North Korea is once again upping the tension on the peninsula with threats of war as a series of military exercises kicked off with the Key Resolve exercise in South Korea on Monday.Key Resolve, which will continue until March 9, involves about 2,100 U.S. personnel and about 200,000 South Korean troops. In addition, exercise Foal Eagle will be held from March 1 to April 30, during which South Korean and U.S. troops will practice land, air and marine maneuvers.On Sunday, North Korean leader Kim J

South Korea and the United States should take concrete steps to bring freedom to the people of North Korea, a retired U.S. Army commander said, offering a new approach to the communist nation undergoing a leadership change.“It is vital that South Korea and the U.S. reexamine our goals and objectives for North Korea and determine actions required to attain these goals,” retired Gen. Walter Sharp said Tuesday (local time) in a contribution posted on the Web site of Washington-based think tank Cent

South Korean military drills on Monday were conducted without incident despite fiery warnings from North Korea. Ahead of the drills, North Korea on Sunday issued a warning saying that it woul respond with a “merciless counterstrike.”Monday’s exercise involved South Korean Marine Corps units stationed on the islands near the northern limit line in the West Sea firing various weapons into South Korean waters. The Marine Corps’ exercise, which involved K-9 self-propelled guns, mortars, Vulcan anti-

WASHINGTON (Yonhap News) ― The United States made clear Friday that North Korea’s demand for the pullout of American troops on the Korean Peninsula is not negotiable.“I think you know that we have said, for quite some time, that we are not prepared to accept preconditions for the resumption of talks,” State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said at a press briefing. “And that precondition in particular would be unacceptable.”Her comments came as the U.S. and North Korea are scheduled to ho

SEOUL, Feb. 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's military said Sunday it will hold "routine" live-fire drills this week near the Yellow Sea border islands with North Korea, despite the North's warning of "merciless" retaliation if provoked. The South's military notified North Korea of the planned drills nea

SEOUL, Feb. 18 (Yonhap) -- Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin said Saturday he backs Army commanders who ordered officers in their units to delete smartphone applications considered pro-North Korea and critical of the government of President Lee Myung-bak.So far, the commanders of at least two Army units

Israel has decided to purchase 30 Italian-made trainer aircraft in its $1 billion procurement project, snubbing South Korea’s efforts to sell its homegrown planes overseas.Israeli defense officials told the media on Thursday that their government had reached a preliminary deal to buy the M-346 military training planes built by the Italian firm Alenia Aermacchi. Israeli officials, quoted in news reports, cited the suitability of the Italian jets to the direct needs of the Israeli air force, the c

President Lee Myung-bak has floated the idea of establishing English-learning centers at military bases to prepare service members for job opportunities in the Middle East, an official said Friday.After a trip to the Middle East last week, Lee has repeatedly said he saw good business opportunities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, countries with large amounts of oil money, and urged South Korean companies to take advantage of those opportunities.Referring to a construction boo

The South Korean military will establish a new submarine command within the Navy by 2015 as part of its efforts to strengthen its underwater operational capabilities. In a related development, the navies of South Korea and the U.S. will be holding a five-day joint anti-submarine drill from Feb. 20 in the West Sea. The exercise is aimed at increasing the allies’ ability to counter North Korean submarines and to familiarize the troops with a variety of drills.According to reports, the military has

The Ministry of National Defense will establish a language institution for training officers and non-commissioned officers in December.According to sources, the ministry plans to merge language-training institutions run by the different branches of the military to establish a military language institute.The new institution will instruct officers and non-commissioned officers who are scheduled to be sent overseas, in five languages including Chinese, English and French. Between 1,200 and 1,500 pe

South Korea is seeking to build a pilot training center in Portugal that will be equipped with the Korean Aerospace Industries’ T-50 supersonic military jet trainer, a government source said Saturday.The defense ministry source, who declined to be identified, said Portugal was tapped as the primary negotiation partner for the International Military Flight Training Center Consortium last year. He said final negotiations are underway to sort out details that may lead to a memorandum of understandi

South Korean Marine Corps soldiers took part in a major landing drill as part of a multinational exercise in Thailand Friday, officials said.Marine officials said 115 Marines, along with eight amphibious assault vehicles, participated in the drill during the Cobra Gold exercise, along with dozens of troops from the U.S. and Thailand.The exercise will wrap up on Feb. 17.The South Korean troops simulated maritime and aerial attacks, officials said. The drill also involved a 2,600-ton South Korean

WASHINGTON (Yonhap News) -- The nominee to head U.S. troops in the Asia-Pacific area said Thursday that North Korea’s leadership change adds to regional security concerns on top of the possibility of the communist regime using weapons of mass destruction (WMDs).“In fact, with the uncertainties associated with the ongoing leadership transition, upcoming challenges on the Peninsula may be even greater,” Adm. Samuel Locklear said at a Senate confirmation hearing.If confirmed, he will replace Adm. R

The defense ministry is set to undergo restructuring to bolster the military’s defense against weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and cyber warfare, officials said Thursday.Under the proposed change, the ministry’s department of non-proliferation will be renamed the “department of WMD response,”　they said. Officials in that department will be tasked with forming defense policy against North Korea‘s potential WMD attacks and providing necessary guidelines, they added.The newly-named department wil