South Korea's military sounded a cautious note Tuesday about a leading opposition presidential hopeful's call to shorten compulsory military service significantly.All able-bodied South Korean men must carry out military service for between 21 months and 24 months depending on duties.On Tuesday, Moon Jae-in, former head of the Democratic Party and the frontrunner among potential presidential candidates, claimed that it is possible to cut the service period to one year.Moon said in a new book publ

The military's acquisition of a site from Lotte Group for the deployment of an advanced US missile defense system may be delayed due to administrative reasons involving the retail conglomerate, the defense ministry said Monday."The administrative process is underway to secure a golf course from the business group in exchange for a piece of state-owned military land. But the swap deal originally scheduled to be completed by January may be pushed back a bit due to the need to follow a set process

South Korea plans to install unmanned vigilance equipment at major military posts to complement surveillance soldiers in line with an expected reduction in the troop numbers, the state defense acquisition agency said Monday.The military will gradually put up high-definition security cameras and attach infiltration detection equipment to barbed wires at major units from this year until 2024, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration.In the first phase, the agency will spend 40 b

South Korea is considering a move to disclose how much it spends on national defense to deflect calls by the incoming US administration for greater security burden sharing, sources here said Sunday.The move comes as President-elect Donald Trump, who will be sworn into office this week, has espoused an "America First" policy and on numerous occasions called on Washington's close allies to do more for their defense instead of relying on the United States.This view was echoed by James Mattis, tappe

The United States sold more than 36 trillion won ($30.58 billion) worth of weapons to South Korea over the past decade, government data showed Sunday, the latest sign underscoring Seoul's heavy reliance on its key ally for defense.For 10 years through October 2016, South Korea purchased US weapons valued at 36.04 trillion won -- an amount equal to 95 percent of the country's defense budget last year -- according to data from the defense ministry and the state defense acquisition agency.(Yonhap)"

  

Defense Minister Han Min-koo (left) receives a briefing on the KADIZ breaches (Yonhap)Japanese military planes entered South Korea's Air Defense Identification Zone hundreds of times last year, mainly in the airspace south of Jeju Island off the country's southern coast, military officials said Thursday.Japanese military planes entered the zone near Ieodo, an underwater rock formation located some 160 kilometers south of Jeju, 444 times in 2016. There was no move by Japanese planes to approach D

Tension between South Korea and China flared up Tuesday after Beijing‘s fighter jets entered South Korea’s air defense zone without prior notice, amid protests from China over a US anti-missile system set to be installed here. According to the Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, some 10 Chinese military planes -- including bombers -- flew into the Korean air defense identification zone near the southern island of Jeju between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday. The aircrafts also entered an equivalent air def

The US Forces Korea announced Monday it will deploy two dozen Apache helicopters to South Korea starting from this month, a move seen as to bolster the alliance’s defense capability amid the growing military threat from North Korea. The 24 AH-64D Apache heavy attack helicopters will replace the 30 OH-58D Kiowa Warrior observation and light attack choppers currently deployed on the Korean Peninsula, said the USFK in a joint statement with the Ministry of National Defense. The deployment will rais

US Forces Korea plans to deploy 24 Apache helicopters to South Korea by next month to better counter growing threats from North Korea, military officials said Monday. As part of a scheduled rotational deployment, the 24 AH-64D Apache heavy attack helicopters will gradually replace the 30 OH-58D Kiowa Warrior observation and light attack choppers by early February, the USFK and the Ministry of National Defense said in a joint statement. "The Apache helicopter battalion will be st

South Korea's National Security Office chief, Kim Kwan-jin, said Sunday that North Korea's nuclear and missile programs pose threats not only to the South but also to the United States. Kim made the remark to reporters upon arrival in Washington for meetings with officials of the incoming US administration, calling for close cooperation between Seoul and Washington in dealing with North Korean threats. "I am visiting the US as it is important to hold meetings with necessary people ahead

South Korea plans to build a laser weapon system by 2020 to better deal with the threats posed by North Korea's unmanned aerial vehicles, the defense ministry said Friday. The Ministry of National Defense said it will develop laser technology by next year to shoot down aerial drones as part of its broader laser weapon system. The decision came as North Korea is suspected of having sent several UAVs near the border areas in recent years in what could be reconnaissance missions.