South Korea's ruling Saenuri Party on Wednesday said the deployment of an advanced U.S. missile defense system is an "inevitable" choice to protect the country from North Korea's growing missile threats and urged the opposition parties to cooperate in supporting the move."The government made the inevitable choice for the country's survival and security," said Kim Hee-ok, the party's interim leader, requesting the support of the opposition parties and the general public on this matter.Last week,

South Korea will announce the site for deploying a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system later in the day, the defense ministry said Wednesday.The decision for the location will be announced at 3:00 p.m., the Ministry of National Defense said in a brief media release.Last week, South Korea and the United States' militaries officially unveiled their agreement to place the high-tech anti-ballistic missile defense system in South Korea to counter North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.The a

South Korea and the U.S. have decided to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense in the southern region of Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, and are ironing out details, local media reported Tuesday.Citing various government sources, Yonhap News Agency said that delegations from the two countries have assessed that Seongsan-ri, Seongju-gun, is the most ideal location for the advanced missile defense system, and are set to make the official announcement next week.“(The two sides) decided

South Korea and the U.S. decided on the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense here last week and the talk of the town has been where the advanced missile defense system will be located.Korea and the U.S. kicked off talks to station THAAD on the peninsula in February, on the heels of North Korea’s long-range rocket launch that followed its nuclear test in January. Various locations around the country are considered to be potential candidates including Osan and Pyeongtaek in Gyeong

Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn on Tuesday reiterated the government's position that the recent decision by Seoul and Washington to deploy an advanced antimissile system here does not require parliamentary approval.Some opposition lawmakers have argued that the allies' decision to station a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery in South Korea requires ratification by the National Assembly, while others have called for a referendum on the issue.Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn attends a parliament

South Korea and the U.S.’ decision to deploy the advanced missile defense system here is touching off concerns of destabilizing safety and security in the Northeast Asia region, with neighboring China and Russia openly berating the move.The allies announced last week that they will station here the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system against North Korea’s growing nuclear and missile threats.South Korea‘s Deputy Minister of Defense Ryu Je-seung (right) and Lt. Gen. Thomas S. Vandal, comman

The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae on Monday reiterated the recent decision by South Korea and the United States to station an advanced antimissile system here is a "self-defense" measure to counter growing military threats from North Korea."The (planned) deployment of (the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense) is a self-defense step to safeguard the well-being of the country, the lives of the people and their properties," presidential spokesman Jung Youn-kuk told reporters.The statement is a

South Korea is facing opposition within and beyond the peninsula following its announcement made with the U.S. of a plan to station an advanced U.S. missile defense system here.On Friday, Seoul and Washington presented their plan to complete the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system here to counter growing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea, ending a five-month consultation period. As of Sunday, North Korea had yet to release a statement on the matter, but expert

When U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump started accusing Seoul of getting a “free-ride” from Washington for its defense, many South Koreans reacted angrily, since they collectively pay nearly 1 trillion won ($865 million) each year for the upkeep of U.S. troops here. There were also concerns about the future of the security alliance. For Kim Jong-wook, the chairman of the KATUSA Veterans Association, Trump’s remarks highlighted the sheer absence of robust voices at home and in t

Yu Yong-bong has not gone hiking for decades. The haunting memories of fighting in the mountains have kept him away from the trails.The 84-year-old former member of the U.S. Army 7th Infantry Division was one of the original 313 Korea Augmentation to the U.S. Army soldiers recruited in the first few months of the 1950-53 Korean War.He was among South Korean and U.S. soldiers who marched to the Yalu River on Nov. 20, 1950. “We grabbed a chunk of ice and ate it because we were so happy. We thought

They were there in 1950 when the U.N. troops landed in Incheon to besiege the North Korean Army during the Korean War. They were there when the allied forces pushed North Korea to the brink at the Yalu River, only to be pushed back by massive forces of China.Over half a century later, soldiers of the Korean Augmentation to the United States Army are still here to serve as an integral piece of the South Korea-U.S. alliance.KATUSA is a group of to South Korean soldiers augmented to the 8th U.S. Ar

When faced with mandatory conscription in South Korea, all able-bodied men between 18 and 35 face the dilemma of choosing where to serve during their 21-month duty. This ranges from the regular army and the navy to auxiliary police and the marines. Among these choices, serving in KATUSA, or the Korean Augmentation to the United States Army, is almost a dream come true and the most envied. KATUSA soldiers and U.S. soldiers jointly participate in a combat exercise in this file photo. (8th ARMY, RO