South Korea has secured technologies to build a non-lethal graphite bomb which can paralyze the North's power systems in case of war, military sources said Sunday. The so-called "blackout bomb" works by spreading chemically treated carbon graphite filaments over electric facilities to short-circuit and disrupt the power grid.  Agency for Defense Development (Yonhap)The weapon has been developed by the Agency for Defense Development as key part of South Korea's pre-emptive strike program called K

NEW DELHI -- The navies of South Korea and India held a joint drill in the Indian Ocean as a fleet of South Korean warships visited Mumbai, the South Korean Navy said Saturday. The drill, held Friday, involved a range of destroyers, military ships and other assets from the two nations, according to South Korean military officials.  (Yonhap)The warships taking part in the drill carried out anti-piracy, logistic sustainment and helicopter landing exercises. The South Korean warships were visiting

The radar of an advanced US missile defense system deployed in South Korea can detect missile threats at a range of up to 1,000 kilometers, US Forces Korea (USFK) said Saturday.South Korea announced last month the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in the southeastern county of Seongju has been completed in a "tentative" step to counter threats from North Korea.US Forces Korea`s diagram about the workings of THAAD. YonhapX-band ground-based radar that comes with

The United States is expected to dispatch an aircraft carrier strike group including the USS Ronald Reagan this month for a joint exercise with the South Korean Navy, a defense official here said Sunday.“We are discussing the plan to dispatch the aircraft strike group, including the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, to the East Sea around Oct. 15,” the military official said on condition of anonymity. “The military group will carry out a high level joint exercise in the sea wit

South Korea and the US forces have conducted their first joint short-range air defense drill amid growing threats from North Korea.The exercise involved South Korea's air defense unit and the soldiers from the US' 6th Battalion, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, according to the US Pacific Command (USPACOM). It was held recently in Pocheon, north of Seoul, with no specific date given."The field exercise allowed the ROK and US troops to gain familiarity with each other's weapon systems and cap

The South Korean government is seeking to take back wartime operational control of its armed forces from the United States within President Moon Jae-in’s five-year term, an opposition lawmaker said Friday. In order to complete the OPCON transfer, the Ministry of National Defense has come up with a “three-phase” road map and begun its implementation, said Rep. Kim Hack-yong of the Liberty Korea Party, citing data released by the Defense Ministry.  Rep. Kim Hack-yong of the Liberty Korea Party (Yo

South Korean President Moon Jae-in thanked former South Korean prisoners of war for their patriotism during an Armed Forces Day meeting earlier this week, the Ministry of National Defense said Friday.The ministry invited them to the 69th Armed Forces Day ceremony held at a local naval base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, on Thursday.A total of 33 former POWs reside in South Korea, having returned from North Korea since 1994 after a decadeslong stay in North Korea, according to a government tal

The main opposition leader voiced his objection Friday to President Moon Jae-in's push to retake wartime operational control from the United States at an early date.Hong Joon-pyo, the leader of the conservative Liberty Korea Party, pointed out that South Korea's independent defense capabilities are not yet sufficient to counter North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats.During Thursday's ceremony to celebrate the Armed Forces Day, Moon reiterated his resolve for the early OPCON takeover,

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday called for stronger military capabilities to deter North Korean provocations, saying Seoul regaining wartime operational control from the US is essential for the goal. “My administration is pursuing the early takeover of wartime operational control. The handover on the basis of our independent defense capabilities will ultimately lead to a remarkable advancement in the fundamentals and abilities of our military,” Moon said at an Armed Forces Day event held at a

　South Korea’s military on Thursday unveiled a package of advanced missile systems capable of targeting North Korea, demonstrating its capability to defend against the regime’s persistent nuclear and missile threats. 　During Armed Forces Day held at the Navy’s 2nd Fleet Command in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, President Moon Jae-in conducted an inspection of troops and strategic weapons from the Army, Navy and Air Force. 　Among them were Hyunmoo-class surface-to-surface ballistic missiles, incl

Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, the commander of US Forces Korea, received South Korea's top state medal from President Moon Jae-in on Thursday for his contribution to the alliance and the defense of the region amid growing North Korean threats.He is the first US military officer to be awarded the Tongil Medal of the Order, the highest national security merit, during the South's Armed Forces Day. Traditionally, the country's president bestowed the medal on USFK commanders when they finish their service

South Korea made public some of its major weapon systems Thursday, including new ballistic missiles, to celebrate Armed Forces Day in the face of North Korea's brinkmanship.President Moon Jae-in inspected the weapons and troops at the headquarters of the Navy's Second Fleet in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul.It was the first time for the country's official Armed Forces Day ceremony to be held at a naval base, as it is usually staged at the Gyeryongdae military complex in South Chungcheo

South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Thursday vowed to build up the country's own defense capabilities as part of efforts to rid North Korea of its nuclear weapons, also saying his country will counter any North Korean provocation with "strong punishment.""Our government's determination to protect peace requires strong defense capabilities. And we will stand up against reckless provocations with strong punishment," the president said in a ceremony marking the Korean Armed Forces Day, which fall

South Korea's Defense Minister Song Young-moo on Thursday ordered a special investigation into the recent death of an Army soldier hit by presumably a stray bullet near a local firing range.The 22-year-old man with the rank of private first class was hit by a bullet in his head while walking back to his base in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, at around 4:10 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Army. An Army firing range in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province. (Yonhap)He was taken to a hospital but died at 5:22 p.m

South Korea and the United States began working-level defense talks in Seoul on Wednesday on North Korea and pending alliance issues.The two-day Korea-US Integrated Defense Dialogue meeting, the 12th of its kind, got under way amid sharp military tensions on the peninsula over North Korea's provocations.Agenda items include policy coordination against the North's nuclear and missile programs, Washington's commitment to extended deterrence and the transfer of wartime operational control of South