Most Popular
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[Weekender] Geeks have never been so chic in Korea
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N. Korea says it test-fired tactical ballistic missile with new guidance technology
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NewJeans members submit petitions over court injunction in Hybe-Ador conflict
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[News Focus] Mystery deepens after hundreds of cat deaths in S. Korea
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S. Korea's exports of instant noodles surpass $100m for 1st time in April: data
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[Herald Interview] Byun Yo-han's 'unlikable' character is result of calculated acting
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US military commander in S. Korea during Gwangju uprising dies
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[Photo News] Seoul seeks 'best sleeper'
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US expert says N. Korea might ignore Trump if he returns to White House
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[KH Explains] Why Korea's so tough on short selling
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‘Memory politics contributes to Asia Paradox’
This is the first installment in a special New Year’s series of interviews with preeminent scholars on international politics and security. ― Ed.Lessons from history can help us tackle today’s challenges and prepare for an uncertain future, but when the memories of the past take on political overtones, they can fuel unnecessary nationalism and hamper collective efforts to move forward.According to professor Peter Katzenstein of Cornell University, “memory politics” has contributed to Northeast A
Dec. 31, 2014
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First indigenous salvage ship to be delivered to Navy
South Korea's first indigenous salvage ship at the center of a corruption scandal was delivered to the Navy on Tuesday after passing an operational capability test, military officials said. The 3,500-ton Tongyeong has been at the center of a major controversy following allegations that a number of military officers took bribes from a local company that supplied faulty parts to the ship. The vessel, built in 2012, could not be deployed for rescue operations in the aftermath of April's ferry s
Dec. 30, 2014
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Korea, U.S., Japan sign military intelligence pact
South Korea, the United States and Japan have signed a military pact on sharing sensitive information on North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs amid the communist country’s growing security threats to the region, Seoul’s defense ministry said Monday.The pact went into effect Monday after a memorandum of understanding signed last week by South Korean Vice Defense Minister Baek Seung-joo and his counterparts Robert Work and Masanori Nishi was delivered to the U.S. side earlier in the day, the
Dec. 29, 2014
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S. Korea to conduct first missile defense drill next year
South Korea plans to conduct its first missile defense drill in the first half of next year to test the effectiveness of locally developed defense programs in the face of North Korea's missile and nuclear threats, a government source said Monday. South Korea has been developing its own Kill-Chain and Korean Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) systems to better detect and respond to military provocations from the North. "Military authorities are planning our first independent Korean Peninsula miss
Dec. 29, 2014
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Korea, U.S., Japan sign military info-sharing deal
South Korea, the U.S. and Japan will sign a trilateral information-sharing arrangement on Monday to better handle the evolving nuclear and missile threats from North Korea, Seoul’s Defense Ministry said Friday.The arrangement is expected to strengthen the three-way security cooperation that has been lackluster due to historical and territorial feuds between Seoul and Tokyo, and Seoul’s push for a deepened strategic partnership with Beijing.South Korea’s Vice Defense Minister Baek Seung-joo, U.S.
Dec. 26, 2014
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3 workers killed by toxic gas at reactor site
Three construction workers at a nuclear power plant in Ulsan died Friday after inhaling toxic gas, officials said.A decontamination team was dispatched to the Shin-Kori nuclear power plant following the accident at 5:18 p.m.The incident came some days after a group of hackers threatened to “destroy reactors” unless the government shut down three nuclear reactors at the Kori and Wolseong nuclear power plants by Christmas Day. They also told residents near the facilities to leave. The government c
Dec. 26, 2014
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South Korea, U.S., Japan to sign info-sharing pact on North Korean nukes
South Korea, the United States and Japan will sign a pact next week on sharing their military intelligence about North Korea's nuclear and missile programs in the face of Pyongyang's evolving security threats, officials here said Friday. The three counties have been discussing the signing of a memorandum of understanding on sharing military secrets since May when they agreed on the need for such an agreement during their defense ministers' talks in Singapore. The conclusion comes two years aft
Dec. 26, 2014
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[Newsmaker] Japan's push for bigger security role renews
Japan’s push for a greater security role is gaining traction as security hawk Shinzo Abe began his third term as prime minister Wednesday by renewing his push to revise the war-renouncing Constitution.Buoyed by a landslide victory on Dec. 14, the nationalist leader has been seen intensifying his campaign to make Japan a “normal state” with a full-fledged military, which has been hamstrung by the “pacifist” Article 9 of the postwar constitution.In the face of an assertive China and confrontationa
Dec. 25, 2014
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North Korea expands its air force
North Korea has increased the number of its air force troops by 10,000, while reducing that of army soldiers by the same amount, a South Korean government data showed Thursday. The total number of the North's armed forces stood at 1.19 million as of the end of 2013, according to the defense ministry's update of its assessment of the communist nation's military power. "There seems to be no change in the general size of the North Korean military. But it transferred some aviation units in the a
Dec. 25, 2014
