The Korea Herald

안녕하세요 Shin Hyon-hee 기자입니다.

Articles by Shin Hyon-hee

Korea to raise defense budget 3.6% to W38.8tr

DefenseDec 3, 2015

The country’s defense budget is set to hike 3.6 percent to 38.8 trillion won ($33.3 billion) next year on the back of an increase in salaries and production costs of utility helicopters and other weapons systems. Overall, more than 27.1 trillion won was allotted for force operations, while some 11 trillion won will be spent to advance defense capabilities such as by continuing the establishment of the Kill Chain and the Korea Air and Missile Defense preemptive strike systems slated to be complet
Korea steps up drone development

DefenseNov 30, 2015

In May 2014, many South Koreans were struck by the discovery of three crashed drones in frontline areas that had been flown in from North Korea. Albeit crude, the small devices had taken photos of major military installations on border islands, potential infiltration routes and the presidential palace in downtown Seoul, kindling concerns over a potential security breach and lax air defense. Boosted by the brisk advancement of aerospace power following two World Wars, drones have revolutionized m
N.K. apparently fails submarine missile test

North KoreaNov 29, 2015

North Korea appears to have failed to launch a ballistic missile from a submarine in yet another provocative action that may escalate tensions on the peninsula, government sources in Seoul said Sunday. The communist state is believed to have tried to fire a KN-11 missile from a submarine in the East Sea between 2:20 p.m. and 2:40 p.m. Saturday, but it stopped short of soaring from the waters, the sources said. Seoul’s Defense Ministry declined to officially confirm the report. “The cover of the
Jeju base conceived as military-civilian port

DefenseNov 29, 2015

JEJUDO ISLAND ― Minutes after the bus drifted down a tote road toward the shore, a glassy cobalt blue ocean unfolded menacingly, with two newly paved, sprawling breakwaters being occupied by a small fleet of naval ships including an Aegis-equipped destroyer and submarines. Following several years of protests and subsequent delays, the Navy is gearing up to introduce a strategic naval base on this scenic island as early as January as part of Seoul’s efforts to shore up its maritime defense. A cap
Who is responsible for troubled KF-X?

DefenseNov 27, 2015

With Korea’s push to build homegrown fighter jets turning increasingly vapid in the face of a string of setbacks for U.S. technology transfer, calls are growing to clarify where the responsibility lies.The responsibility issue has come to the fore since Washington was found to have vetoed last April the U.S. defense firm Lockheed Martin Corp.’s envisioned handover of four technologies vital for Seoul’s project to introduce its own first KF-16-class warplanes by 2025, dubbed KF-X or Boramae. (Yo
Park vows to join global terror fight

Foreign affairsNov 16, 2015

President Park Geun-hye on Sunday pledged to join a global campaign against terrorism as world leaders renewed efforts at a meeting in Turkey to thwart the Islamic State and foreign jihadist fighters in the wake of the Paris attacks claimed by the extremist group. At the Group of 20 summit in Antalya, she also displayed her resolve to ramp up humanitarian assistance to Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and countries that provide shelter to those who have fled their conflict-stricken homes, calling terror
Korea seeks to extend troops in Somalia, UAE

DefenseNov 11, 2015

The Defense Ministry is seeking to extend by one year the stationing of its troops off the coast of Somalia and the United Arab Emirates, officials said Wednesday, citing persistent pirate threats and the need for constant security cooperation with Middle Eastern countries. The agency is also pushing to put in place legislation to facilitate its future overseas dispatch of forces and participation in non-U.N. peacekeeping operations. Currently, some 320 soldiers of the Cheonghae Unit have been t
KOICA exhibition to recount Korea’s overseas aid history

Foreign affairsNov 10, 2015

The Korea International Cooperation Agency plans to chronicle the country’s rapid ascent from an aid recipient to an emerging donor at an exhibition in central Seoul later this month, the state aid institution said Tuesday.The event will take place from Nov. 24 for six days at the War Memorial in Yongsan, marking the 2015 Development Cooperation Week starting Nov. 23. KOICA president Kim Young-mok, Park Gi-tae ― founder of the Voluntary Agency Network of Korea focusing on cyber public diplomacy
North Korean marshal’s death indicates more personnel shake-ups

North KoreaNov 9, 2015

North Korean state media said Monday that leader Kim Jong-un had on Sunday conveyed his condolences for a deceased military marshal whose funeral committee set off speculation over the political health of ranking officials. Ri Ul-sol, also a close assistant to the sitting ruler’s late grandfather Kim Il-sung, died from lung cancer Saturday at age 94. The young Kim, who presides over his 170-member funeral committee, visited the Central Hall of Workers in Pyongyang housing Ri’s body, met with his
N.K. leader to lead funeral of deceased marshal

North KoreaNov 8, 2015

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is set to personally oversee the funeral of Ri Ul-sol, a close aide to the young ruler’s deceased grandfather and a retired military marshal who died at the age of 94 from lung cancer Saturday, state media reported Sunday. The “state funeral” will take place Wednesday after receiving mourners for three days from Sunday afternoon, the official Korean Central News Agency said, adding that his body is laid at the Central Hall of Workers in the capital. Born in 1921 i
Minister Yun calls out on N.K. in Iran

Foreign affairsNov 8, 2015

Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se set foot in Tehran on Saturday as Seoul’s first top diplomat in about 14 years, meeting with top officials and urging North Korea once again to follow its path to forsake nuclear weapons and regain international confidence. Yun’s trip comes after that of former minister Han Seung-soo in 2001 and three previous rounds of bilateral talks with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif on the sidelines of international conferences over the past year. The ministerial
Korea, China, Japan vie in Thai arms market

DefenseNov 4, 2015

(Joint Press Corps)BANGKOK ― Korea, China and Japan are engaged in a heated competition for more arms exports at a defense tradeshow in Thailand as they strive to shore up their presence in the region’s growing markets traditionally dominated by Western powerhouses. At this year’s Defense & Security 2015, which opened in Bangkok on Monday for a four-day run, the three Northeast Asian neighbors are showcasing their technological prowess in parallel for the first time. Tokyo, in particular, marked
Korean companies target Asian arms market

DefenseNov 2, 2015

BANGKOK ― More than 400 arms manufacturers from some 50 countries around the globe gathered to explore opportunities for future exports and technological sharing at a tradeshow in Thailand on Monday. Defense & Security 2015 kicked off in the Southeast Asian country’s capital for a four-day run, drawing the highest number of participating countries and businesses since its launch in 2003. Nine major ship and aircraft makers and other arms producers are running booths at a 424-square-meter Korean
Korea to showcase defense prowess at Thai exhibition

DefenseNov 1, 2015

BANGKOK ― The country’s leading arms producers are poised to boast their technological might and boost their potential for future exports at a trade fair in Thailand this week. Defense & Security 2015 will kick off Monday in the Southeast Asian country’s capital for a four-day run, bringing together about 25 defense agencies and 400 military service providers from about 50 countries. The biennial event is the largest military exhibition in the region, organizers said, having grown more than 30 p
[Herald Interview] Expert calls for bottom-up approach to aid

Foreign affairsNov 1, 2015

As fragmentation and a lack of long-term vision continue to plague Korea’s aid system, the government should rethink its top-down approach and embrace different parts of society in its decision-making process, a leading scholar said. Sohn Hyuk-sang, a professor at Kyung Hee University’s Graduate School of Public Policy and Civic Engagement, stressed the need for across-the-board cooperation not only within government organizations, but also with businesses and civil society in carrying out a new