Most Popular
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Russia sent more than 165,000 barrels of refined petroleum to N. Korea in March: White House
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Key suspects grilled over alleged abuse of power in Marine death inquiry
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S. Korean children, teens grow taller, mature faster than before: study
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[Graphic News] Number of coffee franchises in S. Korea rises 13%
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Army takes group action against Hybe for neglecting BTS
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Marine Corps commander summoned by CIO for questioning on alleged influence-peddling case
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Some junior doctors are returning: Health Ministry
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[Robert J. Fouser] AI changes rationale for learning languages
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Ador CEO's request for exclusive right to terminate NewJeans' contract with Hybe refused in February
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Woman dangling from power lines rescued by residents holding blanket
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S. Korea opens annual int'l security forum to discuss 'challenges, vision for peace'
An annual international security forum hosted by South Korea's defense ministry kicked off in Seoul on Wednesday for discussions on situations on the Korean Peninsula and the surrounding region, as well as peacekeeping operations and cybersecurity.The eighth vice-ministerial Seoul Defense Dialogue, set to run for three days until Friday, brought together hundreds of officials and experts from around 50 countries and two international organizations, including the United Nations, according to the
Sept. 4, 2019
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US says it respects S. Korea's decision to expedite return of bases
The United States respects South Korea's decision to seek an early return of more than two dozen American military bases in the country and will work with its ally to get the bases returned "as expeditiously as possible," US Forces Korea said Tuesday.South Korea's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae announced the decision last week, saying the move is in line with the relocation of all US bases to Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul. "We are aware of the ROK g
Sept. 4, 2019
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US tests THAAD interception of missiles amid N. Korea’s launches
The United States successfully tested the capability of its anti-missile system, called Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, to intercept medium-range ballistic missiles in an apparent move to keep North Korea in check. The test was carried out from the US Army Garrison Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands on Friday, according to the US Missile Defense Agency. “Preliminary indications are that planned flight test objectives were achieved and the target was successfully i
Sept. 3, 2019
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USFK commander to attend Seoul defense dialogue
US Forces Korea Commander Gen. Robert Abrams is set to attend a three-day annual multilateral security forum in Seoul that kicks off Wednesday, officials said Tuesday, dispelling concerns about South Korea-US relations. Abrams, who is also commander of the Combined Forces Command, will be the highest-ranking US official to attend the eighth edition of the Seoul Defense Dialogue. The US had earlier declined the South Korean Defense Ministry’s request for the attendance of an assistant
Sept. 3, 2019
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US also positive on prompt return of military bases in S. Korea: Seoul ministry
South Korea's push for a prompt return of American military bases in the country has long been discussed between the allies and the US is also positive on the move, the defense ministry said Tuesday, guarding against any political interpretation of the issue. Last week, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae vowed to push for a prompt return of 26 US Forces Korea (USFK) bases across the country, sparking speculation that it may signal a possible rift in the alliance following Seoul's decision to
Sept. 3, 2019
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Navy holds int'l forum on maritime security cooperation
The Navy hosted an international security forum on Tuesday, with hundreds of experts and naval officers exploring ways to boost maritime cooperation in Asia and beyond.Around 300 government and military officials and experts from more than 25 countries gathered at the 14th International Seapower Symposium to discuss the theme of "Enhancing maritime security cooperation for peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific." During the two sessions, the participants will assess the evolving mari
Sept. 3, 2019
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Combined Forces Command to move to Pyeongtaek by 2021
South Korea and the US seek to relocate their Combined Forces Command headquarters by the end of 2021 from Seoul to Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, ahead of the envisioned transfer of wartime operational control from Washington to Seoul, according to Defense Ministry officials Sunday.The tentative timeline was set by the allies following a meeting between Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo and then acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan in Seoul in June when they agreed to move the CFC headq
Sept. 1, 2019
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USFK to close Yongsan Garrison within this year
The US Forces Korea will end all services at a major military base in the heart of Seoul within this year to prepare the return of the land to the South Korean government, military officials said Saturday. The US military has been moving its bases from around the country to a refurbished garrison in Pyeongtaek, some 70 kilometers south of Seoul, since 2017. While the USFK headquarters and the Eighth Army have moved to the new headquarters, called Camp Humphreys, the US military has been preparin
Aug. 31, 2019
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In NSC session, Cheong Wa Dae decides to seek early return of USFK bases
Cheong Wa Dae said Friday it will redouble efforts for the early return of more than two dozen US Forces Korea bases.It was briefing media on the results of a weekly meeting of the National Security Council's standing committee.The USFK has been moving its bases nationwide mainly to a refurbished garrison in Pyeongtaek, some 70 kilometers south of Seoul. It's named Camp Humphreys.The process of South Korea regaining the sites of the affected bases has been going slowly, however, partly due to ha
