SEOUL (AFP) - South Korea will stage live-fire artillery exercises in the coming week on two frontline islands including one hit by a deadly North Korean shelling last November, a news report said Saturday.A defense ministry spokesman told AFP that regular military exercises will be carried out on the two islands but declined to give further details on the timing or whether live-fire drills will b

A North Korean vessel thought to be a military patrol ship violated the western inter-Korean sea border and retreated back to its waters Tuesday night after a South Korean warship fired warning shots, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Wednesday.　“At 9:38 p.m. Tuesday, an unidentified North Korean ship invaded our waters and continued to 700 meters south of the Northern Limit Line (sea border). Our pa

The South Korean military has deployed a set of multiple launch rocket systems on two of the northwestern border islands in efforts to prepare for North Korean provocations, a government source said Monday.The source said some 10 systems have been sent to Bangnyeong and Yeonpyeong Islands near the western maritime border, where North Korean military attacks have persisted. “The rocket systems have

South Korea's military has deployed more rocket artillery to two islands near the Yellow Sea border to guard against a possible attack by North Korea, a government source said Monday, amid high tensions following the North's deadly shelling of one of the islands. An unspecified number of the homegrown 130-millimeter "Kuryong" multiple rocket launchers were recently installed on Baengnyeong and Yeo

South Korea pledged an additional $500,000 to help refugees in and near strife-torn Libya, the foreign ministry said Thursday.The aid will bring Seoul's total assistance for Libyan refugees to $1 million, including $500,000 provided in March. The new assistance will be used via the International Organization for Migration and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the ministry said.Tho

The Armed Forces Nursing Academy will begin accepting male cadets for the first time next year, allowing more men to engage in the military nursing service, the Ministry of National Defense said Thursday.The ministry will put on public notice the revision to the enforcement ordinance regarding the operation of the hitherto women-only institution from Friday through May 12, officials said.Under the

 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Marine Corps said Friday that it will launch a large-scale landing drill next month as part of efforts to sharpen its combat capabilities against North Korea.   About 3,000 marines and an unidentified number of troops from the Army, Navy and Air Force will be mobilized for the drill set to take place in Pohang, 374 kilometers southeast of Seoul, in late May, it said.   "

BEIJING/SANYA -- South Korean Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik met with Chinese President Hu Jintao on a southern Chinese island Thursday for discussions on boosting their countries' bilateral relationship, Kim's office said.Kim, who arrived in Beijing on Tuesday, flew to Hainan Island to attend the Boao Forum for Asia, an annual regional economic forum that kicked off Thursday.During his meeting with

South Korea and China agreed on Wednesday to seek ways to tighten their cooperation on nuclear safety in the wake of massive radiation leaks from a tsunami-hit nuclear plant in Japan and prevent any spread of damage to neighboring countries, the Seoul government said.South Korean Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik and his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao also vowed efforts to move forward "strategic partn

South Korea’s military will complete building its own missile defense system by 2015 that is designed to intercept ballistic missiles from North Korea, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday, amid high tensions following the North’s two deadly attacks last year. South Korea, which has ruled out joining the U.S.-led global missile defense system, has gradually built the independent, low-tier missile def

Seoul took a step closer to exporting T-50 trainer jets to Indonesia as the Southeast Asian nation selected South Korea’s state-run aircraft maker as the de facto preferred bidder of its trainer jet project, Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday.“The Indonesian defense ministry informed Korea Aerospace Industries that it will be treated as the preferred bidder of the trainer jet project,” presidential spokes

South Korea’s military plans to create a new top commander to coordinate operations of its armed forces as part of its efforts to enhance the interoperability among the Army, Navy and Air Force, the defense minister said Tuesday.A four-star general will be appointed as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a group of military leaders from each branch of the armed services. The vice JCS chair