Most Popular
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Court refuses injunction on medical school expansion
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Why Korean crime stories typically feature nameless, faceless perpetrators
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Debate on 'no-seniors zones' heats up
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S. Korea, Cambodia forge strategic partnership
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Rare mid-May heavy snow warning issued over mountainous areas of Gangwon
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Is NewJeans headed for a long 'break'?
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[KH Explains] Hyundai-backed Motional’s struggles deepen as Tesla eyes August robotaxi debut
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Police raid popera singer Kim Ho-joong's house over hit-and-run suspicions
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New Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office chief vows full-fledged probe into first lady
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Trump may like to 'solve' N. Korean nuclear problem if reelected: ex-official
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Diplomatic efforts on N. Korea backed by military option: Tillerson
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Friday that military action remains an option should diplomatic efforts fail to end North Korea's nuclear weapons program.In an interview with CNN, the top US diplomat was commenting on President Donald Trump's recent tweet, in which he boasted about having a "nuclear button" that is "much bigger and more powerful" than the one allegedly sitting on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's desk."I think the rhetoric that North Korea understands is that while it i
Jan. 6, 2018
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S. Korea, US affirm strong alliance amid inter-Korean dialogue mood
The defense chiefs of South Korea and the US agreed Friday to continue close cooperation for a nuclear-free peninsula in the face of North Korea's recent peace gesture.In phone talks with Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, South Korea's Defense Minister Song Young-moo emphasized his government's firm stance on resolving the North Korean nuclear issue through a "phased, comprehensive" approach in tandem with sanctions and dialogue, according to his ministry.A strong alliance with Washington is the
Jan. 6, 2018
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Ministry: Allies discuss combined command relocation
South Korea's defense ministry confirmed Thursday that it is in consultations with the U.S. military to move the allies' Combined Forces Command (CFC) out of the Yongsan Garrison in central Seoul. YonhapThe two sides are talking about relocating the CFC headquarters to the Ministry of National Defense compound not far away from the Yongsan base, according to the ministry.It would be a reversal of a tentative agreement between the allies in 2014 to let the CFC maintain some of its facilities and
Jan. 4, 2018
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Korea opposed to 'freeze for freeze' option on N. Korean nukes: foreign ministry
South Korea does not support the option of a so-called "freeze-for-freeze" that requires North Korea to stop its military weapons tests in return for the suspension of annual South Korean-US joint military exercises, a foreign ministry spokesman said Thursday. "Our government does not agree with the [freeze-for-freeze] stance," foreign ministry spokesman Noh Kyu-duk said when asked what stance Seoul would take if the issue were raised at future inter-Korean talks."Currently, military authorities
Jan. 4, 2018
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Outgoing US commander awarded medal for service in Korea
The South Korean government on Thursday awarded Lt. Gen. Thomas S. Vandal, the outgoing commander of the US Eighth Army, a medal of merit for his contribution to the alliance.Defense Minister Song Young-moo gave Vandal the Gukseon Medal, the second-highest class in the Order of National Security Merit, on behalf of the government, according to the defense ministry.The order is conferred on those who have rendered distinguished service to national security.Thomas S. Vandal(Yonhap)Gen. Jeong Kyeon
Jan. 4, 2018
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Korean military: No signs of N. Korea's imminent missile launch
South Korea's defense authorities said Thursday there has been no indication of an imminent missile test by North Korea, responding to US news reports that the secretive nation appears to be preparing to fire another intercontinental ballistic missile."There is no activity that would lead to an assessment that a missile provocation by North Korea is imminent," Army Col. Roh Jae-cheon, spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a press briefing. (Yonhap)He pointed out, however, that it's po
Jan. 4, 2018
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Ministry denies reports of UAE troop pullout
South Korea’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday it has not considered withdrawing troops from the United Arab Emirates amid rampant speculation about ties between the two countries.“The Ministry of National Defense has not reviewed the pullout of the Akh Unit,” the ministry’s public affairs office said in a text message to reporters.It came in response to news reports here that the ministry had suggested South Korea withdraw the 140-strong Special Forces from the Middle Eastern nation by the end o
Jan. 3, 2018
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UAE raised holdings of Korean equity by 7.8% last November
The United Arab Emirates purchased a net 967 billion won ($908.6 million) worth of South Korean stocks last November, raising its holdings of local equity by 7.8 percent from a month earlier, data showed Wednesday. The UAE, which held 9.4 trillion won worth of South Korean stocks at the end of November, had remained a net seller of South Korean stocks between June and October last year. It was not known why the UAE turned bullish on local equity in November, but stock market watchers said the ti
Jan. 3, 2018
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Controversy escalates over Moon’s chief of staff visit to UAE
Controversy over a top presidential aide’s visit to the United Arab Emirates last month escalated Tuesday, with speculation emerging that the trip was aimed at resolving bilateral disputes concerning a secret military pact signed during the Lee Myung-bak administration. Citing former government officials, local daily Hankook Ilbo reported that the Lee administration secretly signed a Mutual Logistics and Service Agreement with the UAE in 2013, under which South Korea is required to provide log
Jan. 2, 2018
