Vice defense ministers of South Korea and Japan will hold talks in Seoul on Tuesday to discuss regional security and ways to enhance bilateral defense cooperation.South Korean Vice Defense Minister Lee Young-geol and his Japanese counterpart Kimito Nakae are also expected to exchange views on issues concerning North Korean military threats.Their talks were arranged after the defense chiefs of the two countries agreed in January to hold a vice-minister-level meeting on a regular basis as part of

Four military personnel were arrested this month on charges of hacking into e-mails of a professor at Chosun University in the southeastern city of Gwangju, military investigators said Monday.The Criminal Investigation Command under the Defense Ministry said that security operatives broke into the e-mails of Gi Gwang-seo, political science professor at the university, and downloaded nearly 700 documents in early September.This incident has drawn attention as speculation has risen that military s

SEOUL, Oct. 28 (Yonhap) -- The following is the full text of the joint communique issued after the 43rd South Korea-U.S. Security Consultative Meeting in Seoul Friday.1. The 43rd Republic of Korea-United States Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) was held in Seoul on October 28, 2011. ROK Minister o

SEOUL, Oct. 28 (Yonhap) -- Defense chiefs of South Korea and the U.S. on Friday agreed to pursue a joint operational plan to counter potential provocations by North Korea at their annual bilateral security meeting in Seoul.After the 43rd Security Consultative Meeting (SCM), South Korean Defense Mini

SEOUL, Oct. 26 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta arrived in South Korea Wednesday for the first time for an annual bilateral security meeting.Panetta will meet with his South Korean counterpart Kim Kwan-jin at the 43rd Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) on Friday and will also pay a c

The two defense chiefs of South Korea and the U.S. will hold their annual security meeting in Seoul on Friday to discuss regional security and pending bilateral military alliance issues, officials at the Ministry of National Defense said Tuesday.During the 43rd Security Consultative Meeting, Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin and his U.S. counterpart Leon Panetta will also touch on ways to enhance joint deterrence against North Korea.The allies have alternately held the meeting since 1968 to deal wit

The U.S. Defense Acquisition Board’s deferral last week of its decision on whether to acquire new trainer jets from overseas has prompted concern here about the export of Korea’s T-50 supersonic aircraft.The Korean aviation industry and government officials paid keen attention to what decision the DAB would make at its Oct. 21 session. They believe that the T-50 is one of the strongest contenders for the U.S. trainer procurement project. With technological assistance from U.S. defense giant Lock

Attention is being drawn to whether there would be any U.S. troop drawdown here on the Korean Peninsula should the U.S. slash its defense budget as part of a deficit reduction plan.As U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is to come here for the annual South Korea-U.S. Security Consultative Meeting slated for Friday, speculations abound that discussions over it could take place.The U.S. defense budget faces cuts of up to $350 billion over the next decade. Observers have thought that Washington mig

BALI, Indonesia, Oct. 24 (Yonhap) -- Making his first trip to Asia as U.S. defense chief, Leon Panetta sought to dispel concern that Washington's plan to slash its defense budget in the coming years would diminish its military presence and operations in Asia."Our goal is to try to strengthen the all

Another senior military worker was found to have collaborated in a recent hacking incident, officials at the Defense Ministry said Thursday, fueling speculation that military operatives have illegally monitored civilians.Military investigators also arrested an Army warrant officer on Tuesday, on sus

MUNICH/MADRID (Yonhap News) -- With South Korea scheduled to select the winner of its project for 60 new fighter jets next fall, the European consortium of Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft has offered to fully share its technology with its South Korean partners.Germany, Spain, Italy and Britain are part