Most Popular
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Yoon, Lee end first talks with differences, agree to meet more
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What is Hybe’s next move?
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China outpaces Korea in smaller OLED shipments for 1st time
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Medical profs at top hospitals suspend surgeries, clinics
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[Herald Interview] Mom’s Touch seeks to replicate success in Japan
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'Queen of Tears' finale sets record viewership ratings as tvN's most-watched series ending
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Police to open alleged stalking probe over pastor over Dior bag scandal
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Samsung chip business back on track, logs W1.9tr operating profit in Q1
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[News Focus] Lee tells Yoon that he has governed without political dialogue
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Seoul to deploy more military doctors to fill med prof void
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U.S. defense chief makes symbolic visit to Korea's truce village
U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel made a symbolic visit to the heavily armed truce village bordering North Korea on Monday, stressing its strategic importance in defending the Korean Peninsula.Hagel made the Demilitarized Zone tour his first order of an unprecedentedly long, four-day visit to the Asian ally ahead of an annual bilateral defense summit slated for Wednesday, which is expected to assess the North Korean threat and alliance issues with Seoul.Hagel shook hands with soldiers and sp
Sept. 30, 2013
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Hagel: Still early for decision on OPCON issue
U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said it's premature to conclude a new deal with South Korea on its request for another delay in the transition of operational control (OPCON) of its troops in time of war."I don't think we'll be in a position to make any final decision," Hagel was quoted as telling reporters aboard a military plane heading to South Korea.He added, "I don't think anything is fixed for decades at a time. There's always a review and realignment of responsibilities and forces,"
Sept. 30, 2013
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No decision on extending U.S. wartime command of S. Koreans: Hagel
ABOARD A US MILITARY AIRCRAFT, United States (AFP) -- US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel late Saturday ruled out any quick decision on extending US wartime command over South Korea troops, a move authorities in Seoul are seeking."I don't think we'll be in a position to make any final decision," Hagel told reporters aboard the plane that was taking him to South Korea.In case of war with North Korea, the alliance between Washington and Seoul currently calls for the US military commander to lead the
Sept. 29, 2013
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S. Korea considering keeping reconstruction team in Afghanistan after next year
South Korea is considering keeping a team of reconstruction and aid workers in Afghanistan even after their mission ends next year, a senior government official said Sunday.South Korea's provincial reconstruction team (PRT) has been stationed in Afghanistan since 2010 to help rebuild the war-torn nation, building and operating a hospital, a police training center and other aid facilities in the northern province of Parwan.The facilities were handed over to the Parwan government last year, and th
Sept. 29, 2013
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S. Korea, U.S. defense chiefs to hold dialogue in Seoul
Defense chiefs of South Korea and the United States will meet next week in Seoul to discuss security issues on the Korean Peninsula and boost bilateral military ties as part of their annual dialogue, the government here said Friday. South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin and his American counterpart Chuck Hagel will have the annual Security Consultative Meeting on Wednesday to discuss rising threats posed by North Korea and whether to delay the planned transfer of wartime operational control
Sept. 27, 2013
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S. Korea, U.S. struggle to strike deal on USFK cost
South Korea and the United States remain apart over how much Seoul will contribute financially to the presence of American troops on the peninsula, South Korea's top negotiator said Thursday."There are still big differences in the positions of the two sides," Hwang Joon-kook, special ambassador for the Special Measures Agreement (SMA), told reporters after two-day talks here with his U.S. counterpart, Eric John.The allies are currently focusing not only on Seoul's appropriate share itself for th
Sept. 27, 2013
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F-5 fighter crashes in central S. Korea, pilot safely ejects
A South Korean F-5 fighter jet crashed into a mountain in the central part of the country Thursday, but the pilot ejected safely just before impact, the Korean Air Force said.The one-seater F-5E took off from an air base in Cheongju, about 137 kilometers south of Seoul, at around 10:48 a.m. for a training exercise, but it crashed into a mountain near Jeungpyeong shortly before noon, the Air Force said in a release. The 32-year-old Air Force captain, only identified by his surname Lee, ejected fr
Sept. 26, 2013
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Allies hold talks on cost for USFK
South Korea and the United States opened a new round of negotiations Wednesday on splitting the cost of stationing American troops on the peninsula.The two-day meeting in Washington is the fourth of its kind intended to decide how much South Korea should pay for the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea (USFK).The U.S., stuck in federal budget problems and confronted with increased North Korean threats, apparently wants South Korea to share more of the burden.The appropriate amount of Seoul's financia
Sept. 26, 2013
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JCS chief nominee boosts hopes for better inter-service cooperation
Wednesday’s surprise nomination of Navy chief Adm. Choi Yoon-hee as the new Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman has raised hopes for enhanced maritime defense and inter-service collaboration in the Army-dominated military.In the first reshuffle of top brass since the Park Geun-hye government took office in February, Choi was named to lead the JCS. Should he secure parliamentary approval, Choi would become the first Navy official to take the highest active-duty post.His nomination is expected to mitig
Sept. 25, 2013
