The defense ministry on Wednesday announced additional military reform measures, including allowing female troops to gain greater access to combat positions and strengthening rules on political neutrality.The measures are part of efforts to flesh out the Defense Reform 2.0 that the ministry unveiled last Friday to create a slimmer yet stronger military in light of uncertain security conditions and evolving transnational and nonmilitary threats.   (Yonhap)Among them is a plan to expand the propor

The Defense Security Command on Tuesday dismissed an opposition floor leader’s allegations that it drew up a document on the possible imposition of martial law after the 2004 impeachment of liberal former President Roh Moo-hyun.Earlier in the day, Rep. Kim Sung-tae of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party raised the allegations amid criticism that the DSC explored the possibility of imposing martial law to quash public protests against then-President Park Geun-hye.  Soldiers at the entrance to

　The two Koreas’ militaries “broadly agreed” on the need for disarming a jointly controlled area at the truce village of Panmunjom and excavating war remains inside the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone, Seoul’s Ministry of National Defense said Tuesday. 　At general-level military talks held at Panmunjom Tuesday, the two sides’ delegates shared the need for the withdrawal of guard posts from the DMZ on a trial basis and suspension of hostile activities in the West Sea, the ministry said. 　The

Excavation expert says finding location, identifying DNA most challenging aspects of recovering war remains

The military’s intelligence unit wiretapped a former president and defense minister and collected intelligence on a large number of civilians, a nongovernmental organization alleged Monday. The latest allegation against the Defense Security Command comes as the Ministry of National Defense speeds up the process of drawing up reform plans for the military intelligence unit.  Lim Tae-hoon, chief of Center for Military Human Rights, speaks during a press conference in Seoul on Monday. YonhapOn Mond

The two Koreas are set to hold general-level military talks Tuesday to discuss measures to enforce the military part of their April summit agreement.The meeting, the first since June 14, will take place at the Peace House, a South Korea-controlled building at the truce village of Panmunjom inside the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas, at 10 a.m., according to Seoul officials.Major Gen. Kim Do-gyun will lead South Korea’s five-member delegation, while the North Korean side will be repr

Long-delayed plan lacks specific measures against NK military threat

South Korea will reduce the number of general-grade officers by about 17 percent over the next four years, in line with the overall troop drawdown scheme, as part of a new defense reform initiative aimed at creating a slimmer yet stronger military.The initiative also calls for launching the Ground Operation Command by merging the First and Third Army commands, an integration based on technological advancements that have reduced operational redundancies and allowed greater efficiency. President M

President Moon Jae-in on Friday called for swift measures to overhaul the military intelligence unit, saying its controversial proposal in late 2016 to invoke martial law against anti-government protests represented an illegal act. President Moon Jae-in speaks at the meeting with the military`s top commanders at the presidential office on Friday. Yonhap"The military must fear the people more than anyone else. The Defense Security Command's (DSC) inspection of the families of people killed in the

A Chinese military airplane entered South Korea's air defense identification zone on Friday, prompting F-15K fighter jets to make an emergency sortie in response, Seoul's defense authorities said.It flew into the KADIZ from southwest of Ieo Island at around 7:10 a.m., moved along the southern and eastern coast before changing direction, according to the Joint Chief of Staff. It exited the zone at around 11:27 a.m., added the JCS.(Yonhap)The Chinese jet is believed to a Y-9 tactical aircraft.The

The US House of Representatives on Thursday passed a defense authorization bill that restricts any drawdown of American troops in South Korea.The John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act, which approves $716 billion for defense in fiscal year 2019, passed the House by a vote of 359-54. Upon Senate approval, it will be sent to USPresident Donald Trump to sign into law. (Yonhap)The bill notes that about 28,500 American troops are currently stationed in South Korea as a demonstration of th

　With the two Koreas marking the 65th anniversary of signing the armistice agreement of the Korean War, the focus is now on whether they can realize their plan of declaring an official end to the war by the end of this year. 　The two Koreas have been pushing for a formal end to the war since President Moon Jae-in and North Koreas leader Kim Jong-un pledged to replace the armistice agreement with a peace treaty at the Panmunjom summit in April.　But the idea should be pursued with caution and in c

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday hinted at the possibility of penalizing the defense minister and stressed the need to reform the military’s intelligence agency. Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom holds a briefing on Thursday. YonhapAccording to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom, Moon raised concerns about recent developments surrounding the Defense Security Command’s drawing up of plans for a martial law declaration. The plans, drawn up during the demonstrations that led to the ouster o

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday stressed the need to get to the bottom of the controversial proposal from the military intelligence unit to invoke martial law, also calling for stepped up efforts to reform the intelligence agency."The key issue is to reveal the truth about the martial law documents. We must thoroughly identify why (the military) created such documents and how far it was willing to execute the plan," the president said, according to his spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom."We must thorough

Controversy over a martial law document drawn up by the Defense Security Command has escalated into a power struggle between the Defense Ministry and its security command, with the chief of the two organizations blaming each other for the military’s handling of the document. The DSC suggested that it briefed Defense Minister Song Young-moo on the document “in a serious manner,” but Song delayed reporting the document to the presidential office.  Defense Minister Song Young-moo (Yonhap)Song, on t