Aug. 30, 2019
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[Newsmaker] Defense Ministry says Korea-US alliance remains strong
Seoul’s Defense Ministry maintained Thursday that it was closely working with the United States, following the remarks by US defense leaders expressing disappointment over South Korea’s decision to withdraw from an intelligence-sharing pact with Japan.The United States has been vocally critical of South Korea’s decision to terminate the General Security of Military Information Agreement with Japan. “As we have told you before, defense minister and the US Secretary of
Aug. 29, 2019
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US flies spy plane over Seoul
A US reconnaissance plane flew over Seoul and surrounding regions Thursday, an aviation tracker said, on an apparent mission to collect intelligence regarding North Korea.The plane, believed to be an RC-135V, was detected in the skies above South Korea's capital city and Gyeonggi Province, Aircraft Spots posted on Twitter. The flight came amid concern the North could continue to conduct missile or rocket launches despite the conclusion of a combined military exercise between Seoul and Washington
Aug. 29, 2019
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S. Korea seeks to increase defense budget 7.4% next year
South Korea is seeking a 7.4 percent increase in its defense budget for next year, as it strives to strengthen self-defense capabilities amid growing security uncertainties, the defense ministry said Thursday.The government has proposed a budget of 50.15 trillion won ($41.29 billion) for next year, up from this year's 46.7 trillion won. If approved, it will be the first time that the country's defense budget surpasses the 50 trillion-won mark. Of the total, the ministry plans to spend 16.69 tril
Aug. 29, 2019
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[Feature] S. Korea faces prospect Trump may be seeking 'alliance fee'
South Korea already faces a turbulent security situation, with North Korea firing off missiles and relations with Japan at its lowest point. Now, the South’s closest ally is pressuring the government to pay more money for its troops stationed here. Ever since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a cease-fire, the United States has maintained troops in South Korea to defend its ally and to keep China and Russia in check.With negotiations on cost-sharing for US troops here set to begin next month
Aug. 27, 2019
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Cabinet approves govt. plan to ink military info-sharing pact with Thailand
South Korea's Cabinet approved the government's plan to clinch a military intelligence-sharing pact with Thailand on Tuesday to enhance defense cooperation with the Southeast Asian country.The approval, at a Cabinet meeting hosted by Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, is aimed at building an institutional framework to exchange military secrets between the two nations. So far, South Korea has clinched the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) with 21 countries, including the United
Aug. 27, 2019
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Defense chief vows staunch readiness
Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo vowed Monday to maintain a staunch readiness posture for North Korean provocations as Pyongyang has ratcheted up tensions with projectile launches even after South Korea and the United States ended joint exercises. "North Korea has heightened military tensions by firing a series of short-range projectiles and making verbal attacks against the South," he said during a speech at the first World Congress of Security Studies hosted by Korea Nati
Aug. 26, 2019
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[Newsmaker] S. Korea wraps up expanded military drills for Dokdo
South Korea wrapped up a military exercise on and around its easternmost islets of Dokdo in the East Sea on Monday after conducting the biannual maneuvers on the largest-ever scale amid an escalating row with Japan.The two-day exercise, the first of this year's two regular drills, involved all three services of the armed forces as well as the Marine Corps and the Coast Guard in a show of Seoul's determination not to back down in the row with Japan over wartime history and trade.The number of tro
Aug. 26, 2019
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[Newsmaker] S. Korea launches Dokdo defense drill amid tension with Japan
The South Korean armed forces launched a two-day military exercise to defend the easternmost islets of Dokdo on Sunday amid growing tensions over trade and their shared history, in a show of its staunch defense stance against Japan's repeated claims to sovereignty over the cluster of rocks in the East Sea.The Navy announced that the drill involves Navy, Air Force and Army forces, such as naval warships and aircraft, as well as Army and Marine Corp troops."Indeed, it's an exercise to guard o
Aug. 25, 2019
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Cheong Wa Dae says it never used Japan's intel in analyzing NK missiles under Moon
South Korea never used Japan's intelligence in analyzing North Korea's missile launches under the current Moon Jae-in administration, a senior official at the presidential office said Saturday, amid concerns over possible limits in countering the North's threats with the termination of an intel-sharing deal between Seoul and Tokyo. The official made the remark after North Korea fired two projectiles believed to be short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea earlier in the day, marking the s
Aug. 24, 2019
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S. Korea mulling further delay of Dokdo defense drills
South Korea is considering determining when to conduct maritime drills on and around its easternmost islets of Dokdo after watching whether Japan will take the South off a list of trusted trading partners as planned next week, an official said Saturday.The drills, involving the Navy, the Marine Corps and the Coast Guard, have been held twice a year, usually in June and December, to better fend off possible foreign infiltrations to the rocky outcroppings and the surrounding waters.But this year's
Aug. 24, 2019
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NSC members express 'strong concern' about N. Korea's launch of projectiles
South Korea's top security officials voiced "strong concern" Saturday over North Korea's continued launch of projectiles despite the end of its combined military training with the United States.They urged the North to halt such acts of escalating military tensions on the Korean Peninsula during an emergency session of the National Security Council standing committee, Cheong Wa Dae said.Its members began the meeting at 8:30 a.m., presided over by Chung Eui-yong, chief of the presidentia
Aug. 24, 2019