The military will focus on strengthening its ability to respond to nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in 2020, and on applying cutting-edge technologies to its defense systems, the Ministry of National Defense said Tuesday. The plans were revealed in an annual briefing session for President Moon Jae-in at the Gyeryongdae complex -- an Army, Navy and Air Force headquarters near Daejeon. At the briefing, Moon stressed the importance of defense, pointing to the increased def

Best known for 2011 ‘Operation Dawn of Gulf of Aden,’ unit sees operation range increase 3.5 times

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 safeguard our people and guarantee free passage of our ships,” said the ministry.In ad

The number of military deserters has decreased more than 80 percent since 2013, the defense ministry said Monday.A total of 105 conscripts attempted to abandon their units in 2019, down 83.7 percent from 643 desertions in 2013, according to the ministry. During the cited period, the number of active-duty soldiers who committed suicide fell 22.7 percent from 79 cases in 2013 to 61 last year, the ministry data showed. Such improvement is, at least in part, attributable to a new military help line,

South Korea and China held working-level defense talks in Seoul on Thursday on ways to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula and enhance bilateral cooperation, Seoul's defense ministry said.During the 18th round of bilateral policy consultations, Lee Won-ik, director general of international policy at the Ministry of National Defense, and his Chinese counterpart, Song Yan Chao, exchanged their assessments of the recent security situation on the peninsula, according to the ministry. They shared t

South Korea and the US still have their differences on how to share the costs of stationing American troops in Korea, the Foreign Ministry said Thursday, after the two sides wrapped up their latest round of negotiations in Washington.“The two sides broadened their mutual understanding and consensus but confirmed that there are still differences between them,” the ministry said in a statement Thursday without mentioning what the differences were. “In the latest meeting, our

An Army non-commissioned officer underwent gender reassignment surgery last year and has expressed a desire to continue to serve in the military as a female solider, officers said Thursday.The serviceperson, whose identity was withheld, visited a foreign country while on furlough last year for the surgery. After an examination, a military medical team declared her "a handicapped person," which requires the authorities' evaluation to decide whether to discharge her or not. The officer r

South Korea's Army Chief of Staff Gen. Suh Wook will visit the United States this week for talks with his US counterpart to discuss ways to boost ties between their services, Suh's office said Sunday.During his seven-day official visit starting on Sunday, Suh is scheduled to meet with US Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. James McConville to reaffirm the allies' staunch alliance and find ways to boost exchanges and cooperation between the militaries, according to the Army.The general is also planni

A US Army unit appears to be quickening preparations for its upcoming rotational deployment to South Korea, with its recent social media post saying its heavy equipment is "on its way to the port."The 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Infantry Division in Fort Riley, Kansas, is expected to arrive in Korea in the coming months for a nine-month rotational mission. It will replace the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division. "Rail head operations are just

South Korea and the United States will hold a new round of talks in Washington next week on sharing the cost for stationing American troops here amid expectations the two sides are closer to a deal.Jeong Eun-bo, South Korea's chief negotiator for the talks, is set to meet his US counterpart, James DeHart, for two-day talks starting on Tuesday (US time), the foreign ministry said Friday.The planned negotiations come as the two allies are under pressure to clinch a fresh deal on determining how mu

Restricted military areas in Korea, concentrated in regions adjacent to the capital, 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 Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces and cover 77 square kilometers -- roughly 27 times the size of Seoul’s financial district of Yeouido.After a morning meeting with the Defense Ministry, the party unveiled the government plan and said the areas wou

South Korea has made no decision yet on whether to send its troops to help safeguard the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, Seoul's foreign ministry said Tuesday, amid rising tensions in the Middle East from the US killing of a top Iranian general last week.    Friday's fatal drone strike on Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force, has raised expectations that Washington will step up calls for its allies to contribute to maritime security operations in the wa

The United States flew a surveillance aircraft over South Korea's capital areas on Tuesday, an aviation tracker said, amid simmering tensions over possible provocations by North Korea.An RC-135W Rivet Joint of the US Air Force was spotted in the skies above areas near the western port city of Incheon following similar operations by the aircraft the previous day, Aircraft Spots tweeted. Several other surveillance aircraft, such as the EP-3E and the RC-135S, have also been detected here often in r

The United States flew surveillance aircraft over the Korean Peninsula on Monday, an aviation tracker said, amid simmering tensions over possible provocative acts by North Korea after it warned of a "new strategic weapon."An RC-135W Rivet Joint of the US Air Force carried out operations over South Korea at 31,000 feet, Aircraft Spots tweeted.It added the flight took place Monday.    This type of aircraft was last spotted over the peninsula on Wednesday, according to the

South Korea is expected to abolish the military guardhouse system this year as part of efforts to better protect the human rights of draftees, officials said Saturday.A revision of the Military Personnel Management Act calls for the abolishment of guardhouses and the establishment of additional educational programs instead to discipline soldiers, according to the defense ministry. The bill, now pending at the National Assembly, will come into effect six months after passage.Under the guardhouse