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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‘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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Buddha's birthday lantern parade to light up Seoul
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[LLG] Unseen inheritance: Trauma of transnational adoption 'trickles down' to adoptees' children
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S. Korea, Russia to hold high-level security dialogue
South Korea and Russia are expected to hold their first high-level security dialogue, government sources said Sunday, amid growing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea ahead of a key anniversary next month.Nikolai Patrushev, a close aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, is likely to visit South Korea before heading to Japan late this month, according to the sources asking not to be named.North Korea has hinted at launching what it called "a series of satellites" ahead of the 70th ann
Sept. 20, 2015
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Hanwha raided over alleged leak of military secrets
Investigators of the Defense Security Command raided a defense-related office of Hanwha Corp. in central Seoul on Friday as part of a probe into an employee suspected of leaking military secrets.Hanwha Corp. in Seoul (Yonhap)Defense authorities said the raid and search were related to a violation of the Military Secret Protection Act, and that investigators confiscated computer files and other documents to glean evidence for the case. They refused to elaborate further on the investigation.Observ
Sept. 18, 2015
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Korea to sell four T50 trainer jets to Thailand
By Shin Hyon-hee South Korea on Thursday secured a contract to export four T-50 trainer jets to Thailand in another coup that marks the local defense industry’s growing technological clout. The $110 million agreement was clinched between the Korea Aerospace Industries and the Thai government in Seoul. The supersonic aircraft, built with technical assistance from the American defense giant Lockheed Martin, is scheduled to be delivered by March 2018. The Thai Air Force has been pushing to replace
Sept. 17, 2015
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State arms buyers grilled over graft
By Shin Hyon-heeThe country’s defense acquisition officials came under fire Thursday during a parliamentary audit for a string of fresh allegations of illicit participation of an arms broker, buying subquality supplies and other irregularities. According to Rep. Baek Kun-ki of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy, a Korean weapons brokerage based in the U.S., was involved in the Defense Acquisition Program Administration’s 2012 bid to adopt new AW-159 Wildcat helicopters in br
Sept. 17, 2015
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Seoul to host defense exhibition next month
South Korea will host a defense exhibition next month to showcase global high-tech weapons, including the U.S. Global Hawk surveillance aircraft, the Ministry of National Defense said Thursday.The Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition will run for six days starting Oct. 20 at the Seoul Air Base, just south of the capital.Since the official launch of the exhibition in 2009, the ADEX 2015 will be the biggest of its kind, drawing 386 defense manufacturers from 32 countries, according t
Sept. 17, 2015
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S. Korea, U.S. to hold defense talks next week
South Korea and the United States will hold their annual senior-level defense talks next week to discuss joint deterrence against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and alliance issues, the Defense Ministry said Thursday. Yoo Jeh-seung, deputy minister for policy at the Ministry of National Defense, will lead South Korea's delegation to the Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue to be held in Seoul from Sept. 23-24, according to the ministry. The U.S. will be represented by Abraham Denm
Sept. 17, 2015
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Aug. tension apparently caused accidental shootings, desertion in N. Korea military
Several North Korean soldiers were accidentally shot and other soldiers deserted during recent tensions with South Korea, an intelligence official said Thursday, a sign of low morale in the North's military. The accidents occurred during and after a 48-hour ultimatum North Korea gave to South Korea last month to end propaganda broadcasts, saying it would otherwise launch "strong military action." South Korea resumed the propaganda broadcasts along the heavily fortified border in August for the
Sept. 17, 2015
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U.S. Coast Guard chief fears peninsular clash
With a reclusive and erratic leader at the helm of North Korea, the U.S. Coast Guard is ready to respond to any contingency on the peninsula, its chief said Wednesday, expressing concerns of a possible miscalculation and unintended escalation. Commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft said his organization has a “significant force package” including vessels and personnel as part of Washington’s broader plan designed to deal with an armed conflict involving the two Koreas.Paul Zukunft“When you deal with the l
Sept. 16, 2015
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Aegis destroyer tasked with detecting N. Korea's possible rocket launch
A South Korean Aegis combat system-equipped destroyer, patrolling in the East Sea, has assumed the key mission of detecting North Korea's launch of a long-range rocket, government sources said.North Korea hinted at the possibility of firing a rocket, which it claims to be carrying a satellite, in the coming weeks to mark the 70th anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea on Oct. 10.The Aegis ship equipped with a state-of-the-art radar system is aimed at countering North Korea's ballistic missil
Sept. 16, 2015
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Jeju naval base hosts warship in test operation
South Korea has begun testing its new naval base on the southern island of Jeju as its construction is near completion, the Navy said Wednesday."The Aegis combat system-equipped DDG destroyer, the Sejong the Great, entered the Jeju civil-military combined port for a safety check of the port and pier facilities," the Navy said.It is the first time a Navy warship has docked at the base, of which construction is about 89 percent complete as of Wednesday, according to the Navy. The 37,000-ton warshi
