WASHINGTON -- The suspension of joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States last summer caused a "slight degradation" in the readiness of the allied forces, the nominee to head US Forces Korea said Tuesday.US President Donald Trump announced after his Singapore summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in June that some of the exercises would be suspended while negotiations to dismantle the North's nuclear weapons program were under way.Some 28,500 American troops are st

South Korea's new Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo took office Friday, vowing to buttress Seoul's ongoing efforts to foster a lasting peace on the divided peninsula.In his inauguration speech, he also reiterated his resolve to build a robust defense posture to counter a "full range of security threats," develop a mutually complementary alliance with the United States and complete the defense reform aimed at creating a smaller yet smarter military."Now, we have removed the curtain of deep confli

A naval academy cadet was found to have installed a secret camera inside a women’s bathroom in a dormitory, the state naval academy said Thursday. The camera was first discovered by another cadet who was cleaning the women’s toilet. She found a smartphone wrapped in paper and reported it to the disciplinary office on Sept. 11, according to the naval academy. (Yonhap)The smartphone was hidden behind the toilet in a piece of A4 paper with a hole to expose the device’s camera. “If you report it, I

The defense chiefs of South Korea and the United States on Friday held telephone talks to share the outcome of this week's inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang, Seoul's defense ministry said.During the talks, Defense Minister Song Young-moo explained to his US counterpart James Mattis the results of the summit, including the bilateral military agreement on halting all hostile acts, and Seoul's efforts for denuclearization and a lasting peace on the peninsula. (Yonhap)"As the two countries' defense c

South Korea's defense ministry on Wednesday dismissed a claim that Seoul and Washington have been pushing for the transfer of wartime operational control with a specific timeline in mind.During a presentation at a security forum, Yeo Suk-joo, deputy minister for policy, said that the Moon Jae-in government's position is to push for the transfer by securing needed defense capabilities at an early date. (Yonhap)"The principle of the early, conditions-based transfer of wartime operational control d

A team of civilian, government and military experts has tentatively concluded that defects in the rotor mast caused the July crash of a marine chopper that killed five troops, a source said Monday.The team explained the interim results of its investigation to the families of the victims on Sunday. The military authorities had planned to announce the results to the media on Monday, but delayed the plan, citing the need for more time.The MUH-1 Marineon, the Marine variant of the KUH-1 Surion helic

Gen. Robert B. Abrams, commander of the US Army Forces Command, has been tapped to lead the US Forces Korea, a military source in Seoul confirmed Monday.Abrams is set to undergo a confirmation hearing at the US Senate Armed Services Committee on Sept. 25, the committee's website showed."Gen. Abrams has been nominated as the new USFK chief and is poised to go through the Senate hearing," the source told Yonhap News Agency on condition of anonymity.(Yonhap)If his nomination is approved, he will su

South Korea's military will keep monitoring China's installation of buoys in the two countries' overlapping exclusive economic zones in the Yellow Sea, Seoul's defense ministry said Friday.The ministry made the remarks amid a news report that Beijing has installed buoys in the open seas -- a possible move to gain an advantage in maritime demarcation negotiations with Seoul. Some even raised suspicion that the buoys could be being placed for military purposes, such as tracking submarines. (Yonhap

South Korea held a launching ceremony Friday for a 3,000-ton indigenous submarine, a new strategic weapons system designed to bolster underwater defense capabilities.The ceremony for the diesel-electric air-independent propulsion submarine, named after a prominent South Korean independence fighter, Dosan Ahn Chang-ho, took place at the Okpo Shipyard of Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co. on the southern island of Geoje. This photo, taken Sept. 14, shows the 3,000-ton diesel-electric a

With the leaders of the two Koreas seeking to take significant measures to ease military tensions during their summit next week, the two sides’ militaries held extensive discussions to facilitate the upcoming meeting.During the 17-hour talks that started Thursday morning at the truce village of Panmunjom, the two sides sought to pave the way for a third meeting between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang. While no specific agreements have been announced, the go

President Moon’s top security adviser says ‘detailed consultation’ is underway to establish ‘peace area’ in the West Sea and two Koreas moving toward ‘operational arms control’

South Korea's defense ministry began its annual international security forum in Seoul on Wednesday to discuss ongoing efforts to denuclearize the peninsula, maritime security, defense in cyberspace and other issues.  The 7th vice-ministerial Seoul Defense Dialogue brought together 250 people from 49 countries and four international organizations, including the UN and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. It runs for three days until Friday under the theme of "Sustainable Peace

The two Koreas will hold working-level military talks this week to discuss measures to reduce tensions on the border, Seoul's defense ministry said Tuesday. The colonels' talks scheduled for Thursday will follow up on a tentative agreement reached at a July 31 general-level meeting on issues that include the proposed joint excavation of war remains in the Demilitarized Zone, withdrawal of guard posts from the DMZ on a trial basis and disarmament of the Joint Security Area, a ministry official sa

A new wheeled armored vehicle, designed to enhance troop mobility and survivability, will be mass-produced in the latter half of this year, as it has satisfied operational requirements through a recent field test, the state procurement agency said Monday.The Defense Acquisition Program Administration said that the K-808 vehicle, built by Hyundai Rotem Co., a unit of Hyundai Motor Group, successfully underwent the test in field units, such as the Army's 25th and 37th Divisions, from April through

POCHEON -- Eleven soldiers were injured when an armored vehicle of the Army fell on its side during a training exercise north of Seoul on Friday, military authorities said. The accident occurred at around 10:15 a.m. while the K-21 armored vehicle and the soldiers on board were joining a firing demonstration training underway as part of preparations for a military exhibition event next week, officials said.  (Yonhap)The injured soldiers were taken to a military hospital for treatment, but no one