South Korea kicked off its three-day inspection of airports, harbors and other key facilities on Wednesday to check readiness to counter any North Korean terrorist attack at the public facilities, the military said.The government has repeatedly warned of possible terrorist attacks carried out by North Korea on the South following the communist nation's recent nuclear test and launch of a long-range rocket. The public safety ministry and six other government agencies, the police and the National

The Navy conducted its first military exercise near its new base on the southern island of Jeju on Wednesday to improve readiness to intercept suspicious vessels and submarine infiltration by North Korea.The Aegis destroyer Seoae Ryu Seong-ryong and three other Navy and Coast Guard vessels joined the drill which took place in the waters off the newly opened naval base on the south coast of Jeju Island, the Navy said in a statement.One submarine and two seaborne helicopters also took part in the

The United States will remain unchanged in its push to deploy its advanced anti-ballistic missile system known as THAAD in South Korea, a defense ministry official here said Monday.Earlier this month, South Korea and the U.S. launched talks on the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, to counter North Korea's increasing nuclear and missile threats.The bilateral negotiations were abruptly put on hold by the U.S. last week without specific reasons, sparking speculations

China's chief nuclear envoy, Wu Dawei, has voiced the country's opposition to the possible deployment of an advanced U.S. missile defense system in South Korea during his meetings with Seoul officials, China's foreign ministry said Monday. Wu, who arrive in South Korea on Sunday, expressed his "solemn position" on the possible deployment of the U.S. missile shield, the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery, in South Korea, China's foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters.South Ko

The United States is committed to using the full range of its defense capabilities to safeguard South Korea in the event of war with North Korea, a defense ministry official here said Monday after attending a joint defense exercise in California.The allies held their annual anti-nuclear joint exercise at Vandenberg Air Force Base last week where some 40 defense officials from the two countries discussed warfare strategies to counter North Korea's nuclear and weapons of mass destruction threats.

A debate is heating up over whether South Korea should pursue nuclear armament after North Korea has fueled security jitters here by conducting a fourth nuclear test last month.Experts and politicians are sharply divided as they contemplate the potential benefits and perils of the South's nuclearization, which they say is bound to reshape the contours of regional politics and security. The Seoul government has said that its vision of a nuclear-free peninsula will remain unchanged with the U.S.'

The decision by South Korea and the United States to begin consultations on the potential deployment of the THAAD missile defense system doesn't mean the two sides have agreed to deploy the system, the U.S. Pacific commander said Thursday."Neither South Korea nor the United States have agreed to put a THAAD in Korea," Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr. said at a Pentagon briefing. "The decision to discuss it is not necessarily a decision to do it, not yet. So, we're having the discussions now, and we'll s

South Korea will officially launch the Navy's new base on the southern resort island of Jeju this week, wrapping up the landmark naval project which took the country 23 years and more than 1 trillion won (US$806 million) to accomplish, the Navy said Thursday.    The naval base, billed by the Navy as Jeju's private-military sea port, is capable of docking 20 combat vessels and two cruise ships of the largest class simultaneously.   Set up along the southern coast of Jeju, the foot of South Korea,

Defense Minister Han Min-koo inspected the combat readiness of the military's special counter-terror units Thursday as the government recently warned of possible terror attacks by North Korea.Han visited the Special Warfare Command's counter-terror unit and a special chemical warfare battalion to check the forces' battle preparedness earlier in the day, the ministry said in a statement.The defense chief instructed the troops to maintain a "thorough readiness position" against possible terrorist

South Korea held defense policy talks with New Zealand Thursday to discuss security issues, including North Korea's recent nuclear and long-range missile tests, the South Korean government said.Director-General for International Policy Yoon Soon-ku represented South Korea during the talks held at the Ministry of National Defense in Seoul, with the New Zealand side headed by Charlotte Beaglehole, director of international relations.The discussion will encompass defense issues such as the security

Seven A-10 American anti-tank aircraft have been deployed in South Korea for joint air force training, the Air Force here said Wednesday.The four-day Buddy Wing exercise between South Korean and U.S. air force squadrons will run through Thursday in Osan Air Base, it said.The U.S. mobilized seven A-10 Thunderbolt aircraft for the joint drill, which focuses on the allies' capability to carry out joint air support operations.The A-10 is tasked with launching air attacks on North Korean armored vehi