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S. Korean relief troops return home after mission in Philippines
South Korean relief troops stationed in the Philippines have returned home after completing their one-year mission to help rebuild the country hit hard by a typhoon last year, the Army said Tuesday.The 297 service personnel of the Araw Unit returned home on Monday from Tacloban after providing medical services and working to prevent the outbreak of epidemics in the city since December last year that was devastated by Typhoon Haiyan the previous month.Their initial six-month mission was extended
Dec. 23, 2014
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Presidential jet to be fitted with anti-missile gear
South Korea's presidential jet will be fitted with anti-missile gear by 2016 under a new project expected to cost more than 30 billion won (US$27 million), government and military officials said Sunday.Under a renewed contract with the nation's flagship carrier, Korean Air Lines Co., a Boeing 747-400 aircraft will be on lease to the presidential office until 2020."Until now, the presidential jet hasn't had its own antimissile gear, but the new jet is expected to be fitted with such gear as the m
Dec. 21, 2014
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Team proposes employment incentives for conscripts
A panel to reform the culture of the military recommended Thursday that the Defense Ministry consider simplifying enlisted soldiers’ ranking structure and enhancing the military judicial system and the screening process for draftees unfit for military service.Wrapping up a four-month study, the panel also asked the ministry to allow conscripts to acquire academic credits from their military activities, and to receive extra points in recruitment exams at public organizations or firms after they a
Dec. 18, 2014
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‘Progress on info-sharing pact between Korea, U.S., Japan’
South Korea, the United States and Japan have produced significant progress on a pact on sharing their military intelligence to better deal with threats from North Korea, Seoul’s defense ministry said.Still, the three have yet to reach a final consensus on the issue, the ministry said, denying a report by Japan’s Nihon Keizai Shimbun newspaper that the allies will sign the deal within this year.In May, the three nations agreed to begin discussing the matter, stressing “the importance of sharing
Dec. 18, 2014
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Techwin signs howitzer export deal with Poland
South Korean defense firm Samsung Techwin on Wednesday signed a $310-million contract with Poland’s state-run firm Huta Stalowa Wola to deliver 120 indigenous K-9 self-propelled howitzers from next year through 2022.Under the contract, the first batch of 24 K-9s will be delivered to Poland through 2017, and the rest will be manufactured in Poland. It was the first K-9 export deal since 2001 when Samsung Techwin signed a contract to export 350 K-9s to Turkey.Samsung Techwin CEO Kim Chul-kyo signe
Dec. 18, 2014
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Progress made on military info-sharing pact between S. Korea,
South Korea, the United States and Japan have produced significant progress on a pact on sharing their military intelligence to better deal with threats from North Korea, Seoul's defense ministry said. Still, the three have yet to reach a final consensus on the issue, the ministry said, denying a report by Japan's Nihon Keizai Shimbun newspaper that the allies will sign the deal within this year. In May, the three nations agreed to begin discussing the matter, stressing "the importance of shar
Dec. 18, 2014
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Auditors demand disciplinary action against Navy chief
State auditors demanded Wednesday that the Defense Ministry take disciplinary action against Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Hwang Ki-chul in connection with a corruption scandal concerning the acquisition of a salvage ship.The Board of Audit and Inspection said that Hwang was “negligent” in reviewing the documents related to the purchase of a part for the 3,500-ton ship, Tongyeong, while working as a senior procurement official in 2009. Hwang has been suspected of having given preferential treat
Dec. 17, 2014
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S. Korea pushes to switch fighter jet contractor to Lockheed
South Korea began the official process Wednesday of changing the contractor for its project to upgrade the country's aging fleet of F-16 fighter jets amid controversy over the contractor's demands for a higher price, Seoul's arms procurement agency said. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said it presented its plan to change the contractor from London-based BAE Systems to American defense firm Lockheed Martin at its monthly defense project committee meeting presided over by
Dec. 17, 2014
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S. Korean relief troops in Philippines set to return home
South Korean relief troops stationed in the Philippines will return home next week after wrapping up their one-year mission to rebuild the country in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan, the military here said Tuesday. A total of 520 troops, mostly engineers and medics, were dispatched to Tacloban after the typhoon in November last year to help restore communities, provide medical services and prevent the outbreak of epidemics. Their initial six-month mission was extended for six months in June.
Dec. 16, 2014
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USFK likely to broaden operational scope
The Pentagon’s new defense innovation initiative indicates that U.S. Forces Korea may go beyond its current mission of deterring North Korea to undertake a larger regional and global security role, analysts said Monday.Capitalizing on new operational concepts backed by innovative, high-tech military assets, the USFK, largely a static force, is likely to be transformed into a force that is more versatile, expeditionary and easily deployable to any conflict outside the peninsula, they said.Last mo
Dec. 15, 2014
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Warrants sought for military officers over salvage ship project
Arrest warrants have been sought for two military officers on charges of taking bribes from a local company that supplied faulty parts to a Navy rescue and salvage ship, a pan-governmental investigation team said Sunday.The joint team of prosecutors, military officers and government officials said it has asked a military court to issue the arrest warrants for the two officials of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration.The two officers -- a Navy captain and a Navy commander identified onl
Dec. 14, 2014