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S. Korea awaits N. Korea's response to existing dialogue offer
South Korea's defense ministry said Tuesday its offer of military talks with North Korea is still valid amid cautious optimism that years of tensions on the peninsula will finally begin to ease.In his New Year's message, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un proposed immediate dialogue between the two Koreas on his willingness to send a delegation to the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games slated for next month. Choi Hyun-soo, spokesperson for South Korea`s defense ministry, in a file photo (Yonhap)It re
Jan. 2, 2018
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Korean military acquires new remote activation munitions
South Korea's elite forces and engineering units have completed the deployment of an advanced but lighter device to detonate explosives via wireless signal, the state arms agency announced Tuesday.The Defense Acquisition Program Administration developed the Remote Activation Munition System in partnership with Huneed Technologies, a local defense firm, in 2014.In December, DAPA wrapped up the delivery of the system to the special forces of the Army, the Navy and the Marine Corps, as well as engi
Jan. 2, 2018
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Defense chief vows reform-based support for inter-Korean dialogue
South Korea's Defense Minister Song Yong-moo said Friday his troops should turn 2018 into the starting year for full-scale reform to support efforts for bringing lasting peace to the peninsula.The top priority is to deter North Korea's provocations, Song said in his new year message issued on the eve of the holiday season.Another key task is defense reform to make the 625,000-strong armed forces as agile and strong as a leopard, he stressed. South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo in a file
Dec. 29, 2017
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Korean Army to recruit dronebot operators next year
South Korea's Army said Friday it will select soldiers next year to serve in the envisioned "dronebot combat unit," which it describes as a potential game changer in warfare.The Army will create a related military occupational specialty in the coming year. It stopped short of revealing the exact schedule and size of the new team. South Korean troops use reconnaissance drones during training in this file photo provided by the Korea Army Academy at Yeong-Cheon. (Yonhap)"Drone operation troops will
Dec. 29, 2017
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Korea starts 2-day Dokdo defense exercise
South Korea on Thursday began a two-day military exercise for the defense of Dokdo, a set of rocky islets in the East Sea to which Japan lays territorial claim."The Navy will conduct the regular Dokdo defense exercise aimed at preventing the infiltration of external forces into the South Korean territory in conjunction with a flotilla-level field exercise by the Navy's First Fleet," according to the Navy. The First Fleet is based in the East Sea.The exercise is conducted twice a year and involve
Dec. 28, 2017
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Ex-USFK commanders support delaying drills for PyeongChang Games
Pushing back joint South Korea-US military drills until after the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games is worth considering, said former commanders of US Forces Korea in a Voice of America report Wednesday. US warplanes on standby during the Vigilant Ace South Korea-US joint air drill held from Dec. 4 to Dec. 8. YonhapThe idea of postponing joint drills that coincide with the games was first publicly raised by President Moon Jae-in during an interview with US broadcaster NBC on
Dec. 27, 2017
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Six Korean warships to retire after three-decade service
The Navy said Wednesday its 1,500-ton Chungnam frigate, known as a benchmark ship, will retire after playing a key role in the defense of South Korean waters for three decades.The Navy plans to hold a retirement ceremony for the ship, one of the first-generation warships here, and five other naval vessels -- three patrol ones and three high-speed boats -- at the Jinhae port later in the day.The country's indigenous Chungnam, 102 meters long and 12 meters wide, was commissioned in 1985. The 1,50
Dec. 27, 2017
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Korea to scrap long-range military radar development project
South Korea's defense authorities decided Tuesday to ditch a program to develop a fixed long-range radar system against North Korea's aircraft.The Defense Acquisition Program Administration signed a contract with LIG Nex1, a local defense firm, for an indigenous radar to replace the aged Air Force ones established largely on hilltops.But the radar developed by the company failed in an operational test in 2014."Multiple defects were found in the test and a violation of contract terms was also det
Dec. 26, 2017
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Army blames faulty parts operation for K9 explosion
South Korea's Army said Tuesday a mechanical flaw triggered the explosion of a K-9 Thunder self-propelled howitzer in August that left three soldiers dead and four others wounded.The howitzer blew up abruptly while in use at a shooting range in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province. The Army has since suspended the operation of K9s for training purposes, although it remains operational for combat ones.The detonator ignited by itself and some components functioned abnormally, the Army said after a joint inv
Dec. 26, 2017
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Defense ministry to create N. Korea nuke team
South Korea's defense ministry announced Tuesday that it will launch a special team on North Korea in an organizational shift aimed at responding more effectively to increased nuclear and missile threats from the communist neighbor.Under the plan approved at a Cabinet meeting, the Ministry of National Defense will create a post to oversee its North Korea policy under the Office of National Defense Policy led by a deputy minister.It is to serve as the ministry's "control tower" on handling North
Dec. 26, 2017
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Korea's military mulls operating F-35B stealth aircraft aboard new amphibious assault ship
South Korea's military has begun to consider operating F-35B stealth aircraft from its newest amphibious landing ship slated to be deployed in 2020, as part of efforts to strengthen its naval power, sources said Sunday.The authorities have recently discussed whether the second 14,000-ton Dokdo-class vessel can carry the F-35B fighter, a short takeoff and vertical landing variant of the US-made fifth-generation warplane."I understand that the military top brass have recently discussed whether the
Dec. 25, 2017