The Korea Herald

Navy to open Jeju base in Dec.

Oct 26, 2015

After years of public protests and ensuing delays, the Navy is poised to introduce a strategic naval base on Jejudo Island as early as December as part of the country’s efforts to beef up maritime defense, officials said Monday. A captain-led unit is scheduled to be launched on Dec. 1 to defend the base together with the Navy’s 7th Task Flotilla and part of the Submarine Force Command, which will move to the island from their current headquarters in Busan and Jinhae, South Gyeongsang Province, r
Korea, U.S. open joint naval exercise with USS Ronald Reagan

Oct 26, 2015

South Korea and the United States kicked off on Monday a four-day naval exercise in the East Sea, joined by the nuclear-propelled USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier, the Navy said. It is intended to bolster their joint combat readiness and interoperability, according to the South Korean Navy. The Aegis-equipped Sejong the Great-class destroyer and 19 other warships will participate in the drill from the South Korean Navy.On the U.S. side will be the supercarrier, loaded with aircraft, and four
DAPA soon to report KF-X project to Park

Oct 26, 2015

The embattled defense procurement agency may report soon to President Park Geun-hye on how to prop up its faltering project to develop indigenous jet fighters in the aftermath of the U.S.' rejection of four key technologies being transferred to the program.The 18 trillion-won ($15.9 billion) project to produce 120 combat jets hit a major stumbling block after the U.S. Department of State denied in April export licenses on four of the 25 technologies U.S. defense giant Lockheed Martin offered for
ISIS-linked group threatens to bomb Seoul store: police

Oct 25, 2015

Police said Sunday they have received intelligence claiming that an African group linked to the Islamic State has threatened to carry out a terrorist attack on a store in a posh Seoul district.In a post on social media, the Mali group said they would attack a shop near COEX, a large shopping complex in the wealthy district of Gangnam, a police official said, asking not to be named, adding there was no mention of explosives being involved.The official, however, said the attack appeared highly unl
U.S. defense secretary to visit S. Korea next week

Oct 24, 2015

U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Friday he will visit South Korea next week for talks on North Korea's missile and nuclear programs. U.S. Defence Secretary Ashton Carter speaks during a news conference with his British counterpart Michael Fallon at Lancaster House in London, Britain on Oct. 9. (Reuters-Yonhap)At a press briefing in the Pentagon, Carter said he will be in South Korea next week to discuss "the ability of our collective defense to respond to those kinds of North Korean pro
Troop cut plan back in spotlight

Oct 23, 2015

The issue of South Korea’s troop reduction returned to the spotlight this week, as the government endorsed a revision to the defense reform act to postpone the target year for the reform to 2030 from the previous 2020, at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday. Defense Minister Han Min-koo speaks during a parliamentary session on Monday. (Yonhap)As the reform measures under the act include a plan to decrease the active-duty troop level to 522,000 from the current 633,000 by 2022, the revision has given more
Seoul, Washington, Tokyo discuss Japan’s military role

Oct 23, 2015

South Korea, the U.S. and Japan held working-level talks Thursday in Tokyo to explore ways to bolster trilateral security cooperation as controversy continues over the scope of Japanese military activities during a contingency on the peninsula. The two-day consultations are being held with the three countries’ one-star-level officials within the framework of their Defense Trilateral Talks, following a deputy-minister-level session last April. Seoul’s Defense Ministry dispatched Brig. Gen. Park C
Official says S. Korea can develop key technologies for fighter project

Oct 23, 2015

South Korea can develop four key technologies that the United States has refused to transfer to Seoul for its fighter jet development project, the top security official said Friday.The four technologies are something that "we can develop on our own," National Security Adviser Kim Kwan-jin said in a parliamentary session.One of the four technologies is related to linking active electronically scanned array radars into fighters' mission computers, a critical element for manufacturing fighters with
Military mulls Taurus missile variant for arming of FA-50 light combat jet

Oct 22, 2015

The military is reviewing whether it is possible to arm its FA-50 light combat fighters with a new variant of the Taurus air-to-surface missile to enhance combat capabilities, a military official said Thursday.Europe-based Taurus Systems is now developing a new version of the Taurus missile, numbered 350K-2, for possible use for the Air Force and the Army, the official said.The target specifications for the new variant under development are a range of 400 kilometers and a cruise speed of Mach 0.
Japan won't operate on Korean Peninsula without Seoul's consent: Amb. Sung Kim

Oct 21, 2015

Japan's military won't operate on the Korean Peninsula without Seoul's consent, a senior U.S. diplomat handling relations with Seoul and Tokyo said Tuesday.Japan's decision to exercise so-called "collective self-defense" has spurred concern in South Korea that the former colonial master might abuse the right and enter the Korean Peninsula without Seoul's consent in the event of a contingency with North Korea.Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani, after talks with his South Korean counterpart in
Navy officer arrested for embezzlement

Oct 20, 2015

Military prosecution on Tuesday arrested a Navy rear admiral on charges of embezzling public funds, marking the latest in a string of potential corruption cases that have tarnished the Navy’s standing, the Defense Ministry said. The rear admiral, surnamed Kim, rose to fame for leading the Cheonghae Unit during its operation in late 2012 to rescue the sailors of the MT Gemini, a tanker owned by a Singaporean shipping company that had been taken captive by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden. He re
Seoul, Tokyo differ over Japan’s overseas military operations

Oct 20, 2015

Despite their efforts to reboot security cooperation, the defense ministers of South Korea and Japan divulged a fault line over Tokyo’s possible exercise of its right to collective self-defense in a contingency on the peninsula during their talks Tuesday. Han Min-koo hosted his Japanese counterpart Gen Nakatani, who arrived for a three-day stay primarily designed for his participation in the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition. The six-day trade fair began early in the day at Se
Gov't OKs troop reduction bill

Oct 20, 2015

The government Tuesday approved a revision bill calling for the reduction of troops to 500,000 by 2030.The Defense Ministry initially proposed cutting the number of active-duty soldiers from the current 630,000 to 526,200 by 2022 as part of reform efforts.It later revised the target year to 2030, citing growing security threats from North Korea and budget constraints.The bill, which was passed during a Cabinet meeting earlier in the day, is subject to parliamentary approval.Meanwhile, South Kore
International defense exhibition opens in Korea

Oct 20, 2015

A defense exhibition showcasing the latest high-tech weapons kicked off near Seoul Tuesday, drawing dozens of top military officials and experts from around the world.The Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition opened at the Seoul Air Base, just south of the capital, for a six-day run, displaying military equipment built by 386 defense manufacturers in 32 countries.About 85 top military officials and experts from 45 countries, including Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani, joined
Gov't inks deal to buy 4th Surion chopper for police use

Oct 20, 2015

The government signed a 21.7 billion won ($19.2 million) deal on Tuesday to buy its fourth Surion helicopter for police use, to be stationed on Baengnyeong Island in the Yellow Sea, the state procurer said.The rotary aircraft will be an upgrade from existing Surions in service with law enforcement, said Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd., the maker of the chopper.The chopper will enter service in 2017 and comes equipped with weather radar, a traffic collision avoidance system, inertial navigation s