The Korea Herald

International air defense show begins

Oct 28, 2013

GOYANG, Gyeonggi Province ― An international air defense exhibition will kick off here Tuesday with the aim of boosting local defense exports and military-industry cooperation, organizers said Monday.Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition 2013 will run through Sunday at KINTEX in Ilsan, Goyang City, showcasing the world’s state-of-the-art weapons and equipment.“This exhibition is unique in that it showcases both land and aerial defense systems together ― something that we believe wil
Boeing, Lockheed team up for new U.S. Air Force bomber

Oct 26, 2013

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- Boeing and Lockheed Martin said Friday they have teamed up to bid for a new $55 billion US Air Force bomber program aimed at replacing the aging bomber fleet.Boeing is acting as the prime contractor, and Lockheed is the main teammate in the bid to supply the Air Force's Long-Range Strike Bomber program, the companies said in a joint statement."Boeing and Lockheed Martin are bringing together the best of the two enterprises, and the rest of industry, in support of the Long-Ran
Government reshuffles senior military officers

Oct 25, 2013

The government on Friday conducted a military reshuffle of senior officers following the appointments of four-star positions including the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman a month ago. Lieut. Gen. Kim Hyun-jip, who has served as the Defense Ministry’s intelligence division, was appointed the vice JCS chairman. Lieut. Gen. Lee Jae-soo, the Army’s chief of personnel management, was picked to lead the Defense Security Command.Major Gen. Chun In-bum, the deputy chief of staff at the Korea-U.S. Combine
Korea stages military drills for Dokdo

Oct 25, 2013

South Korea on Friday deployed Navy commandos, warships and fighter jets in a military exercise to defend its easternmost islets of Dokdo after Japan recently repeated its territorial claim.The military mobilized five warships including the 3,200-ton destroyer Gwanggaeto the Great, two F-15K fighters, P-3C Orion anti-submarine aircraft, CH-60 and CH-47 choppers, and some members of the Navy’s Underwater Demolition Team.The exercise, which has been carried out about twice a year since 1986, coinc
Seoul considers increasing budget for fighter acquisition

Oct 24, 2013

The Defense Ministry is in consultation with the Finance Ministry over the issue of increasing the 8.3 trillion won ($7.8 billion) budget for its next-generation fighter procurement project, a Seoul official said Thursday.“When the military is reconsidering which fighter jet it would procure, it has presented its position to the government that the budget also needs to be increased,” he said, declining to be named.“The Defense Ministry is considering several options. Taking into account various
Seoul to acquire stealth radars

Oct 23, 2013

South Korea is seeking to acquire radars capable of detecting stealth aircraft by the 2020s as neighboring states such as China and Japan are pushing to deploy radar-evading warplanes in pursuit of air superiority.“The Air Force made the request to procure stealth detecting radars in July 2011 and the Joint Chiefs of Staff decided last November to procure it as part of the long-term acquisition plans,” a military source said, declining to be named.“We have decided to determine whether to develop
OPCON transfer in 2015 'realistic,' U.S. Army leader says

Oct 22, 2013

A top U.S. Army commander in charge of the Asia-Pacific region said Friday the current schedule for the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) of Korean forces from Washington to Seoul is "realistic," but further assessment is needed to determine whether it's appropriate in terms of political realities.Army Gen. Vincent Brooks, commanding general of U.S. Army Pacific, said a proper timeframe from the military perspective is a matter to be discussed by new South Korean and U.S. defense l
S. Korea requests Pentagon's information on THAAD missile defense system: source

Oct 18, 2013

The South Korean military has formally asked the Pentagon to provide detailed information on Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems, an informed source here privy to defense issues said Thursday.As part of efforts to bolster its missile defense against North Korea's threats, South Korea is apparently seeking to combine U.S.technologies with its own, added the source."South Korea recently requested additional information on THAAD as well as PAC-III from the Pentagon, including prices
S. Korea's national security chief to visit U.S.

Oct 18, 2013

The top security advisor to South Korean President Park Geun-hye plans to visit the United States next week for talks about the North Korean nuclear standoff and bilateral security issues, a news report and an official said Friday.Kim Jang-soo, the chief of the presidential national security office, plans to meet with the White House national security advisor, Susan Rice, and other senior foreign affairs and security officials during the trip, the Dong-a Ilbo newspaper reported.A presidential of
Missile command system delay raises concern

Oct 17, 2013

Defense acquisition chief also grilled over delay of fighter jet project
Cyber warfare officials admit to political activity

Oct 17, 2013

Several employees of the military’s cyber warfare command have admitted to having posted political comments online, an official at the Defense Ministry said Thursday.Their admission came as the ministry’s Criminal Investigation Command and the military prosecution were conducting an investigation to see if they violated the military criminal code that bans any political activity by service members.“Under the direction of the defense minister, we are carrying out an investigation to clarify all t
Parties clash over military’s alleged election interference

Oct 16, 2013

Political bickering over the cyber warfare command’s alleged election interference escalated Wednesday as the main opposition Democratic Party called for a thorough investigation and the dismissal of its chief.The ruling Saenuri Party downplayed the scandal, saying the “unconfirmed” allegations should not be exaggerated and politicized pending the Defense Ministry’s ongoing probe into the case.During a parliamentary audit of the government Tuesday, the allegation emerged that three civilians in
‘Korea will not join U.S. missile defense system’

Oct 16, 2013

Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin reiterated Wednesday that South Korea would not join the U.S.-led global missile defense system, stressing there was no “appropriate logic” for Seoul to do so.Speaking at a meeting with reporters, Kim also said Seoul was not considering the purchase of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system and ship-based Standard Missile-3, which are core assets of the multi-layered U.S. missile shield program.“If we consider various conditions such as the necessity, its ad
South Korea pushes to build three more Aegis destroyers

Oct 16, 2013

The South Korean Navy has made a request to build three more Aegis destroyers to bolster defense against its Asian neighbors and North Korea amid increasing military tension due to territorial disputes, a military source said Wednesday. South Korea currently operates three 7,600-ton Aegis warships, but the Navy has sought to increase its fleet to cope with rising regional tension in light of Pyongyang's third nuclear test conducted earlier this year and ongoing territorial disputes between China
Seoul seeks to ward off N. Korea with multi-layered missile defense

Oct 15, 2013

South Korea will speed up building its own missile defense aimed at low-flying targets, while seeking ways to develop “multi-layered” deterrence against North Korea, the defense ministry said Tuesday. Seoul has been gradually building an independent, low-tier missile shield called the Korea Air and Missile Defense, with mid-term plans to acquire the latest Patriot missiles and long-range early warning radars. In addition to the terminal phase system, the defense ministry said it is considering m