The Ministry of National Defense said Tuesday that its anti-piracy Cheonghae Unit will expand its operational range to cover the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow body of water between the Persian and Oman Gulf that sees millions of barrels of oil passing through it daily. “Given the heightened tensions in the Middle East, we’ve decided to field the anti-piracy unit to cover those additional areas to protect our people and free passage of our ships,” the ministry said. The unit, whi

South Korea is pressing ahead with its controversial plan to allow individual trips to North Korea by its own citizens, Seoul’s Unification Ministry confirmed Monday, reiterating that the US-led international sanctions in place against the North do not apply to tourism. “We are reviewing options on individual travel to North Korea,” a senior Unification Ministry official said. The ministry handles inter-Korean affairs. The officials said the two Koreas would discuss security

North Korea asked South Korea through the inter-Korean liaison office in December to tear down buildings at the inter-Korean resort town on the east coast near Kumgangsan, Seoul officials familiar with the matter said Thursday. Pyongyang requested Seoul do so by February this year. “I can’t confirm anything at the moment because the matter is under consultation between the two Koreas,” one official said. “On the matter of the resort, our position is that those in charge

South Korea is a sovereign country that dictates its own North Kore policy, Seoul’s Unification Ministry said Friday, in response to remarks by US Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris that Washington should be consulted on potential cross-border tourism to Pyongyang. “The US has made it clear through many channels that it respects the sovereignty of South Korea, and our North Korea policy falls under that description,” spokesperson Lee Sang-min said at a press briefing. On

All able-bodied men in South Korea must serve in the military for about two years. The duty, which is a reminder that the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty, has rarely invited questions about whether soldiers are duly compensated for their service. That now shows signs of change. Both the public and the government are increasingly becoming aware of soldiers’ right to due monetary compensation, shifting away from considering military service as a statutory civi

Restricted military areas in South Korea, concentrated in regions adjacent to Seoul, will be opened up to the public for business development, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea said Thursday. The areas to be affected are mostly near Seoul in surrounding Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces, and cover 77 square kilometers -- roughly 27 times the size of Seoul’s financial district of Yeouido. The areas would include regions as far away as the Chungcheong and Gyeongsang provinces, the party sa

Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo on Tuesday reiterated that South Korea stands fully prepared for any provocation by North Korea, amid growing speculation concerning Pyongyang’s “new strategic weapon.” Appearing on a radio channel operated by the ministry, he said the military is taking the situation seriously and is ensuring watertight military readiness for any emergency. “I’d say this with confidence that we are ready for whatever unfolds.” A week earl

The “new strategic weapon” North Korean leader Kim Jong-un mentioned could be an advanced intercontinental ballistic missile, Voice of America reported, citing multiple North Korea experts. “I think we could see something like solid fuel ICBM launch from North Korea. That doesn’t actually mean that they developed it by themselves,” Markus Schiller, who is an expert in mechanical and aerospace engineering, told VOA on Wednesday. Schiller said the North would go the

Veterans or independence activists who fought against Japan during its occupation of the Korean Peninsula are eligible to file a legal complaint if they feel they were unlawfully denied decorations, the Seoul High Court said. According to judicial sources on Friday, the appeals court overturned an earlier ruling that refused to look into a claim, raised by a man on behalf of his deceased father, demanding the veterans affairs agency recommend a decoration for his father, who the son claims was

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea announced Thursday that retired Gen. Kim Byung-joo, a former deputy commander of the ROK-US Combined Forces Command, had agreed to join the party and run in the general elections in April. “Gen. Kim is a security expert with a vision for a strong armed forces. He knows the ROK-US alliance and international strategy better than anyone as he forged strong alliance with Washington,” the party said at a press briefing at the National Assembly. Kim wa

Following North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s warning of a “new strategic weapon,” experts on Wednesday weighed in on the state of the regime’s veiled missile program for clues. Pyongyang has been trying to develop multiple-warhead intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and the strategic weapon may be an upgrade of either of the two. Both of them could pose a greater threat to the United States and its allies, as they would be hard

Gen. Park Han-ki, chairman of South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, was aboard the E-737 Peace Eye aircraft early Tuesday morning. Park communicated with key commanders from each branch of the armed forces and encouraged them to carry on their unwavering pursuit of “complete military readiness” during the 100-minute flight across the country. The top military officer thanked soldiers for their service amid heightened tension on the Korean Peninsula in the photos provided by 

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un chaired the first part of a key ruling party meeting in Pyongyang on Saturday, amid speculation that the communist state may proclaim a “new path” in the face of stalled disarmament talks with the US Attended by key party and military officers, the fifth plenary session of the seventh Central Committee of the Workers’ Party discussed details regarding building of the state and its defense, the North’s official Korean Central News Agency sa

The US Department of Defense on Monday dismissed local reports that a recent US-South Korea joint military exercise was a rehearsal for a “decapitation strike” against key North Korean figures. The reports said the combat exercise, which took place in Gunsan, South Jeolla Province, from August to November this year, simulated a surgical strike to take down Pyongyang's key commanders in an apparent warning, citing photographs and videos posted on the department’s website on Dec

South Korea has brought in a US-made advanced spy drone that will improve its surveillance of North Korean military activities, the military said Monday. The RQ-4 Block 30 Global Hawk arrived at the Air Force base in the city of Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, earlier on the day. It is the first of four units that South Korea is buying from the US as part of a 2011 deal, with the other three coming in a year later. The Air Force said the military will deploy the aircraft in acc