Top US general in S. Korea stresses UN Command's role for peace in Northeast Asia

UN Command (UNC) Commander Gen. Paul LaCamera on Tuesday highlighted the US-led institution's role in crisis management on the Korean Peninsula and peace in Northeast Asia, saying it "cannot be replicated by any other organization." LaCamera made the remarks as the command maintains its relevance as an enforcer of the armistice that effectively halted the 1950-53 Korean War, amid lingering questions over the need to update the long-standing entity. "The work of the UN Command

May 16, 2023

S. Korea's KF-21 fighter gets 'provisional' combat suitability evaluation

South Korea's homegrown KF-21 fighter jet passed a provisional combat suitability evaluation earlier this week, the state arms procurement agency said Tuesday, in a key milestone ahead of its initial production phase set to begin next year. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration said the evaluation by the Joint Chiefs of Staff came Monday, based on the outcome of hundreds of flight and ground tests on the jet that have proceeded for some two years. The "provisional" evalua

May 16, 2023

N.Korea resumes refurbishing main rocket launchpad

North Korea has resumed refurbishing a launchpad at the country’s main long-range missile and rocket launching station on the west coast since late last month, after nearly a half-year hiatus, a US think tank said Sunday. The construction activities have taken place to renovate the Sohae Satellite Launching Station in the Tongchang-ri area, North Pyongan Province, according to 38 North who based its findings from analyzing recent satellite imagery. The launch site has been used to launch t

May 15, 2023

S. Korea says not considering conscripting women amid ongoing debate

South Korea’s Defense Ministry said Friday that it is neither considering expanding military conscription to female citizens nor extending the period of mandatory military service for eligible male citizens as ways to address personnel challenges in the military, amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the current military service system. The ministry also said it has ruled out abolishing the alternative civilian service, which enables those who object to military service on various groun

May 12, 2023

S. Korea, US stage friendship flight during memorial for late US veteran

South Korea and the United States staged a friendship flight this week as part of a remembrance ceremony for a late US veteran who helped rescue around 1,000 orphans during the 1950-53 Korean War, officials said Friday. The flight took place Thursday over the southern island of Jeju during the memorial for US Air Force Col. Dean Hess at the Jeju Aerospace Museum, involving three South Korean KF-16 jets and two US F-16 fighters, according to South Korea's armed service. The five aircraft als

May 12, 2023

S. Korea eyes letting soldiers use phones during work hours

South Korea’s Defense Ministry on Thursday announced that the advantages of allowing enlisted soldiers to carry and use their mobile phones during working hours outweighed the disadvantages based on the outcomes of a previous pilot program. The military will conduct another, larger-scale pilot program targeting 20 percent of all soldiers from July to December this year. Only 5 percent were subject to the two-month test operation conducted from June to December last year. South Korean enlis

May 11, 2023

In DMZ, US army chief touts peace through strength in alliance

DEMILITARIZED ZONE, South Korea -- Achieving peace on the Korean Peninsula amid North Korea’s persistent nuclear saber-rattling requires strength, but such strength is derived from the formidable alliance and deepening defense integration between the treaty allies, said Gen. James McConville, chief of staff of the United States Army. US combat-credible forces are “very ready” in the face of escalating missile and nuclear threats from North Korea, following the bedrock “ph

May 11, 2023

S. Korea plans to hold multinational WMD-interception exercise this month

South Korea plans to hold a multinational maritime exercise later this month as part of an international initiative aimed at stopping transfers of weapons of mass destruction, a defense ministry official said Monday. The country plans to stage the Eastern Endeavor 23 exercise in an effort to strengthen capabilities to counter WMD proliferation when it hosts the high-level meeting of the Proliferation Security Initiative this month. "Our military is planning a combined maritime interdiction

May 8, 2023

Yoon says 3-way cooperation more important than ever

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Sunday said South Korea is open to trilateral strategic and nuclear planning with the United States and Japan on how to respond in the event of a North Korea’s nuclear attack. Yoon underscored that “security cooperation is more important than ever” as South Korea and Japan face common threats from North Korea, during a televised news conference following his in-person summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Seoul. Yoon said he is open to

May 7, 2023

Yoon, Kishida agree on Korean inspection of Fukushima wastewater

Leaders of South Korea and Japan agreed to elevate bilateral ties to a higher level at a summit held in Seoul Sunday, both touting that the restored "shuttle diplomacy" has brought yearslong strained relations back on track. At the summit, the second in less than two months, the two leaders agreed to allow a group of Korean experts to visit Japan to inspect the safety of contaminated water to be discharged from Fukushima nuclear reactors. “I hope that meaningful measures will be

