The Korea Herald

U.S. rejects China's concern about THAAD

Jun 30, 2016

The United States reiterated Wednesday that the THAAD missile defense system it wants to place in South Korea is a purely defensive system that won't affect China's strategic deterrent.The State Department gave the reaction in response to Chinese President Xi Jinping's expression of opposition to the potential deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system in South Korea aimed at defending against missile threats from North Korea.Xi said during a meeting in Beijing with visiting Sout
S. Korea's military ready to deal with N. Korean dam discharge near border

Jun 27, 2016

South Korea's military is keeping close tabs on water levels at a dam near the inter-Korean border and is ready to step in if Pyongyang suddenly discharges water down the Imjin River, the defense ministry said Monday.The water level at the North's Hwanggang Dam bordering South Korea has reportedly risen to near full capacity since May. An abrupt discharge of water from Hwanggang could flood South Korea's Gunnam Dam downriver.Six South Koreans were killed in September 2009 after North Korea relea
Denuclearization should come first before talks resume with Pyongyang: unification ministry

Jun 27, 2016

South Korea on Monday said denuclearization should come first before any talks resume with North Korea, emphasizing that it is currently facing a "critical" moment that can determine whether to prevent Pyongyang's continued pursuit of nuclear weapons.In a report to the National Assembly's foreign affairs and unification committee, the unification ministry said it will keep working on sanctions and pressure against the North to induce a change in its "strategic calculus.""In response to the North
Korea's Coast Guard stations 5,000-ton patrol ship south of Jeju

Jun 22, 2016

Korea's Coast Guard stationed its largest patrol vessel off Jeju Island to better guard its territorial waters and deal with illegal fishing activities, the Ministry of Public Safety and Security said Wednesday.The 5,000-ton cutter named after Lee Cheong-ho -- a Coast Guard officer who was killed on duty in 2011 while dealing with illegal Chinese fishing boats -- will operate south of the resort island and even support operations to Ieodo Ocean Research Station, an unmanned marine science base.
Korean Army eyeing to launch committee to chart its future

Jun 21, 2016

The Army will soon launch a committee tasked with drawing up a master plan to proactively deal with future security risks, the Army chief of staff said Tuesday.South Korean senior military leaders have studied the U.S. National Commission on the Future of the Army, set up last year by Congress to study the future force and structure of the U.S. Army, as part of efforts to put the envisioned Future Committee in motion. The committee is called upon to establish the master plan based on socio-polit
Korean military willing to provide security forces to USFK amid IS warnings

Jun 20, 2016

South Korea's military is willing to provide security forces to the United States' military units in the country to fend off potential terrorist attacks by the militant Islamic State, which threatened to launch attacks against American installations here, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday.South Korea's police and military are stepping up their anti-terrorism readiness after the National Intelligence Service, the country's spy agency, said a day earlier that IS designated U.S. Forces Korea ai
Korean Army expected to become multicultural starting 2025

Jun 20, 2016

An increasing number of conscripts from a mixed-race family background is expected to make the Army multicultural starting in 2025, a government official said Monday.According to the official, the Defense Ministry has forecast that the number of men from multicultural families to be enlisted will reach an average 8,518 a year between 2015 and 2031."The surge in the number of multicultural soldiers will inevitably turn the Army into a multicultural one," he said. "The ministry has started to come
Korea, Israel agree to jointly develop amphibious drone

Jun 20, 2016

South Korea and Israel have agreed to jointly develop an amphibious drone as part of their cooperation in financing research and development projects, the trade ministry here said Monday.The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Israeli Ministry of Economy held a meeting on industrial development in Israel to discuss ways to operate a $45 million fund that the two countries created in 2001 to support information technology and energy.The fund has financed 99 researches co-operated by S
PM vows to bolster security following IS threat

Jun 20, 2016

Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn said Monday the government will beef up its security measures to tackle any potential terrorist threats, especially amid concerns that the Islamic State may be targeting South Korean citizens and U.S. military bases on its soil.The National Intelligence Service said IS has been calling for terrorist attacks through telegrams and messaging services by revealing the locations of 77 Air Force installations belonging to the United States and North Atlantic Treaty Organiz
Int'l gathering kicks off in Korea to discuss nonproliferation

Jun 20, 2016

An international gathering of nuclear experts and government officials kicked off in South Korea on Monday, providing related parties an opportunity to discuss how to better control the exports of materials and parts that can be used to develop nuclear weapons, the foreign ministry said.The Nuclear Suppliers Group meeting opened in Seoul earlier in the day, with about 300 participants from 48 member countries expected to be in attendance during its five-day run, according to the ministry. Its pl
Korea, other Asian countries to crack down on cybercrimes

Jun 19, 2016

South Korea and other Asian countries have agreed to launch a joint crackdown on cybercrimes, Seoul's police agency said Sunday, amid growing concerns over transnational cybersecurity challenges.The Korean National Police Agency said that the countries, led by Interpol, or the International Criminal Police Organization, will carry out the "Week of Action," a scheme to clamp down on cybercrimes, including the spread of ransomware.Ransomware refers to a type of malicious software that bans access
IS targets U.S. military installations here, S. Korean citizens

Jun 19, 2016

The Islamic State jihadist group has designated U.S. Air Force installations here and South Korean citizens as targets for attacks, Seoul's state spy agency said Sunday.In a press release, the National Intelligence Service said that the group incited terrorist attacks against them through Telegram, a messaging service, and revealed location data of 77 Air Force installations of the United States and North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and of individuals in 21 countries. Online information distri
KAI, Airbus to co-develop naval chopper

Jun 17, 2016

Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd., South Korea's sole aircraft maker, said Friday it will join forces with Europe's Airbus Helicopters to develop its Surion chopper to carry out maritime operations.A senior official at Airbus Helicopters told reporters in Paris that the two companies plan to co-develop a naval version of the Surion (KUH-1), saying there would be demand for about 250 such choppers over the next 10 years, according to pool reports.KAI and Airbus are among an estimated 1,600 defense-
Seoul, Paris to consider additional sanctions on N.K.

Jun 16, 2016

South Korea and France held a defense ministerial meeting Wednesday during which they agreed to jointly consider additional sanctions against North Korea, while boosting military and defense industry cooperation between the two countries.According to the Ministry of National Defense, South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian have agreed that Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programs pose grave danger to both countries, and to discuss joint actions to
'DAPA's 'inappropriate decision' in jet deal cost $90m: BAI

Jun 16, 2016

Korea’s Board of Audit and Inspection said Thursday that the defense acquisition body’s “inappropriate decision” during the upgrade project of KF-16 fighter jets resulted in a delay of four years and an estimated $90 million in damages.According to the BAI, officials from Defense Acquisition Program Administration reported to the Korean defense authorities in November 2013 that they had reached an agreement with their U.S. counterparts on the project’s cost, when in fact the parties had yet to c