North Korea’s denuclearization process has already passed the point of no return, Seoul’s national security adviser Chung Eui-yong said Friday, calling it one of the most significant diplomatic achievements of South Korea and the United States this year."The way I look at it, the denuclearization process of the Korean Peninsula has begun to enter an irreversible phase,” said the head of the National Security Office at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae. “North Korea, too, believes this proces

Announcing the final results of its monthslong investigation into the cause of the July crash of a Marine Corps chopper, a team of civilian, government and military experts on Friday cited defects in the rotor mast made by a foreign contractor.Five service members were killed when the MUH-1 Marineon, the Marine variant of the KUH-1 Surion helicopter, crashed shortly after a maintenance checkup at a military airport in the southeastern city of Pohang on July 17. (Yonhap)Investigators conduced a s

The Ministry of National Defense will speed up military reform and the process of easing military tension with North Korea in the coming year, the ministry reported to President Moon Jae-in on Thursday. During the annual policy objective briefing, the Defense Ministry said it will begin preparations for the transfer of wartime operational control from the US in 2019.  President Moon Jae-in attends the Ministry of National Defense`s briefing in Seoul on Thursday. YonhapAt the briefing, Moon said

South Korea's state arms agency said Wednesday it has forged a partnership with a local anti-corruption watchdog in a bid to enhance transparency in the defense industry.The Defense Acquisition Program Administration said the government-civilian cooperation with Transparency International-Korea is expected to help efforts to raise the nation's anti-corruption index in the defense industry to those of advanced nations. (Yonhap)The two organizations will exchange information and work together to i

South Korea's Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo pledged Friday to strive harder to bolster the sluggish arms industry by capitalizing on the country's technological edge.   Jeong made the remarks amid a growing sense of crisis among local defense firms that has been fanned by declining sales and failure to win overseas projects, such as a bid to supply trainer aircraft to the US military.   "I will make efforts to strengthen support for defense exports in light of military diplomacy and try to e

South Korea and the US failed to close negotiations on how to share the costs for the stationing of American troops here, an official said Friday, with the allies still at loggerheads on the total amount of money Seoul has to pay.　South Korean negotiator Chang Won-sam and his US counterpart Timothy Betts held the 10th round of meetings from Tuesday to Thursday in Seoul on the renewal of the Special Measures Agreement that is set to expire Dec. 31. 　Under the current SMA, a five-year contract bet

Despite bad weather, South Korean troops kicked off a regular exercise Thursday to hone their combined capabilities to defend Dokdo, a pair of rocky islets in the East Sea.The two-day maritime drills involve the 3,200-ton Gwanggaeto the Great destroyer and several other Navy and Coast Guard ships. (Yonhap)The military canceled a plan to mobilize such aircraft as F-15K fighter, P-3C maritime surveillance plane and UH-60 helicopter on the day due to inclement weather, according to a Navy official.

　A South Korean lawmaker’s email account had been hacked by an unidentified group as an alleged attempt to steal classified information from the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, a local newspaper reported. 　According to Donga Ilbo on Tuesday, an unidentified group stole the identity of Rep. Baek Seung-joo of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party and sent an email to the JCS, DAPA and Korea Institute for Defense Analysis, among others. 　The email was rep

　The militaries of the two Koreas inspected each other’s military facilities in a heavily fortified border region Wednesday for the first time since the end of the Korean War, verifying work that took place last month to remove 22 front-line guard posts under an agreement between the two sides. 　According to the Ministry of National Defense, the verification process began at around 9 a.m., after a team of South Korean inspectors crossed the Military Demarcation Line and met with their North Kore

South Korea and the United States held another round of negotiations in Seoul on Tuesday over dividing the cost for the stationing of the 28,500-strong USForces Korea (USFK), Seoul officials said.The allies sought to nail down a deal from the 10th round of talks over the Special Measures Agreement (SMA), a cost-sharing contract set to expire at the end of this year. The talks will run through Thursday. Chang Won-sam (left) and US counterpart Timothy Betts. (Yonhap)A sticking point is Washington'

　With the two Koreas speeding up their efforts to reduce cross-border tensions and enhance socio-economic ties, the South Korean government is seeking to formulate a new security policy that focuses more on broader threats in the region rather than North Korea’s nuclear program. 　The Ministry of National Defense said Monday that its affiliated agency has been carrying out extensive research that postulates a changed security landscape where North Korea’s nuclear and missile threat no longer exis

South Korea and the United States will hold talks next week on issues related to the bilateral agreement governing the legal status of American forces here, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Friday.The 199th joint committee meeting on the Status of Forces Agreement will be held at Pyeongtaek City Hall on Tuesday. (Yonhap)South Korea will be represented by Kim Tae-jin, director general of the ministry's North American affairs bureau. His counterpart will be Lt. Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach, deputy

The defense chiefs of South Korea and the United Arab Emirates are to hold talks Wednesday, as the two countries seek to improve defense cooperation following the decision to establish a strategic partnership earlier this year. According to the Ministry of National Defense, Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo will meet with his UAE counterpart Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Bowardi. He serves as the UAE minister of state for defense affairs.The meeting is designed to focus on expanding cooperation in defen

South Korea’s military network was found to have been paralyzed during a massive network disruption last month, sparking criticism over the government’s attempt to downplay the incident that plunged the nation into a chaos.According to a document submitted by the Ministry of National Defense on Monday to an opposition lawmaker, a total of 28 internal military networks came to a halt after a fire at a building of the country’s No. 2 mobile carrier caused a massive blackout on Nov. 25. Among the d

Lee Cook-jong, a well-known South Korean trauma surgeon, will be appointed as an honorary commander of the Navy in recognition of his contribution to the military medical service, the Navy said Monday.Adm. Sim Seung-seob, chief of naval operations, plans to host a related ceremony for Lee, head of the regional trauma center at Ajou University Hospital in Suwon, south of Seoul. (Republic of Korea Navy=Yonhap)Lee was first given the position of honorary lieutenant for his successful treatment of a