South Korea's defense minister offered an official apology Friday for the military's brutal use of force against pro-democracy protesters in Gwangju in 1980."As the minister of national defense, I offer a sincere apology and (words of) comfort to Gwangju citizens that our military has left suffering in the process of the May 18 Democratization Movement 38 years ago," Song Young-moo said in a statement.It came two days after the ministry's special fact-finding team announced the results of five m

The South Korean government confirmed Wednesday that the military had ordered its helicopters to shoot toward protestors during a democratic uprising in 1980, marking a step forward in finding out the military’s involvement during the most violent crackdown on civilian protestors in South Korea’s modern history.According to the government committee investigating the massacre committed during the Gwnangju democratization movement, fighter jets and Marines were also put on alert for dispatch to th

A South Korean aerobatic aircraft participating in the 2018 Singapore Airshow caught fire after skidding off a runway Tuesday, leaving the aircraft’s pilot with a minor injury and causing the Air Force to halt its scheduled flying performance. According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, an aircraft from South Korea‘s Black Eagles aerobatic team skidded off the runway and crashed into the grass verge at the side of Changi Airport‘s Runway 1 and caught fire, Channel News Asia reported.

South Korea sees the United States' latest review of its nuclear posture as a reaffirmation of its commitment to providing extended nuclear deterrence for its allies in the face of increasing threats from North Korea, a foreign ministry official said Sunday.On Friday, the US Department of Defense unveiled its Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), which placed emphasis on the development of new weapons such as "low-yield" nuclear warheads and the mobilization of nuclear-capable radar-evading fighters. (Y

Hundreds of South Korean troops will be deployed to Thailand this month for an annual international exercise, the Navy here said Friday.A combat unit of more than 430 sailors and Marines will leave for the Southeast Asian nation later in the day to join the Cobra Gold drills slated for Feb. 13-23, it said. The soldiers are scheduled to arrive there Saturday on the 4,900-ton Cheonjaebong landing ship.Cobra Gold is an Asia-Pacific military exercise co-organized by the US and Thai militaries with a

South Korea and the United States pressed ahead with a regular joint military exercise this week amid renewed inter-Korean exchanges ahead of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, a defense official here said Thursday.The four-day Warrior Strike drill involved American troops, including those from the 2nd Infantry Division, stationed in Korea, as well as some South Korean soldiers. It ended earlier in the day with no related announcement by either side, according to the official, who spoke on conditi

South Korea's Navy on Thursday received a brand-new guided missile frigate with strong anti-submarine warfare capabilities, the country's arms agency said.The 2,800-ton Daegu ship features stealth design and uses a hybrid electric drive propulsion system, which reduces noise and enables rapid maneuvers when necessary, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration.It's also equipped with a towed array sonar system and Hong Sang Eo long-range anti-submarine torpedos. South Korean Nav

 　South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo on Monday delivered a stern warning against North Korea’s nuclear and missile program, saying its use of nuclear weapons would cause the reclusive state to be “wiped out off the map.” 　However, the minister expressed skepticism over the prospect of North Korea attacking the US or South Korea with a nuclear-tipped missile, describing Pyongyang’s nuclear threat as more of a propaganda strategy than a viable option. 　During a Q&A session with his offic

South Korea's top defense official voiced doubt Monday that North Korea will use its nuclear weapons, saying that such an act would be "suicidal.""The North Korean regime will probably be removed from the map if it uses developed nuclear weapons against South Korea or the United States," Defense Minister Song Young-moo said at a security forum in Singapore, which was webcast live.He dismissed the Kim Jong-un regime's talk of a nuclear strike as a "propaganda" strategy, not something that will ac

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Friday that Olympics talks between North and South Korea should not distract from the internationally agreed goal of denuclearizing the North. Mattis spoke during a photo session with South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo at US Pacific Command headquarters. Mattis welcomed the North-South talks but said a campaign of diplomatic pressure will continue unabated. He said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un should get the message that his nuclear and missile p

WASHINGTON -- US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Thursday has reaffirmed his country's commitment to the defense of South Korea, saying his troops could "fight tonight" if the Asian ally were to come under attack.Mattis was speaking to reporters en route from Vietnam to Hawaii near the end of a regional trip that also took him to Indonesia."The defense of South Korea is a treaty alliance with us," he said, according to an official transcript. He explained that the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an

　Expectations are growing over the upcoming meeting between the defense chiefs of South Korea and the United States, with the allies seeking to use an Olympic detente to foster a thaw in inter-Korean relations and North Korea’s denuclearization. 　But the challenge looms large, as a standoff appears to persist between Washington and Pyongyang. While the North is preparing for a military parade a day before the opening of the PyeongChang Olympics on Feb. 9, reports have emerged that US strategic b

WASHINGTON -- The defense chiefs of South Korea and the United States will meet in Hawaii Friday to discuss issues related to the bilateral alliance, including North Korea.Speaking to reporters Wednesday, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said he will meet with South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo on his way home from his current trip to Asia."Just because we have an opportunity out here to link up in the field, makes it easier for both of us -- on the travel side," he said en route from I

The chairman of the parliamentary defense committee on Monday called for the suspension of the government's plan to curtail its forces and shorten mandatory service terms for conscripts.Rep. Kim Hack-yong of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party stressed that troop strength is still crucial given that North Korea's 1.28-million-strong military far outnumbers South Korea's 625,000-strong military.Last week, the defense ministry reaffirmed its plan to reduce the number of troops to half a millio

On Friday afternoon, young Korean college players and Canadian soldiers faced off for a friendly game of ice hockey, a commemorative event to honor the Canadian veterans who had fought in the Korean War (1950-53), and to mark the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games opening next month.While the annual Imjin Classic Hockey Games have been held every year, this time, the match was being hosted at the very site where over 60 years ago, the Canadian soldiers played in a brief escape from the brutalities