Most Popular
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Medical profs at top hospitals suspend surgeries, clinics
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Exports to US reach all-time high, widen gap with China
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Trump rekindles criticism: US forces defending 'wealthy' S. Korea 'free of charge'
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Samsung chip business back on track, logs W1.9tr operating profit in Q1
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Shinsegae faces showdown with investors over SSG.com's delayed IPO
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[Music in drama] Rekindle a love that slipped through your fingers
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Ex-pro baseball player who killed debtor appeals sentence
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Hopes rise for possible Gaza truce deal
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S. Korea discussed possible participation in AUKUS Pillar 2 with Australia: defense minister
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[New faces of Assembly] Architect behind ‘audacious initiative’ believes in denuclearized North Korea
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CSIS chief: Troop presence in Korea serves US national interest
The United States has kept troops in South Korea for decades because it's in the country's own national interest, not just to help the Asian ally, the head of a major US think tank said Monday.John Hamre, a top security expert and president of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, made the point during a discussion on Korea-US defense cooperation, rejecting President-elect Donald Trump's rhetoric that the US gains little from maintaining troops in allied nations. John Hamre, presid
Nov. 22, 2016
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Korea will have to pay up if US demands more defense-cost sharing: official
South Korea will have to embrace an increase in its share of the cost of American troops stationed in the country if the incoming US administration makes such a demand, Seoul's arms procurement chief said Monday.Chang Myoung-jin, head of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, made the remark during a discussion at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington amid keen attention as to whether President-elect Donald Trump would put into action his campaign pledge to ha
Nov. 22, 2016
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S. Korea-Japan military deal may be inked Wednesday
South Korea’s Defense Ministry said Monday that it may clinch the disputed military information-sharing agreement with Japan as early as Wednesday.The bilateral General Security of Military Information Agreement, which was tentatively signed on Nov. 14, will be put to a vote at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday. “The signing of the deal will take place as early as Wednesday, at (the South Korean) Ministry of National Defense. ... It will be done as soon as President (Park Geun-hye) endorses it,” said mi
Nov. 21, 2016
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Korea, Japan to sign intel-sharing pact Wednesday
South Korea and Japan plan to sign a military intelligence-sharing pact this week to better counter mounting threats from North Korea, the defense ministry said Monday. The two countries signed a provisional General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) last week, less than a month after they resumed discussions on Oct. 27. "We are planning to formally sign the GSOMIA on Wednesday upon approval by President Park Geun-hye after it is passed by the Cabinet on Tuesday," a ministry o
Nov. 21, 2016
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Korea, US to sign pact to share info on defense industry firms
South Korea and the United States plan to share information on their defense industry companies in a move to facilitate the trade of weapons, the state defense procurement agency said Monday. Chang Myoung-jin, head of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, and Deputy Secretary of Commerce Bruce H.Andrews will sign a memorandum of cooperation for information sharing on each other's weapons manufacturers in Washington, an official statement said. The bilateral pact will be reached Monday
Nov. 21, 2016
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Ex-Joint Chiefs of Staff chief gets jail term for bribery
A Seoul court on Friday sentenced former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Choi Yoon-hee to a year in prison on charges of bribery in the latest ruling that highlights the corruption in the country's defense industry.The Seoul Central District Court found the 63-year-old, who served as the JCS chief from 2013 to 2015, guilty of receiving 20 million won ($17,000) from an arms broker, identified only by his surname Ham, in 2014. Ham brokered the import of the AW159 Wildcat, which the Navy adopted in
Nov. 18, 2016
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China prepares diplomatic, military measures against THAAD: expert
China is preparing all necessary measures, including diplomatic and military responses, to South Korea's planned deployment of an advanced US anti-missile system on its soil, a former Chinese diplomat and expert on Korean affairs said Thursday.Yang Xiyu, a senior research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, emphasized that there will be "no winners" in the arms race, such as the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD) in South Korea.He served as h
Nov. 17, 2016
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Korea to develop long-range rocket to counter N.K. threats
South Korea on Wednesday approved three major defense projects, including a long-range rocket system, to help bolster its capabilities to better counter growing North Korean military threats.The government's approval comes amid mounting geopolitical uncertainties surrounding the Korean Peninsula as Pyongyang ratchets up its saber rattling and many countries in the region feel uneasy about Donald Trump's surprise victory in last week's U.S. presidential race.During the 2017-2020 period, Seoul wil
Nov. 16, 2016
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Defense Ministry secures site for THAAD
South Korea’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday it has reached an agreement to acquire a Lotte Group-owned plot of land as the site for the upcoming deployment of an advanced US missile defense system.According to the agreement, the ministry will exchange state-owned land in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, for the Lotte Skyhill Country Club and its surrounding land. The golf resort sits in the southeastern county of Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, which was designated on Sept. 30 as the spot for
Nov. 16, 2016
