Korea’s anti-piracy Cheonghae Unit on Tuesday embarked on its mission in the Gulf of Aden amid speculation that its final destination may be the Strait of Hormuz.As Washington has been calling for its allies to take part in the “international maritime security mission” in the Strait of Hormuz amid heightened tension with Iran, Seoul has been weighing its options. The naval Cheonghae Unit, one of Korea’s military troops deployed overseas, was seen as the most likely t

South Korea is considering conducting maritime defense drills on and around its easternmost islets of Dokdo later this month, military sources said Monday, far behind its usual schedule amid ongoing diplomatic and trade disputes with Japan.The military "plans to stage the drills at an appropriate time," defense ministry spokesperson Choi Hyun-soo told a regular briefing Monday, adding the authorities are reviewing "the exact schedule and scale."The drills, involving the Navy,

US President Donald Trump ridiculed South Korea at his reelection campaign fundraiser Friday, saying it was very easy to force Seoul to hike its share of costs for stationing American troops here.According to the New York Post, Trump referred to how as a boy he used to accompany his father to collect rent, saying: “It was easier to get a billion dollars from South Korea than to get $114.13 from a rent-controlled apartment in Brooklyn, and believe me, those 13 cents were very important.&rdq

South Korea and the United States are scheduled to kick off their combined military exercise in earnest next week, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Saturday, despite North Korea's strong complaints against it. The computer-based "Combined Command Post Training" will be conducted for 10 days starting Sunday, which aims to better prepare the allies for the transfer of the wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington to Seoul and to enhance their strong military readiness, the

South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo and US Defense Secretary Mark Esper agreed Friday to work together to support diplomatic efforts to denuclearize North Korea despite Pyongyang's saber-rattling amid stalled nuclear talks.During the defense talks held in Seoul, Esper also asked for South Korea to play a role in the US-led coalition to safeguard the Strait of Hormuz, according to officials. The two defense chiefs "reaffirmed their commitments to supporting their diplomatic effort

US Defense Secretary Mark Esper arrived in South Korea on Thursday for talks that are expected to focus on a series of requests Washington has been making to Seoul, including a greater financial contribution to the cost of stationing American troops here.Also expected to be on the agenda for Esper's talks with South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo are the US initiative to secure the shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz and Washington's wish to get a military information-sharing pact

South Korea's top national security officials on Thursday prepared for defense ministerial talks with the United States to be held this week.The new Pentagon chief, Mark Esper, is scheduled to arrive in Seoul later in the day. He will hold talks with Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo on Friday in which a host of alliance issues, as well as how to deal with North Korea, are expected to be discussed. In the weekly session of the National Security Council standing committee, participants "thor

South Korea reiterated Thursday that Seoul and Washington will discuss the defense cost-sharing deal in a way that is “fair and reasonable,” but said the negotiations have not started yet, denying a claim to the contrary from US President Donald Trump.On Twitter on Wednesday, Trump wrote as if the new cost-sharing deal were already in place and said South Korea had agreed to a significant increase in its share of the costs for the upkeep of the US troops stationed here.  “

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- The US government has approved the sale of $800 million worth of helicopters to South Korea, the Pentagon announced Wednesday, hours after President Donald Trump said Seoul had agreed to pay more for the US military presence in the country.The Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency said the State Department had approved the sale of 12 MH-60R Multi-Mission Seahawk Helicopters and extensive associated radar, communications and weaponry equipment.The helicopters bolster

US President Donald Trump tweeted Wednesday that talks to get South Korea to increase its contribution to the upkeep of US forces in the country have begun. "South Korea is a very wealthy nation that now feels an obligation to contribute to the military defense provided by the United States of America. The relationship between the two countries is a very good one!" Trump wrote in a tweet.He added, "South Korea has agreed to pay substantially more money to the United States in orde

South Korea is planning to conduct combined maritime defense drills on and around its easternmost islets of Dokdo as early as this month, government sources said Wednesday. During a parliamentary committee session, National Security Director Chung Eui-yong confirmed Tuesday that the government would carry out two maritime drills this year. While the date has not yet been decided, military sources said the maritime drills are likely to take place before or after the Liberation Day holiday Aug. 15

US National Security Adviser John Bolton said Tuesday that Washington's recent willingness to deploy intermediate-range missiles in Asia has to do with protecting its allies in South Korea and Japan.Bolton made the comment on Fox News in response to China's protests against US plans to consider deploying conventional, intermediate-range missiles in Asia. US Defense Secretary Mark Esper made the plan known over the weekend after Washington withdrew from a missile treaty with Russia."That's b

Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday it's holding an emergency meeting of security-related ministers to discuss North Korea's latest launch of unidentified projectiles.Chung Eui-yong, head of the national security office, is presiding over the session, which opened in the underground bunker of the presidential compound at 7:30 a.m., according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Ko Min-jung. Also attending it are Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo and Suh Hoon, chief of the National Intelligence Service.Earlier i

Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo will hold a meeting with US counterpart Mark Esper in Seoul on Friday, amid Washington’s growing calls for allies to support protecting shipping routes from Iranian attacks in the Middle East. The US defense secretary’s trip comes as both countries face crucial security issues, including North Korea’s recent missile launches in protest against a South Korea-US military exercise and the building of a global coalition to patrol the Gulf shipping

South Korea and the United States began a joint military exercise as scheduled Monday, sources said, even though North Korea has strongly complained against the maneuvers and rattled its sabers with a series of missile launches.The "crisis management staff training" kicked off earlier in the day as a preliminary session in the runup to the command post exercise (CPX) aimed at strengthening the allies' combined posture and capabilities to cope with contingencies on the Korean Peninsula,