Sept. 16, 2015
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S. Korea, Philippines ink pact on protecting classified military info
South Korea and the Philippines on Monday signed a pact to protect classified military information in a bid to exchange military intelligence, Seoul's defense ministry said.South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo and his Filipino counterpart Secretary Voltaire Gazmin signed the deal in Manila following their talks, according to the ministry.Han arrived in the Philippines on Monday for a two-day visit following his trip to Australia for a so-called "two plus two" meeting among the two nations'
Sept. 14, 2015
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Korea names new JCS chief
Army Gen. Lee Sun-jin was named the first-ever Army Academy graduate to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Monday in a major reshuffle of the top military leadership. Lee Sun-jin. Yonhap The 61-year-old chief of the Army’s 2nd Operations Command will replace Adm. Choi Yoon-hee, whose two-year stint ends in October.If he wins presidential approval on Tuesday and the ensuing parliamentary hearing, Lee will become the first Army Academy alumnus to take up South Korea’s highest-rankin
Sept. 14, 2015
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Army general named JCS chief
Army Gen. Lee Sun-jin was named the first-ever Army Academy graduate to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Monday in a major reshuffle of the top military leadership. The 61-year-old chief of the Army’s 2nd Operations Command will replace Adm. Choi Yoon-hee, whose two-year stint ends in October. Gen. Lee Sun-jin (Defense Ministry)If he wins presidential approval on Tuesday and the ensuing parliamentary hearing, Lee will become the first Army Academy alumnus to take up South Korea’
Sept. 14, 2015
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Joining military increasingly competitive
In the face of a long-running job crunch, young South Korean men are finding it increasingly difficult to join the military for the obligatory two-year service, with an acceptance rate hovering around a mere 13 percent this year, a lawmaker said Monday. Between January and July, only 84,224 out of 630,427 applicants were enlisted in the Army, Navy, Air Force or Marine Corps, beating odds of 1 in about 7.5, said Rep. Chung Mi-kyung of the ruling Saenuri Party, based on data submitted by the Milit
Sept. 14, 2015
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More than 16,000 men give up nationality to avoid military service
More than 16,000 South Korean men have relinquished their nationality to avoid the mandatory military service in recent years, an opposition lawmaker said Monday.A total of 4,386 men opted for foreign citizenship in 2014, up from 3,470 men in 2011, said Rep. Jin Sung-joon of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy, citing data of the Military Manpower Administration submitted to the National Assembly for an annual audit.In the first seven months of this year, 2,374 men gave up th
Sept. 14, 2015
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Gen. Lee Sun-jin named head of Joint Chiefs of Staff
Army Gen. Lee Sun-jin was named the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Monday, in a major reshuffle of the military.A graduate of the Army Academy in Yeongcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, the 61-year-old Lee is currently the commander of South Korea's 2nd Operations Command. Lee Sun-jin (Yonhap)He will replace Adm. Choi Yoon-hee, whose two-year term ends in mid-October. Lee became the first graduate of the Army Academy to be nominated for the post, which has largely been dominated by
Sept. 14, 2015
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[Graphic News] Jehovah’s Witnesses lead draft objections over last decade
A total of 5,723 Korean men have objected to fulfilling their mandatory military service over the last decade, according to government data, disclosed by Rep. Jin Sung-joon of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy.In his parliamentary audit document, Jin said that of the total draft objectors, 5,195 were given jail terms, while 20 others received suspended prison terms. More than 500 are currently on trial for their objections to military service.Of the total objectors, 5,686 w
Sept. 13, 2015
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New database to screen unfit draftees sparks privacy concern
The Defense Ministry plans to establish a database on the traits of conscripts who are prone to accidents, crimes or suicide to analyze and prevent those unfit for military life from joining the armed services.The plan was conceived after a series of soldiers, categorized as those “requiring special attention,” have committed various crimes including desertions with weapons and a shooting rampage, which have undermined troop morale and the overall readiness posture.But critics voiced concerns th
Sept. 13, 2015
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Final death toll set at 173 in China warehouse explosion
Chinese authorities ended the search for the remaining eight missing in a massive chemical warehouse explosion last month, setting the final death toll at 173 in China's worst industrial disaster in years. The announcement on the Tianjin city government's microblog said there was no hope of finding the eight people, and the court will now start issuing death certificates. ``After thorough investigations by all parties, it is certain that there is no possibility of survivors,'' said the s
Sept. 12, 2015
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UN official urges Iran to sign nuclear test ban treaty
The head of the U.N.'s nuclear test ban treaty organization says Iran should follow up on its historic nuclear deal with world powers by ratifying the treaty and assuring it will never conduct a nuclear test explosion. Lassina Zerbo said in an interview Friday with The Associated Press that if Iran doesn't ratify the treaty, ``it will leave room for the doubt that people have put in this deal and the good intentions of Iran.'' Zerbo said Iran should have signed the Comprehensive Nuclear Te
Sept. 12, 2015