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Navy chief tapped as new JCS chairman
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Choi Yoon-hee has been tapped as South Korea’s new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in an effort to strengthen inter-service cooperation and maritime defense, the Defense Ministry said Wednesday.It is the first time a Navy official has been named to the highest active-duty post. Except for former Air Force Gen. Lee Yang-ho who led the JCS from 1993-94, the post has been held by Army generals.Reputed for his expertise in naval strategies, education and training
Sept. 25, 2013
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Navy chief appointed as top S. Korean military commander
South Korea's Navy chief Choi Yoon-hee has been nominated the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the defense ministry said Wednesday. If confirmed, it will mark the first time that the head of the Navy has been appointed to the post.Adm. Choi is expected to replace incumbent chief Gen. Jung Seung-jo, whose two-year term expires soon.The high-level military reshuffle is the first for President Park Geun-hye, who took office in February. The appointment of JCS Chairman requres a parl
Sept. 25, 2013
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Seoul resets fighter program
South Korea on Tuesday decided to restart its high-profile fighter acquisition project amid criticism that it has paid more attention to candidates’ price tags than their capabilities and broader strategic interests.A top defense decision-making panel rejected Boeing’s F-15 Silent Eagle as the winner of the 8.3 trillion won ($7.7 billion) project after it was proposed as the sole candidate despite skepticism over its radar-evading capability and four-decade-old platform.The other two competitors
Sept. 24, 2013
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S. Korea decides against picking Boeing's F-15 SE as next fighter jet
South Korea decided not to select Boeing's F-15SE as the country's next fighter jet Tuesday amid concern the sole-remaining candidate for the 8.3 trillion won (US$7.2 billion) project is not suitable as it lacks stealth features. The decision, which came in a meeting of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) presided over by Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin, prompted the government to restart the procurement program from the beginning, further delaying the replacement of the aging fl
Sept. 24, 2013
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Korea set to go ahead with purchase of Boeing F-15 SE
U.S. aerospace giant Boeing is moving closer to win South Korea’s 8.3 trillion won ($7.2 billion) contract as the state procurement agency is set to recommend F-15 Silent Eagle as the sole candidate that comes within the budget in an upcoming meeting of top military officials. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration has completed biddings and evaluations on three jets ― Boeing’s F-15 SE, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 and the EADS’ Eurofighter ― and briefed President Park Geun-hye on the results
Sept. 23, 2013
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U.S. military reform offers lesson to South Korea: analyst
The key targets of the current deficit-driven U.S. military transformation are efficiency and inter-service cooperation ― crucial areas that South Korea’s armed forces should also focus on to better defend against North Korea, a security expert said.In a recent interview with The Korea Herald, Ohm Tae-am, a senior research fellow at the state-run Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, also said Washington’s pursuit of a lighter and more agile military was unlikely to undermine the alliance’s fore
Sept. 23, 2013
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‘Seoul should use alliance to boost diplomatic clout’
This is the fifth in a series of articles to mark the 60th anniversary of the South Korea-U.S. alliance. ― Ed.South Korea’s dependence on its alliance with the U.S. for security and diplomacy has been credited with helping the once-war-ravaged country rapidly emerge as one of Asia’s economic powerhouses.But the fruits of the six-decade-old partnership did not come without cost, according to Kim Tae-hyun, the director of the Center for the Study of Grand Strategy at Chung-Ang University.“From a b
Sept. 23, 2013
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Statistics agency fines companies for not responding to surveys
South Korea's statistics agency has fined companies for not responding to its surveys in a move to encourage public participation in government efforts to collect key policy-related data, agency officials said Monday.Statistics Korea fined four manufacturers a combined 400,000-500,000 won ($460) each late last year for not responding to its surveys on the mining and manufacturing industries, according to the officials.The penalties were the first of their kind. They also came amid the falling re
Sept. 23, 2013
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U.S. Army unit set for Korea missions after Iraq
A U.S. Army attack reconnaissance squadron is set to return to South Korea after missions in Iraq as part of Washington's rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region, according to the Pentagon. The main body of 4th Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, will deploy next week from a base in the U.S. state of Washington, the Pentagon's American Forces Press Service quoted Army Maj. Gen. Stephen R. Lanza as saying. The unit, which would be the first U.S. rotational land forces in Korea, has 380 members with
Sept. 20, 2013
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Man shot near border sought asylum in Japan
A South Korean man who was shot dead while trying to swim across a border river had sought refugee protection in Japan before making a rare attempt to defect to the North, a senior military official said Tuesday. “The dead man had applied for refugee status in Japan for political reasons, but his application was turned down and he was expelled from the nation,” Army Brg. Gen. Jo Jong-seol, deputy operation commander at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a briefing. “It is known that (Nam) did si
Sept. 17, 2013
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Korea to deploy coastal surveillance system
South Korea will develop an advanced coastal surveillance system composed of radar and cameras for deployment in border and offshore areas prone to infiltrations by next year, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration said Monday.The DAPA said it will spend 41.8 billion won ($38.6 million) to upgrade the current radar and thermal observation devices placed in coastal areas and additionally install day and night surveillance cameras developed by Daebo Communication & Systems, a South Korean
Sept. 16, 2013