The Korea Herald

China stole South Korean secrets on drone: lawmaker

Mar 7, 2011

China hacked South Korea’s secret military information on plans to introduce a U.S-made high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle, last June, an opposition lawmaker claimed Monday.Observers say Beijing may be unnerved by Seoul and Tokyo’s pursuit to secure unmanned reconnaissance aircraft as their bolstered intelligence capabilities could help the U.S. glean more intelligence on China.“After we talked
President Lee considers vetoing revision of political fund bill: aide

Mar 7, 2011

President Lee Myung-bak is carefully considering using his veto power against a controversial revision to the political fund law passed by a parliamentary committee last week to practically legalize lobbying towards lawmakers, a ranking presidential aide said Monday.After failing to pass the revision through parliament due to strong opposition from the public at the end of last year, the National
Gov't likely to ban travel to Libya

Mar 5, 2011

South Koreans will likely be prohibited from traveling to Libya due to the ongoing anti-government uprising in the region, the foreign ministry said. The government convened an emergency meeting to deal with the ongoing unrest in Africa and the Middle East, and decided to upgrade its travel alert on all of Libya from the current Level 3 (travel restriction) to Level 4 (travel ban), the ministry
‘N.K. tightens info control amid Mideast unrest’

Mar 4, 2011

South Korea’s intelligence chief said Friday that North Korea was tightening control of information to keep its people from being influenced by the pro-democracy protests in the Middle East. “North Korea is strengthening its ideological training through media statements, fearing domestic spread of the news” that uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia overthrew dictatorships and spread to Libya, Won Sei-ho
Lee calls for rebirth of military

Mar 4, 2011

GYERYONGDAE -- Attending an unprecedented joint commissioning ceremony of South Korea's major military academies Friday, President Lee Myung-bak urged his military to be reborn as an "advanced, strong armed forces" through sweeping reform and stressed the importance of teamwork among soldiers "wearing different colors of uniforms." "The military should make a revolutionary change in its syste
Obama hopes Egypt will follow S. Korea's suit for democratization

Mar 4, 2011

U.S. President Barack Obama has suggested that Egypt could become a democracy modeled after South Korea, Indonesia and Chile. Speaking at a meeting with American Jewish leaders at the White House Tuesday, Obama "elaborated on his optimistic vision for Egypt and for democratic change in the Middle East" and expressed optimism that "Egypt could transform itself into a democracy on the model of Ind
Lee stresses respect for others in congregation with Protestants

Mar 3, 2011

President Lee Myung-bak said Thursday that he wished the South Korean church could help bring the country together, without mentioning its latest fury over a bill on Islamic bonds. “I hope the Korean church can untie the knots of social conflict and serve as a bridge for national integration,” Lee said during the national prayer breakfast in southern Seoul.“I believe an attitude of understanding a
Parties gear up for April by-elections

Mar 3, 2011

Polls to elect three lawmakers, 23 other officialsRival parties are speeding up preparations for the April 27 by-elections as their lists of potential candidates take shape.The ruling Grand National Party and the main opposition Democratic Party are striving to field more competitive personalities for the elections, which are expected to serve as a political weathervane ahead of parliamentary and
Seoul accelerates stealth fighter program

Mar 3, 2011

Boeing’s F-15SE, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 likely candidates for FX-III projectSouth Korea is accelerating moves to purchase a high-end fleet of stealth fighter jets to counter North Korea’s asymmetrical threats and keep pace with neighboring countries seeking to secure their own radar-evading combat aircraft.Under the FX-III acquisition project worth around 10 trillion won ($8.86 billion), the Seoul
Lee to visit UAE for nuclear plant event

Mar 2, 2011

President Lee Myung-bak will pay an official visit to the United Arab Emirates next Saturday at the invitation of UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Lee’s office said Wednesday.During his three-day visit, Lee is scheduled to visit the South Korean troops deployed in the UAE, hold summit talks with Sheikh Khalifa and attend the groundbreaking ceremony for the atomic power plant a Sou
Early warning aircraft to boost reconnaissance

Mar 2, 2011

SEATTLE ― The capability to glean crucial intelligence on potential enemies and quickly detect any signs of possible aggression from them is indisputably the most critical requirement to ensure national security.To meet this, the U.S. aerospace giant Boeing has been working on developing a set of state-of-the-art intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft, both manned and unmanned.One
[News Focus] Calls mounting for return of U.S. tactical nukes

Mar 1, 2011

Washington says has no plans to bring atomic weapons back to South KoreaControversy is brewing once again in Seoul over the need to redeploy U.S. tactical nuclear weapons to South Korea amid renewed threats from the North in a prolonged inter-Korean stalemate.The White House said Monday that the U.S. has no plans to bring tactical nuclear weapons back to South Korea, shortly after a U.S. official
Lee suggests formal meet with opposition leader

Mar 1, 2011

President Lee Myung-bak on Tuesday directly proposed a meeting with the leader of the Democratic Party, according to his office Cheong Wa Dae, but the main opposition party gave a terse response.Lee delivered the message during a brief conversation with Sohn Hak-kyu, head of the DP, on the sidelines of a national ceremony in Seoul to mark the March 1 Independence Movement 92 years ago, it added.“L
GNP leader suggests new body to retrieve cultural assets

Mar 1, 2011

The ruling party’s leader has proposed setting up a private foundation to retrieve Korea’s hundreds of thousands of cultural items on a nongovernmental level. Korea is believed to have more than 117,000 ancient books, documents and other cultural assets scattered across about 20 different countries around the world as a result of national tragedies such as the 1950-53 Korean War and Japan’s 1910-4
Lee says S. Korea wants 'open-minded' talks with N. Korea

Mar 1, 2011

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak reaffirmed Tuesday that Seoul was willing to hold "open-minded" dialogue with Pyongyang regardless of its timing, offering another olive branch to the communist neighbor that has been ratcheting up military threats.President Lee reaffirmed that Seoul was willing to hold "open-minded" dialogue with Pyongyang. (Yonhap News) "Now is an opportune time to open a