South Korea's Navy has unveiled a three-dimensional rendering of an envisioned light aircraft carrier in a show of its resolve to build the warship by 2033 amid lingering doubts over its feasibility and necessity. After five months of preparations, the Navy posted the six-minute clip depicting the carrier strike group on its YouTube channel Monday as part of an annual program to mark the 76th anniversary of its founding, which falls on Thursday. The clip shows the 30,000-ton carrier operating

South Korea's military held an annual meeting of general-grade officers from all armed services via video links Monday to discuss defense reform, inter-service cooperation and other security issues, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. JCS Chairman Gen. Won In-choul and the top brass of the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps attended the Mugunghwa Meeting that the military has held since 1973 to discuss national security issues. Mugunghwa, the rose of Sharon in English, is the country's na

South Korea has invited 19 foreign Korean War veterans ahead of the upcoming annual ceremony commemorating the sacrifices of UN troops in the 1950-53 conflict, the veterans affairs ministry said Monday. The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs said that the veterans from seven countries, including the United States, Britain and Canada, and their family members are set to arrive here on Monday for a six-day visit. The veterans are scheduled to attend the "Turn Toward Busan" event

South Korea's military reported three additional COVID-19 cases Monday, bringing the total caseload among its personnel to 2,081, the defense ministry said. A Navy officer stationed in Jinhae, 410 kilometers south of Seoul, tested positive before participating in an educational program. A civilian worker of a unit under the direct wing of the defense ministry based in Seongnam, south of Seoul, contracted the virus after a family member tested positive. A civilian employee of the Army, station

South Korea's military reported eight additional COVID-19 cases Friday, bringing the total caseload among its personnel to 2,067, the defense ministry said. Among the new cases were five Army draftees, including a trainee at a boot camp in Nonsan, some 200 kilometers south of Seoul. An Army officer stationed in Gapyong, 60 kilometers east of Seoul, tested positive following a vacation. Another officer based in Paju, north of Seoul, contracted the virus after a family member tested positive. A

The top US military commander in South Korea on Friday touted the combined forces of the two allies as the "most lethal and ready" troops in the world amid lingering concerns over North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats. Gen. Paul LaCamera, the head of the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command (CFC), made the remarks during a ceremony at the Yongsan Garrison in Seoul to celebrate the 43rd anniversary of the founding of the command. His remarks came weeks after Pyongyang f

South Korea and Indonesia will hold what could be the final round of negotiations in the Southeast Asian country next week to address the latter's overdue payments for a joint fighter development project, informed sources said Friday. Officials from Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI), South Korea's sole aircraft maker, will meet with negotiators from Indonesia's defense ministry, the sources said, as Seoul seeks to squelch lingering concerns over Indonesia's commitment to the 8.8 trillion-wo

South Korea and the US are still working for Seoul to take over wartime operational control of the joint military forces from Washington by the time they had agreed, the Ministry of National Defense said Thursday in response to the top US general who hinted at a delay. “We will have to look at what exactly the US commander said, but the bottom line is that the transfer is taking place as scheduled, as agreed by both our commanders-in-chief,” ministry spokesperson Boo Seung-chan said

The top US military commander in South Korea hinted Thursday that the two allies could adjust their plan for a conditions-based transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON). Speaking at a webinar, Gen. Paul LaCamera, the chief of the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command, touched on the envisioned OPCON transition, saying, "Most plans never survive first contact." Seoul and Washington have been working on the bilaterally agreed-upon transfer -- a process that has been delayed due

South Korea's military reported nine additional COVID-19 cases Thursday, bringing the total caseload among its personnel to 2,059, the defense ministry said. Among the new cases were three Army officers stationed in Damyang, 344 kilometers south of Seoul, who were tested positive following an infection of one of their acquaintances. An Army officer based in Chuncheon, 85 kilometers northeast of Seoul, was also infected after a virus case was reported at the base. Another Army official based in

The US military said Wednesday it was looking into the death of an American soldier dispatched to South Korea on a rotational mission. US Army Sgt. Joe Haflei, 33, of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, was pronounced dead on Oct. 17 at a South Korean Army base near the central city of Daejeon, the US military said in a press release. Authorities are investigating details of the soldier's death, it said, adding that foul play was not suspected. (Yonhap)

Korea Aerospace Industries, South Korea’s sole aircraft manufacturer, is in talks with the Slovakian government to sell 10 FA-50 homegrown trainer jets in a $500 million deal, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration said Wednesday. KAI is set to sign a deal with Slovakian aircraft repair company LOTN on Wednesday in Hungary upon President Moon Jae-in’s European tour this week. The president, who arrived in Budapest on Tuesday for a state visit, will hold a summit Thursday

South Korea's military reported six additional COVID-19 cases Wednesday, bringing the total caseload among its personnel to 2,050, the defense ministry said. Among the new cases is a Navy officer who tested positive while in quarantine following a vacation. A civilian employee of the Army also contracted the virus after a family member tested positive. The other cases are an officer of a military unit attached to the defense ministry, a Navy officer and two Army soldiers. Of the cumulative c

Despite efforts by the military to introduce a culture that better respects soldiers’ rights, young Korean men still favor an alternative to their mandatory military service: the Korean Augmentation to the United States Army. Last week, the military loosened rules on hairstyles that can be worse by conscripts, in its latest move to drop discriminatory practices and boost morale following a number of scandals involving allegations of abuse and subsequent cover-ups. Nevertheless, KATUSA -

South Korea approved a plan Monday to develop homegrown lightweight torpedoes by 2028 to enhance the Navy's anti-submarine capabilities, the state arms procurement agency said. Presided over by Defense Minister Suh Wook, the Defense Project Promotion Committee endorsed the project worth 160 billion won ($135 million), the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said. The move came after North Korea test-fired a new submarine-launched ballistic missile last month, in a development tha