics May 10, 2017

A United States warship collided with a South Korean fishing vessel in the East Sea on Tuesday, while conducting a joint military drill, the two countries’ militaries said. US cruiser USS Lake Champlain clashed with South Korean fishing ship 502 Namyang about 83 kilometers south of Ulleung Island at around noon, according to South Korea’s military. US-led Combined Forces Command also confirmed the incident.  Fishing ship 502 Namyang (Yonhap)There were no casualties and the exact cause of the inc

Defense May 9, 2017

The lower house of the US Congress on Friday overwhelmingly approved legislation designed to impose tougher sanctions on North Korea, leaving South Korea’s next government with the challenge of how to navigate through mounting tension between Pyongyang and Washington. Titled “The Korea Interdiction and Modernization of Sanctions Act,” the bill cleared the House of Representatives in a bipartisan 419-1 vote. Introduced in March, the bill was designed to expand sanctions on North Korea’s oil impor

North Korea May 5, 2017

In a last-ditch effort to boost popularity, People’s Party presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo on Thursday kicked off nationwide rallies to canvass every constituency and meet with voters in person. The campaign, titled “120 Hours of Walking to the People,” is a five-day tour all over the country. His first stop was Daegu and surrounding areas in North Gyeongsang Province, a conservative stronghold and former President Park Geun-hye’s political hometown.People‘s Party presidential candidate Ahn

Politics May 4, 2017

A top US commander was found Wednesday to have said the country is working to create a “fully-integrated” regional missile defense scheme that includes South Korea, fueling controversy over the deployment of a US missile shield that US President Donald Trump wants Seoul to pay $1 billion for. Controversy has persisted over the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery here, which China argues constitutes Seoul’s de facto participation in the US-led global missile defense progra

Defense May 3, 2017

South Korea did not have any prior knowledge that the US might charge it for the deployment of a new missile shield, Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday, as controversy escalated here over US President Donald Trump’s surprise remark last week about possibly billing Korea $1 billion for the system, which the allies said is now “operational” with “initial capability.” The presidential office’s clarification came in response to a local report that claimed that a transition team for then President-elect Trum

Defense May 2, 2017

South Korea on Monday ruled out any future negotiation over who should pay for a US advanced missile defense system to be deployed here, but left open the possibility that the Trump administration might use the issue as leverage against Seoul during the allies’ defense-sharing negotiations scheduled to take place next year. Citing the Status of Forces Agreement and a classified separate agreement with US Forces in Korea, the Defense Ministry stressed that the allies had agreed that the US would

Defense May 1, 2017

Security chiefs of South Korea and the United States reaffirmed the initial agreement on a US advanced missile defense system that Washington would shoulder expenses for deploying and operating the weapon system, Seoul’s presidential office said Sunday.The reassurance came amid growing jitters here over US President Donald Trump’s surprise remarks that South Korea should pay $1 billion for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, some of whose key components have arrived on the peninsula.

Defense April 30, 2017

In protest against South Korea’s decision to deploy a US advanced missile defense system, China has conducted multiple cyberattacks against the South Korean government and business sectors, said a former US Pacific Fleet commander Thursday.Retired Adm. Patrick Walsh, who is now vice president of customer education at American cybersecurity firm FireEye, suggested that there is “clear correlation” between the increased number of China-originated cyberattacks and South Korea’s decision to deploy t

North Korea April 27, 2017

POCHEON, Gyeonggi Province -- The exercise began with a bang from explosives being fired off near a ditch. Taking it as a cue for the North Korean Army’s hypothetical invasion, South Korea’s K-9 and K-55 self-propelled guns, as well as multiple rocket launchers, fired off dozens of volleys toward mock targets. The artillery attack was immediately followed by multiple sorties of F-15K and FA-50 jet fighters, which scrambled from the east and dropped bombs on dummy targets designed as North Korea’

Defense April 26, 2017

The US Forces Korea on Wednesday brought launchers, a radar and other key parts of its advanced missile defense system to its deployment site, in a surprise move to accelerate the process ahead of a presidential election here amid heightened tension on the peninsula. Some 20 trailers carrying key components of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system arrived at the site at dawn in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province. Although covered by plastic boxes and wrapping, they were believed to incl

Defense April 26, 2017

The United States military staged a massive show of force against North Korea by deploying its strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula on Tuesday, as North Korea marked a major holiday amid mounting multilateral pressure on the regime’s nuclear ambition. The nuclear-powered USS Michigan made a call at the Port of Busan in time for the 85th anniversary of the founding of the North Korean People‘s Army. The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier strike group is also heading toward the East Sea to join

Defense April 25, 2017

The controversy over Chinese President Xi Jinping’s alleged remarks that Korea used to be part of China highlights a slew of sticking points that may vex South Korea’s next president in dealing with an assertive China and the unpredictable Trump leadership. The comments were released by US President Donald Trump in an April 12 interview with the Wall Street Journal. During their summit, Xi explained the history of China and Korea, about “thousands of years ... and many wars. And Korea actually u

Politics April 20, 2017

Confusion over the deployment of a US aircraft carrier continued to roil South Korea on Wednesday after an aircraft carrier strike group, initially known to be heading toward the Korean Peninsula, was found to have been sailing in the opposite direction, thousands of kilometers away. On April 9, the US Navy announced the diversion of the Carl Vinson Strike Group to the Western Pacific from its original route from Singapore to Australia. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, National Security Advisor H.R

North Korea April 19, 2017

Every March, the Korean Peninsula is drawn into an all-too-familiar cycle of escalating tension. It starts with South Korea and the US kicking off their annual military drills with a massive scale of troops and state-of-the-art assets, followed by North Korea churning out rebuke in a warlike rhetoric. The following month, Pyongyang gears up to celebrate a series of major national holidays, often with a nuclear or long-range missile test, triggering the allies’ warnings and condemnation. As tensi

North Korea April 18, 2017