South Korea's Navy carried out maritime drills in the tensely guarded western sea on Monday ahead of the third anniversary of the sinking of the Cheonan warship by North Korea, amid high tensions with the communist country that has issued repeated threats of war.The 1,200-ton Navy corvette with 104 personnel aboard sank in waters of Baengnyeong Island in Yellow Sea on March 26, 2010, killing 46 sailors. A multinational investigation team concluded that a North Korean torpedo was responsible for

Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin and top military leaders paid their respects to the 46 deceased sailors of the ill-fated corvette Cheonan on Monday, a day before the third anniversary of its sinking by a North Korean torpedo attack.To mark the third anniversary, the government is holding a memorial ceremony at Daejeon National Cemetery on Tuesday morning. President Park Geun-hye and some 5,000 people including the bereaved families are to attend.At the ceremony, Park is expected to reiterate that

The government is considering instituting a cyber security secretary in the presidential office of national security following Wednesday’s hacking attacks on broadcasters and banks, ruling party officials said Sunday.After the attacks, calls surged for the government to create a control tower dedicated to handling the new threat, which North Korea appears increasingly keen to use to disrupt or damage South Korean society and economy. “As the country’s systems to counter cyber terror are scattere

A top U.S. commander said Thursday the recently concluded joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises were a good first step for Seoul to rehearse a scenario in which it is set to play a leading role in defending itself.Amid heightened North Korean war rhetoric, South Korea and the U.S. ended a 10-day military exercise, code-named Key Resolve.About 10,000 South Korean and 3,000 U.S. troops took part in the largely computer simulated war games.The annual exercises were the first of their kind in wh

B-52s participating in the ongoing South Korea-U.S. joint military drills are meant to demonstrate a strong alliance capability in the face of North Korean threats, the Pentagon said Monday."This mission highlights the extended deterrence and conventional capabilities of the B-52 Stratofortress while participating in exercises such as Foal Eagle," Pentagon spokesman George Little told reporters.Foal Eagle, an annual joint exercise, began on March 1 for a two-month run. South Korea and the U.S. a

With North Korea repeatedly warning of “nuclear retaliatory strikes,” questions have been raised over whether Pyongyang’s threats are credible or simply for deterrence and to up the political ante.Experts largely agreed that although its nuclear arms posed a formidable threat, the communist state was unlikely to consider a preemptive nuclear attack inviting an overwhelming retaliation that would doom the dictatorial regime.But some noted that fledgling leader Kim Jong-un, struggling to project a

The Cabinet approved a bill on Monday that regulates certain inappropriate social behaviors such as stalking and public indecency by fining offenders, officials said.During the meeting presided over by President Park Geun-hye, the Cabinet endorsed an enforcement ordinance that adds 28 acts to the list of misdemeanors punishable in the country. A relevant revised law was passed last year.Under the revision, those caught stalking for the first time will face a fine of 80,000 won ($72.70). Intrudin

The presidential office is looking into reports that dozens of military officials played golf over the weekend despite heightened tensions with North Korea, presidential spokesman Yoon Chang-jung said Monday.“Cheong Wa Dae is paying particular attention to the issue of discipline slackening in public service,” Yoon said. “The office of the senior civil affairs secretary has immediately launched an inquiry to determine what has exactly happened regarding the reports about military golf.”Local new