Most Popular
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Seoul transit pass for travelers to be available starting July
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Controversy rekindled over when to name criminals, suspects
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[Weekender] Pet food makers bet big on ‘recession-free’ pet food market
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N. Korea says to deploy new multiple rocket launcher starting this year
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[Drama Tour] Romantic trip to ‘Queen of Tears’ filming spots
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Buddha's birthday lantern parade to light up Seoul
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‘Monk’ DJ spreading Buddhism goes global
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Battery makers ramp up efforts to diversify graphite supply chain
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Hybe-Ador CEO conflict gets messier
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What's Seoul's No.1 landmark? Seoulites say Han River, foreigners pick Gwanghwamun Plaza
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Concerns over airpower vacuum rise
Concerns are escalating over a possible airpower vacuum in South Korea as the country’s warplane acquisition is not faring well with difficulties in procuring key technologies from the U.S. and the aging fighter fleet.Last week, Washington reiterated its position against Seoul’s call for the technological transfer, foreshadowing a potential delay in Seoul’s ambitious project to develop an indigenous fighter jet, which is already more than a decade behind schedule.For the South’s Air Force, the p
Oct. 18, 2015
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S. Korea, U.S. capable of countering N. Korea's SLBMs: U.S. navy chief
South Korea and the U.S. are capable of detecting and countering North Korea's sea-based ballistic missiles, the U.S. navy chief said Friday, stressing that if the North launches any provocations they will be met with a "proportional" response. North Korea is believed to be preparing for another test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile in the near future following its claim of a successful SLBM test in May, according to recent U.S. news reports. Such tests could indicate significant
Oct. 16, 2015
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U.S. rejects fighter tech transfer request
Despite Seoul’s pleas, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter on Thursday reaffirmed the country’s unwavering stance against a transfer of key technologies for building next-generation fighter jets, casting a cloud over South Korea’s multibillion-dollar initiative. South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo met with Carter on the sidelines of President Park Geun-hye’s visit to the Pentagon in Washington, requesting he once again reconsider approving the export of four core technologies from Lockheed M
Oct. 16, 2015
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Korea, Japan defense chiefs to meet in Seoul
The defense ministers of South Korea and Japan plan to hold talks next Tuesday as the two countries spur efforts to thaw frayed relations, Seoul’s Defense Ministry said Friday. The meeting will take place between Han Min-koo and his Japanese counterpart Gen Nakatani on the sidelines of the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition, which is scheduled to kick off that day at Seoul Airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. Nakatani is expected to attend a welcome dinner for the six-day fa
Oct. 16, 2015
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Korea, Japan defense chief to meet in Seoul next week
Defense Minister Han Min-koo and his Japanese counterpart Gen Nakatani will hold talks next week on bilateral issues, including Japan's security legislation that expands the Japanese military's role abroad, the Defense Ministry said Friday. In the talks to be held on Tuesday in Seoul, Han and Nakatani will also discuss security issues and their defense policies, as well as bilateral cooperation and exchanges, according to a statement released by the ministry. Focus will likely be on Japan's re
Oct. 16, 2015
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Seoul to raise fighter tech transfer despite grim outlook
Defense Minister Han Min-koo is expected to reiterate his request this week to reconsider Washington’s refusal to transfer technologies essential for Seoul’s fighter jet initiative, officials said Wednesday, despite the murky prospects for a reversal. Han will meet with his U.S. counterpart Ash Carter while accompanying President Park Geun-hye on her trip to Washington, which includes a stop at the Pentagon. The Defense Ministry and the state-run Defense Acquisition Program Administration have c
Oct. 14, 2015
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Korea, Japan set for defense minister talks
The defense ministers of South Korea and Japan are expected to hold talks next week despite strained bilateral ties, Seoul’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday. Seoul’s Defense Minister Han Min-koo will meet with his counterpart Gen Nakatani who is seeking to visit chiefly for the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition, which is slated to kick off next Tuesday for a six-day run. They are forecast to discuss North Korea’s growing nuclear and missile threats and other regional and bilater
Oct. 14, 2015
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Naval review to feature U.S. nuke-powered aircraft carrier
The Navy plans to boast its growing naval might at a fleet review in Busan this weekend, peppered by a U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, South Korean Aegis destroyers and submarines and other cutting-edge vessels. The event, scheduled for Oct. 17-23, marks the 70th anniversary of the Navy’s founding. Some 30 ships including an Aegis-equipped destroyer and 214-ton submarine will be on display, as well as maritime patrol aircraft, CH-47 choppers, F-15K fighters and about 30 Coast Guard planes
Oct. 14, 2015
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Japan‘s Defense Minister Nakatani to visit Seoul for defense talks next week
Japan's Defense Minister Gen Nakatani will visit Seoul next week to hold talks with his South Korean counterpart Han Min-koo on Japan's recent security legislation, a government source said Tuesday. "Defense Minister Nakatani will pay the visit on the occasion of the ADEX exhibition to be held from Oct. 20-25," the official said, referring to South Korea's forthcoming International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition. During the visit, the top defense officials will hold the talks to discuss implic
Oct. 13, 2015
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Navy to launch commemorative fleet parade involving USS Ronald Reagan
The Navy said Tuesday it will open a week-long parade of its fleet this week in honor of the 70th anniversary of its foundation, bringing together a group of U.S. warships, including the USS Ronald Reagan. The parade will kick off on Saturday in the waters off the southern port city of Busan for a seven-day run, according to the Navy. A fleet of about 30 South Korean Navy and Coast Guard vessels, including submarines and an Aegis combat system-equipped destroyer, will participate in the marit
Oct. 13, 2015
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Trump insists S. Korea is getting defense free ride from U.S.
