The United States plans to deploy its "strategic" weapons in South Korea on a regular basis in order to thwart North Korea's threats under an agreement between the allies, according to a joint statement.The two sides agreed to explore the "full range of available options, including strengthening the regular deployment of US strategic assets, to bolster the alliance's ability to deter and, where necessary, respond to North Korean nuclear, weapons of mass destruction, and ballistic missile use," t

The top military officers of South Korea and the United States agreed Friday to maintain full combat readiness based on the strong alliance against North Korean threats, defense authorities here said.In a 35 minute telephone conversation with Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, his South Korean counterpart Army Gen. Lee Sun-jin stressed that the North's nuclear and missile development can never be tolerated, according to Lee's office. (Yonhap)He als

South Korea is open to disarmament dialogue with North Korea if the North comes with a sincere willingness to discard its nuclear program, the foreign ministry's spokesman said Thursday.The position came in response to the Trump administration's North Korea policy line announced to the public in Washington. (Yonhap)On Wednesday (US time), Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Defense James Mattis and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said the Trump administration aims to press

South Korea urged China Thursday to listen to international calls to stop retaliations over Seoul's installation of the high-tech US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system after the neighbor pledged to take action over the ongoing deployment. The installation of THAAD went into full swing with the high-profile X-band radar of the THAAD system, mobile launchers and other elements being delivered to the host site of Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, on Wednesday.China reacted angrily to the

WASHINGTON -- A US THAAD missile defense battery being installed in South Korea will become operational "in the coming days," the US Pacific commander said Wednesday.Adm. Harry Harris, commander of the US Pacific Command, made the remark during a House Armed Services Committee hearing after the US military brought the radar and other equipment to the deployment site in southeastern South Korea earlier in the day.(Yonhap)"The ROK-US alliance decided last July to deploy THAAD, that's a Terminal Hi

BEIJING -- Hours after the deployment of a US advanced defense shield went into full swing in South Korea, China strongly urged Seoul and Washington on Wednesday to pull back the equipment, warning that the installation would further up tensions in the region. Six trailers reportedly carrying the high-profile X-band radar of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, mobile launchers and other elements were seen entering the deployment site in the southeastern county of Seongju, North Gyeon

Former and current US Forces Korea service members will establish a brand-new association next week to promote friendly ties between the two countries, according to a group of figures here advocating the further development of the alliance on Wednesday.The organization, named the "Korea Defense Veterans Association," is scheduled to be created in Washington DC on May 3. An image of South Korea-US alliance in a photo provided by Yonhap News TV. (Yonhap)Headed by former USFK commander Walter "Skip

Senior diplomats of South Korea, the United States and Japan sat together in Tokyo on Tuesday seeking to chart ways to rein in North Korea as the communist country appears to be preparing another military provocation.The meeting brought together the three countries' chief negotiators on the North Korean nuclear issue to coordinate their responses to advancing nuclear and missile threats by North Korea.   (Yonhap)The trilateral meeting comes amid unusually heightened tension after North Korea rat

GENEVA -- South Korea and Japan were divided over the usage of "East Sea" in naming the body of water between the Korean Peninsula and Japan as a conference of the International Hydrographic Organization opened in Monaco on Monday, South Korean officials said.Koreans claim that East Sea has been used for more than 2,000 years. But the name was not known internationally in modern times because the Korean Peninsula was under Japan's colonial rule from 1910-45. This provided photo shows the body of

South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se will attend a UN Security Council meeting on North Korea to be chaired by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson this week, the foreign ministry here said Tuesday.The ministerial meeting on Friday in New York will bring together US Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and officials from the council's 15 members, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se (Yonhap)"It is the first-ever meeting to be held on the is

Emerging from seven decades of state-led management of health care, Kazakhstan has embarked on an ambitious program of medical sector privatization and modernization, with a focus on attracting foreign investors and professionals. Under the “third wave” of economic modernization, health care has been identified as one of the key priorities with five objectives: system integration around patients’ needs; implementation of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development best practices; e

With the silver jubilee of diplomatic ties slated on Dec.1 this year, South Africa and South Korea can expand cooperation by exploiting economic areas of mutual benefit, according to Ambassador Nozuko Gloria Bam. South Africa’s recently adopted National Development Plan targets economic diversification and higher competitiveness, covering mining, agriculture, manufacturing and services. To achieve these measures, the government identified 40 projects in energy, infrastructure and manufacturing,

The Argentine Embassy last week promoted the country’s flagship Malbec wine at a tasting event in Seoul. In its seventh iteration of the annual event, “Malbec World Day” at Millennium Seoul Hilton showcased the finest wines of Argentina, whose unique flavors and properties are forming savory chemistries with Korean consumers. The event is a global initiative sponsored by Wines of Argentina, a public promotional agency supported by the Ministry of Foreign Relations and Worship and the Argentine W

South Korea and the United States will hold working-level consultations later this week on a broad range of alliance issues including North Korea's military threats, Seoul's defense ministry said Monday.The two sides are scheduled to open the two-day Korea-US Integrated Defense Dialogue meeting in Washington DC on Wednesday (local time), according to the Ministry of National Defense. An image of South Korea-US alliance in a photo provided by Yonhap News TV. (Yonhap)It would be their first KIDD s

The US Forces Korea plans to hold an exercise for the evacuation of noncombatant US citizens from South Korea in June, military sources said Sunday.The regular Courageous Channel practices operations for a safe exit of the 230,000 Americans in case of a conflict. The drill is led by the 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command in Daegu, 302 kilometers southeast of Seoul.  (Yonhap)Tensions have mounted over North Korea's threat of nuclear and missile tests, and the US dispatch of powerful military