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Defense ministry concludes deal to secure site for THAAD
South Korea's defense ministry concluded a deal Wednesday to acquire a site for an advanced US missile defense system from Lotte Group. The Ministry of National Defense has agreed to secure the Lotte Skyhill Country Club in the southeastern rural county of Seongju from the country's fifth-largest conglomerate. The ministry will give state-owned military land near Seoul to Lotte in exchange for the golf course, the ministry said in a statement. It said an appraisal of the value of the two sites w
Nov. 16, 2016
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Putting nuclear weapons back in S. Korea could be considered to pressure China to rein in NK: ex-CIA chief
Bringing US tactical nuclear weapons back to South Korea or relaxing restrictions on Seoul's civilian nuclear industry could be considered as a means to put pressure on China to work harder to get North Korea to give up its nuclear program, a former CIA director said Tuesday.Michael Hayden, who served as CIA chief from 2006-2009, made the suggestion in an article to The Hill newspaper, expressing concern that the North will likely be able to "reach the Pacific Northwest with a nuclear-armed miss
Nov. 16, 2016
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Defense ministry set to finalize deal to secure site for THAAD
South Korea's defense ministry is set to conclude a deal to acquire a site for an advanced US missile defense system from Lotte Group, a military source said Tuesday.The Ministry of National Defense has tentatively agreed to secure the Lotte Skyhill Country Club in the southeastern rural county of Seongju from the nation's fifth-largest conglomerate. The ministry suggested giving state-owned land near Seoul to Lotte in exchange for the golf course, a military official told Yonhap News Agency."Lo
Nov. 15, 2016
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Opposition cries foul over Korea-Japan military pact signing
Opposition parties Tuesday set in motion a campaign to oust Defense Minister Han Min-koo over a controversial military pact with Japan that was tentatively signed by the two sides late Monday. Making good on their pledge, the three groups -- the Democratic Party of Korea, People’s Party and Justice Party -- decided to submit a parliamentary motion to recommend the minister’s dismissal on Nov. 30 and put it to vote at a plenary session slated for Dec. 2.Its passage is likely, since the opposition
Nov. 15, 2016
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Trump unlikely to drastically change US defense policy on South Korea
The US defense policy concerning South Korea is unlikely to undergo an extensive change under the leadership of President-elect Donald Trump, US experts said at a Seoul symposium Tuesday.Trump, who beat Democratic Party favorite Hillary Clinton in the US presidential election last week, has publicly made controversial comments. They include the accusation US allies are “freeloading” on defense, and he even seemed to toy with the prospect of pulling US forces out of South Korea unless the host co
Nov. 15, 2016
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Opposition parties to recommend dismissal of defense minister over Korea-Japan military pact
Opposition parties on Tuesday agreed to submit a motion later this month to recommend the dismissal of Defense Minister Han Min-koo to make good on their pledge to unseat him for the provisional signing of a military intelligence-sharing pact with Japan.The Democratic Party, the People's Party and the Justice Party made the agreement to submit the motion on Nov. 30 and put it to vote during the National Assembly's plenary session slated for Dec. 2. Defense Minister Han Min-koo is seen attending
Nov. 15, 2016
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Marine Corps chief inspects western front-line troops
The chief of South Korea's Marine Corps on Tuesday inspected front-line troops along the tense western sea border with North Korea.The Marine Corps' commander, Lt. Gen. Lee Sang-hoon, called for full readiness and a swift response against any provocations by the North during the visit to the islands of Yeonpyeong and Udo, the Marine Corps said in a statement. In this photo taken on Nov. 15, 2016, the Marine Corps' commander, Lt. Gen. Lee Sang-hoon, speaks during his visit to Yeonpyeong Island, a
Nov. 15, 2016
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US welcomes Korea-Japan intel sharing deal
The US Defense Department on Monday welcomed the provisional signing of a military intelligence sharing agreement between South Korea and Japan."We noted the recent media reports that the Governments of the Republic of Korea and Japan reached a provisional agreement on a bilateral General Security of Military Information Agreement," Cmdr. Gary Ross, a Pentagon spokesman, told Yonhap News Agency. "A potential ROK-Japan GSOMIA could strengthen cooperation between our two closest allies in Northeas
Nov. 15, 2016
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Seoul tentatively signs intel pact with Japan
South Korea and Japan on Monday tentatively signed a much-disputed bilateral security cooperation agreement, despite expected political backlash. Officials from Seoul’s Defense Ministry met with their Japanese counterparts in Tokyo for the third working-level meeting for the General Security of Military Information Agreement between the two countries, where they put the finishing touches on the deal.“South Korea and Japan confirmed that they share the view concerning the ongoing negotiations abo
Nov. 14, 2016
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Navy chief inspects drills, calls for readiness against NK missiles
South Korea's Navy chief on Monday inspected a military exercise in the East Sea designed to enhance its capabilities to counter North Korea's submarine-launched ballistic missiles.Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Um Hyun-seong called for full readiness and a swift reaction if provoked during the inspection aboard a P-3 maritime patrol aircraft, widely known as a "submarine killer." The exercise began Thursday with the aim to assess and improve South Korea's capabilities to strike North Korean sub
Nov. 14, 2016
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[Graphic News] Comparison: How much S. Korea, Japan pay for US Forces
US President-elect Donald Trump’s claims that Washington’s allies are “freeloading” on defense could foreshadow bumpy negotiations over sharing the cost of stationing US forces here.As of 2016, South Korea pays about 944.1 billion won ($808 million) for the US Forces Korea, which covers for a little less than half of its estimated operating costs. Japan, which hosts more US troops of some 54,000 in military personnel alone, agreed in 2015 to spend about 189.9 billion yen annually, according to t
Nov. 13, 2016