South Korea and the United States opened a new round of negotiations Wednesday on splitting the cost of stationing American troops on the peninsula.The two-day meeting in Washington is the fourth of its kind intended to decide how much South Korea should pay for the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea (USFK).The U.S., stuck in federal budget problems and confronted with increased North Korean threats, apparently wants South Korea to share more of the burden.The appropriate amount of Seoul's financia

Analysts say Choi could enhance navy roles, add more balance to military dominated by Army

South Korea's Navy chief Choi Yoon-hee has been nominated the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the defense ministry said Wednesday. If confirmed, it will mark the first time that the head of the Navy has been appointed to the post.Adm. Choi is expected to replace incumbent chief Gen. Jung Seung-jo, whose two-year term expires soon.The high-level military reshuffle is the first for President Park Geun-hye, who took office in February. The appointment of JCS Chairman requres a parl

Defense panel rejects Boeing F-15SE over skepticism about stealth capabilities

South Korea decided not to select Boeing's F-15SE as the country's next fighter jet Tuesday amid concern the sole-remaining candidate for the 8.3 trillion won (US$7.2 billion) project is not suitable as it lacks stealth features. The decision, which came in a meeting of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) presided over by Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin, prompted the government to restart the procurement program from the beginning, further delaying the replacement of the aging fl

U.S. aerospace giant Boeing is moving closer to win South Korea’s 8.3 trillion won ($7.2 billion) contract as the state procurement agency is set to recommend F-15 Silent Eagle as the sole candidate that comes within the budget in an upcoming meeting of top military officials. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration has completed biddings and evaluations on three jets ― Boeing’s F-15 SE, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 and the EADS’ Eurofighter ― and briefed President Park Geun-hye on the results

South Korea's statistics agency has fined companies for not responding to its surveys in a move to encourage public participation in government efforts to collect key policy-related data, agency officials said Monday.Statistics Korea fined four manufacturers a combined 400,000-500,000 won ($460) each late last year for not responding to its surveys on the mining and manufacturing industries, according to the officials.The penalties were the first of their kind. They also came amid the falling re

 A U.S. Army attack reconnaissance squadron is set to return to South Korea after missions in Iraq as part of Washington's rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region, according to the Pentagon.   The main body of 4th Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, will deploy next week from a base in the U.S. state of Washington, the Pentagon's American Forces Press Service quoted Army Maj. Gen. Stephen R. Lanza as saying.   The unit, which would be the first U.S. rotational land forces in Korea, has 380 members with

A South Korean man who was shot dead while trying to swim across a border river had sought refugee protection in Japan before making a rare attempt to defect to the North, a senior military official said Tuesday. “The dead man had applied for refugee status in Japan for political reasons, but his application was turned down and he was expelled from the nation,” Army Brg. Gen. Jo Jong-seol, deputy operation commander at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a briefing. “It is known that (Nam) did si

South Korea will develop an advanced coastal surveillance system composed of radar and cameras for deployment in border and offshore areas prone to infiltrations by next year, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration said Monday.The DAPA said it will spend 41.8 billion won ($38.6 million) to upgrade the current radar and thermal observation devices placed in coastal areas and additionally install day and night surveillance cameras developed by Daebo Communication & Systems, a South Korean

A homegrown torpedo failed to hit the target again in the latest test-firing conducted earlier this month, an official said Sunday, raising questions about possible faulty designs and casting clouds over the prospect of resuming its production.The Navy has test-fired four rounds of the torpedo, named "Hongsangeo," or "Red Shark," since July in waters off the east coast. The first three rounds hit the target, but the final one went off the mark, the official at the Defense Acquisition Program Adm