May 7, 2023

US F-16 jet crashes into farmland near Osan Air Base

A US Forces Korea F-16 fighter jet crashed into farmland near Osan Air Base on Saturday, officials said, with the pilot having escaped safely and no civilian casualties reported. According to local firefighting and police authorities, the accident occurred at about 9:30 a.m. in Pyeongtaek, 60 kilometers south of Seoul. The jet crashed into a field and caught fire, resulting in the aircraft being mostly destroyed. But no casualties or civilian damage were reported as there were no houses fortun

May 6, 2023

S. Korea, US to kick off largest-ever live-fire drills this month

South Korea and the United States will begin their largest-ever combined live-fire exercise this month on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of their alliance and the 75th anniversary of the South Korean military's establishment, Seoul's defense ministry said Saturday. The allies are set to stage the drills five times between May 25 and June 15 at Seungjin Fire Training Field in Pocheon, 52 kilometers northeast of Seoul, according to the ministry. This year's drills will be th

May 6, 2023

JCS seeking organization changes by reducing personnel

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is pursuing organizational changes in the direction of reducing its personnel by 10 percent, an informed source said Thursday, amid the country's push to create a slimmer yet more advanced military. Through the changes, some of the JCS' reduced personnel are expected to be assigned to a new body that will be in charge of cutting-edge military assets, according to the source. The JCS is known to be considering measures to create a new org

May 4, 2023

S. Korea identifies remains of another Korean War soldier

South Korea's military has identified the remains of another soldier killed during the 1950-53 Korean War, about 13 years after their discovery in the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas, the defense ministry said Thursday. The ministry's excavation team confirmed the remains belonged to Staff Sgt. Jeon Bok-hui, after it conducted DNA analysis using a sample from his younger brother. Border troops retrieved the remains in Cheorwon, 71 kilometers northeast of Seoul, in October

May 4, 2023

US Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine to make visit to S. Korea: Pentagon

WASHINGTON -- An Ohio-class nuclear-powered, ballistic missile submarine will be making a visit to South Korea under an agreement reached with South Korea last week to bolster US deterrence against North Korean threats, a Pentagon spokesperson reaffirmed Tuesday. Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, however, declined to comment when asked if the Ohio-class submarine will be equipped with nuclear weapons. "It will be an Ohio-class SSBN model," the spokesperson said when asked what class submarine wi

May 3, 2023

Defense chief praises Washington Declaration as upgraded S. Korea-US mutual defense concept

South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup has touted a new Seoul-Washington security document as what can be called the allies' "second" mutual defense treaty given that it entails America's reinforced deterrence commitment to the Asian ally. Lee made the remarks in a contribution to the local daily Maeil Business News Korea on Monday, referring to the Washington Declaration that President Yoon Suk Yeol and his US counterpart, Joe Biden, adopted during a White House summit l

May 1, 2023

[News Focus] Why does Washington Declaration matter?

The leaders of South Korea and the United States agreed to launch a “Nuclear Consultative Group” to enable the allies to jointly conduct nuclear planning and sketch out scenarios of how the allies can use the US nuclear arsenal in the event of a North Korean nuclear attack. The establishment of the NCG is the key part of the “Washington Declaration,” tailored to show the allies’ commitment to enhancing the viability of extended deterrence, which the US’ commit

April 27, 2023

How S. Korea-US alliance became more than a military treaty

The South Korea-US alliance, formed 70 years ago in the wake of the Korean War, has evolved to be more than a military pact. It is a cornerstone for all aspects of the Seoul-Washington ties, encompassing the economy, culture and shared values. The alliance’s beginning dates back to Oct. 1, 1953 when two sides signed the Korea-US Mutual Defense Treaty. It was in the aftermath of the 1950-53 war on the Korean Peninsula, during which some 37,000 Americans died alongside South Koreans. When th

April 27, 2023

Veterans minister consoles family of decorated US soldier killed in Korean War

South Korea's Veterans Minister Park Min-shik has delivered to the family of a decorated US solider, killed in the 1950-53 Korean War, soil from the site where his remains were excavated, the minister's office said Thursday. The event honoring late Cpl. Luther H. Story took place at the Wall of Remembrance at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington on Wednesday, after President Yoon Suk Yeol and his US counterpart, Joe Biden, adopted a joint statement on the identification of th

April 27, 2023

S. Korea completes project to improve command system against ballistic missiles

South Korea has completed a development project to improve a command and control system overseeing defense operations against ballistic missiles, the state arms procurement agency said Thursday, amid efforts to bolster response capabilities against Pyongyang's military threats. Earlier this month, the defense ministry gave combat approval for the improvements to the Korea Theater Missile Operation Cell after the project first began in 2019, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Admin

April 27, 2023