U.S. Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump insisted Monday that South Korea is getting a defense free ride from the United States, claiming the contribution Seoul pays for the upkeep of American troops is "peanuts," compared with what the U.S. spends.Trump made the remark during a campaign speech in New Hampshire after an audience member pointed out that it's inaccurate to claim that South Korea pays nothing for the U.S. defending the country and that Seoul paid more than $860 millio
Oct. 13, 2015
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Defense minister under consideration to join Park's U.S. visit
Defense Minister Han Min-koo is under consideration to join President Park Geun-hye's state visit to the United States later this month, government officials said Thursday.The inclusion of Han in Park's entourage is expected to bolster her consultation with President Barack Obama on the defense front.Park is to fly to Washington for summit talks with Obama scheduled for Oct. 16. "A plan to let Defense Minister Han travel alongside President Park is being reviewed," a government official said. "I
Oct. 8, 2015
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U.S. navy chief to visit S. Korea
The U.S. navy chief will visit South Korea later this month for meetings with the country's new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, his counterpart and other military officials, his office said Wednesday.Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson will travel together with Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Mike Stevens on a trip that will begin with a stop in Hawaii on Monday and will also take them to Japan, the Philippines, Bahrain and Italy, the office said.It did not provide detai
Oct. 8, 2015
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JCS warns against N.K. provocation
Joint Chiefs of Staff chief Gen. Lee Sun-jin on Wednesday warned North Korea against escalating cross-border tension through nuclear and missile threats, pledging to beef up the South’s deterrence and take stern punishment in case of another provocation. At his inauguration ceremony, the newly minted chairman also vowed to establish “omnidirectional readiness,” saying the communist neighbor will continue to stage provocations at an unanticipated place and time. “Based on solid military readiness
Oct. 7, 2015
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Korea, British navy chiefs discuss cooperation
South Korea's Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Jung Ho-sup Tuesday discussed ways to expand naval cooperation with his British counterpart, the Navy said.In the meeting with Adm. George Zambellas, the chief of the naval staff of the Royal Navy, the officials also delved into how to further tighten their cooperation in global peacekeeping operations, as well as in the defense manufacturing industry, the Navy said.The security situation on the Korean Peninsula was also part of the discussion. Zambellas ar
Oct. 6, 2015
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JCS nominee grilled over political views
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman nominee Lee Sun-jin drew fire during a parliamentary hearing Monday, as lawmakers questioned his controversial views on former presidents’ military coups. He was also grilled over a golf trip he took shortly after a North Korean land mine injured two South Korean troops in August.Controversy has been brewing after the 61-year-old Army general was found to have described former President Park Chung-hee’s 1961 coup as a “military revolution” in his master’s thesis in
Oct. 5, 2015
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JCS chief nominee says no plan to adopt THAAD
South Korea has no plan yet to adopt the U.S.' Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system although its local deployment could benefit the South Korean military, the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman designate said Monday."At this moment, our military does not have any plan to introduce THAAD," Army Gen. Lee Sun-jin said in a parliamentary confirmation hearing. "The military currently has weapon systems it is trying to deploy within the Korean Air and Missile Defense system," he added.The remarks we
Oct. 5, 2015
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‘JCS chief nominee played golf despite N.K. landmine attack’
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman-nominee Lee Sun-jin was playing golf on Aug. 9 when North Korea was reported to have carried out a landmine provocation that wounded two South Korean troops, an opposition lawmaker revealed Sunday.JCS Chairman-nominee Lee Sun-jin (Yonhap)Kim Kwang-jin of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy, criticized his golfing on the day as an “inappropriate” act, raising the question of whether he could perform well in the military’s top position.“While he w
Oct. 4, 2015
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IAEA chief to visit Seoul for talks on N.K. nukes
The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog will visit Seoul this week to meet with Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and other officials on ways to denuclearize North Korea, the Foreign Ministry said Sunday.The two-day visit starting on Tuesday by Yukiya Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, will allow for serious discussions on the North Korean nuclear issue as the country threatens to conduct a nuclear and long-range rocket test, the ministry said in a statement.The visit c
Oct. 4, 2015
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‘Military Olympics’ kicks off in Mungyeong
More than 7,000 military executives and soldiers from about 120 countries gathered Friday in Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang Province, as the world’s largest sports competition among servicemen kicked off with the aim of promoting friendship and peace. Organized by the International Military Sports Council and supervised by Seoul’s Defense Ministry, the Military World Games’ set out for a 10-day run under the theme, “Friendship together, peace forever.” South Korea`s guards of honor perform during
Oct. 2, 2015