The Korea Herald

Korea considers competitive bidding for spy drone acquisition

Dec 26, 2012

With the United States moving toward the sales of Global Hawk advanced spy drones at a higher than expected price, South Korea may adopt competitive bidding to negotiate a better offer for the high-altitude drones along with other potential deals on the table, a senior government official said Wednesday.Seoul has shown interest in the high-altitude, long-endurance Global Hawk drones to conduct intelligence missions on North Korea, as it is preparing to take over wartime operational control from
S. Korea considers competitive bidding for spy drone acquisition

Dec 26, 2012

With the United States moving toward the sales of Global Hawk advanced spy drones at a higher than expected price, South Korea may adopt competitive bidding to negotiate a better offer for the high-altitude drones along with other potential deals on the table, a senior government official said Wednesday.Seoul has shown interest in the high-altitude, long-endurance Global Hawk drones to conduct intelligence missions on North Korea, as it is preparing to take over wartime operational control from
U.S. plans to sell Global Hawks to S. Korea for $1.2 bln

Dec 25, 2012

The Pentagon has formally informed Congress of a plan to sell four Global Hawk surveillance drones to South Korea, a related agency said Monday.The deal under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program, if sealed, would be worth up to $1.2 billion (1.28 trillion won), according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) affiliated with the Department of Defense.It includes four RQ-4 Block 30 Global Hawk remotely-piloted aircrafts equipped with the Enhanced Integrated Sensor Suites (EISS), a
Allies tracking N.K. HEU facilities: Seoul

Dec 21, 2012

South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense said on Friday that the country and its U.S. ally have been sharing intelligence and tracking down potential North Korean facilities used to develop highly enriched uranium for nuclear weapons.“South Korea and the U.S. have been identifying HEU facilities in North Korea by analyzing intelligence images,” said a South Korean army intelligence official. He added, “We are currently tracking down those facilities and activities relating to HEU,” as the alli
Ministry allows giant Xmas lighting near N.K. border

Dec 20, 2012

The Defense Ministry said Thursday that it will allow a local church to light up a Christmas tower near the tense border with North Korea, reversing its reluctant attitude over the sensitive tradition ahead of major political events.Military officials earlier this month said Christmas towers near the military demarcation line would not be lit up this year, apparently reflecting concerns that the move could have escalated tension ahead of Pyongyang’s Dec. 12 rocket launch and the presidential ele
Defense Ministry opposes reduced military service

Dec 20, 2012

The Ministry of National Defense said Thursday that problems would occur should the new government of president-elect Park Geun-hye seek to reduce the country’s mandatory military service period.“Problems would arise following the reduction of the service period from 21 months to 18 months as it could further make the military fall short of resources,” spokesperson Kim Min-seok told the press.He added that the ministry would need to discuss this matter with Park’s transition team, and hopes to r
Korea to use German power packs for K2 tanks

Dec 17, 2012

South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration said Monday that it has decided to use Germany-made key engine and transmission parts, or the so-called power packs, over Korean parts for the military’s first 100 K2 tanks.DAPA will import the first two sets of power packs from Germany-based MTU to install in the tanks for trials next year, and bring in more in phases with the aim of deploying the tanks by March of 2014.This decision was made in a meeting presided over by the National Def
N.Korean fishing boat found drifting in East Sea

Dec 14, 2012

Three North Korean fishermen were rescued earlier this week while drifting aboard a small boat off South Korea's east coast but they had no apparent intention to defect, a government source said Friday."The coast guard was called after a South Korean boat found the North Korean fishing boat near Ulleng Island yesterday," the source said, asking that he not be identified.The source later confirmed that three North Koreans were aboard the boat when they were rescued at 1:33 a.m. Friday, adding tha
S. Korea analyzing salvaged N. Korean rocket debris

Dec 14, 2012

South Korean authorities on Friday moved to analyze the debris of a North Korean long-range rocket, launched earlier this week in defiance of repeated international warnings. “The debris will be important material that can verify North Korean missile capability,” Kim Min-seok, a spokesperson at the South’s Defense Ministry said. North Korea’s Unha-3 rocket blasted off from a launch site Wednesday and put a satellite into orbit. Its first-stage booster broke into four pieces and dropped into the
Military denies missing rocket launch signs

Dec 12, 2012

The Defense Ministry denied accusations on Wednesday that the military and intelligence authorities were in the dark about North Korea’s preparation of a rocket launch.The Minister of National Defense Kim Kwan-jin said that the ministry informed Cheong Wa Dae of related developments.Until the rocket was detected by the South Korean destroyer Sejong the Great at 9:51 a.m., both South Korean and U.S. authorities are said to have had held the position that the launch was not imminent based on intel
Greenpeace sues S. Korea over nuclear activists

Dec 10, 2012

Greenpeace said Monday it had filed a lawsuit against the South Korean government for denying entry to half a dozen key campaigners and seeking to “silence” criticism of its nuclear policies.The environmental group said it wanted recognition from the court that Seoul‘s decision to bar six Greenpeace staff was a violation of freedom of expression and international human rights.The lawsuit also demands almost 70 million won ($65,000) in compensation for the disruption to the group’s campaigning ef
S. Korea signs defense support deal with Spain

Dec 10, 2012

South Korea and Spain have agreed to share military supplies in peacekeeping and rescue operations as part of efforts to expand military ties between the two sides, the defense ministry said Monday.Lee Sang-wook, the head of South Korean defense ministry's logistics management bureau, met his Spanish counterpart Prieto Oses Ramon in Madrid to sign a memorandum of understanding on the bilateral military support, the ministry said. Under the agreement, the two countries will share military supplie
Vigilance over N.K. rocket launch

Dec 4, 2012

South Korea, the U.S. and Japan are remaining vigilant over North Korea’s expected rocket launch between Dec. 10 and 22.The three countries have deployed destroyers and surveillance aircraft with advanced radar systems to track and intercept the long-range rocket.North Korea announced its intention to fire the rocket Saturday and notified countries such as the Philippines, Indonesia and Japan of its launch and path.The first-stage propulsion rocket is expected to separate and fall into the sea s
Korea scales down troop deployment to Afghanistan

Nov 29, 2012

South Korea has scaled down its troop deployment to Afghanistan as its civilian reconstruction team is to end its mission in the war-torn country next month, the Army said Thursday.The number has decreased to 61 from 350, it said.The military held a send-off ceremony for the sixth batch of troops at the International Peace Supporting Standby Force headquarters in Incheon Thursday. They are to leave for Afghanistan early next month.“The sixth batch will work at a job training center and hospital
Over 17,000 conscientious objectors jailed since 1950

Nov 28, 2012

More than 17,000 conscientious objectors have been given prison sentences since the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, according to data from civic groups.The number of conscientious objectors has risen with the increase in civil liberties. The figures showed that more than 8,200 of the 17,000 were sentenced between 2001 and 2012, while just over 4,000 people were imprisoned for the offense between 1994 and 2000. The figure for the 1980 to 1993 period, when the military governments of Chun Doo-