The Korea Times

New body to handle large-scale arms programs

By Jun Ji-hye The nation’s arms procurement agency plans to set up a new department that will take full charge of large-scale weapons development programs as part of efforts to root out corruption in arms deals.Chang Myoung-jin, head of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), told reporters Thursday that his agency will establish a new department, which will be joined by a number of civilians, by October.If formed, the department will take charge of sharing technology with defense firms and making decisions for large-scale arms development programs totaling some 30 trillion won, he said. The plan was part of DAPA’s reform measures amid an ongoing investigation by the prosecution into chronic corruption in the defense industry.Jang made the announcement during a meeting with defense companies in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province.The establishment of the new department is aimed at expanding a high degree of technology acquired over the course of weapons development to the private sector so that cooperation between the military and civilians can be

Jul 23, 2015By Jun Ji-hye

South Korea

Controversy persists over NIS scandal

By Jun Ji-hye The ruling and opposition parties have given contrasting reactions to allegations that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) spied on citizens in 2012 during the run-up to the presidential election.The controversy deepened after an intelligence officer surnamed Lim committed suicide Saturday when lawmakers were planning to visit and inspect the agency for buying and operating spyware from an Italian tech firm, Hacking Team (HT).A civic alliance led by Minbyun, or Lawyers for a Democratic Society, said Wednesday that they will file a complaint with the prosecution against former and incumbent directors of the NIS, Won Sei-hoon and Lee Byung-ho.They claim that the NIS spread malignant spyware and unlawfully carried out surveillance on people without warrants.Here are some points of conflict between the rival parties. Did the NIS break the law? The biggest conflict in the views of rival parties is whether the nation’s spy agency actually spied on citizens.Suspicions that this occurred arose because of the timing of the purchase of spyware called Remo

Jul 22, 2015By Jun Ji-hye

South Korea

`NK may fire long-range missile'

By Jun Ji-hye North Korea has almost completed extension work at a long-range missile launching pad near its border with China, according to military sources Wednesday.South Korean military authorities are focusing on the possibility that the North could launch a long-range missile or rocket around Oct. 10 when it will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the foundation of its ruling Workers’ Party.Pyongyang began to build the extension of the 50-meter-tall gantry in 2013 and has made it higher by 17 meters, sources said apparently on the basis of satellite imagery.The new 67-meter-tall gantry has been spotted at the Dongchang-ri site, North Pyeongan Province, which the repressive state calls the Sohae Satellite Launching Station. Sohae means West Sea in Korean.“We believe that North Korea could use the extended gantry to fire a long-range rocket bigger than the Unha-3,” a source said, asking not to be named. “We assess that a firing could occur around anniversary day.”The Unha-3, which allegedly put a satellite into orbit in December 2012, is a three-

Jul 22, 2015By Jun Ji-hye

South Korea

Spy agency hit for sloppy reaction

Rep. Won Yoo-chul, left, floor leader of the ruling Saenuri Party, and his counterpart, Rep. Lee Jong-kul of the main opposition New Politics Alliance forDemocracy, discuss a hacking scandal involving the National Intelligence Service at the National Assembly, Tuesday. / YonhapBy Jun Ji-hye The National Intelligence Service (NIS) is being criticized for overreacting to suspicions that it spied on members of the public in 2012.The agency issued a rare press release Friday to deny the allegations and blame politicians and unfriendly media outlets for jeopardizing national security.Two days later, it issued a statement, which it claimed was signed by all NIS employees, blaming critics again and defending an intelligence officer who committed suicide while undergoing an internal audit for buying and operating spyware from an Italian tech firm.Opposition lawmakers and experts are arguing that the spy agency’s rare activeness in handling the scandal has “gone beyond common sense.”Both announcements were seen as efforts to prevent the NIS’s image from being hurt

Jul 21, 2015By Jun Ji-hye

South Korea

Military hit for lying about THAAD info

The military came under fire Monday for hiding the fact that a suspected Chinese spy asked a South Korean Navy officer in December to hand over information about the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system when it gave a briefing to reporters on the incident on July 10.A military official said the suspected Chinese intelligence officer asked the Navy officer, who was working at the Defense Security Command (DSC), to hand over confidential data regarding THAAD. However, the requested information was not actually delivered to the Chinese, the official said.“Military prosecutors discovered this fact and included it in a court paper when they indicted the Navy officer,” the official said, declining to be named.The case involves a lieutenant-commander in the Navy who was indicted on July 10 for allegedly leaking third-class confidential information on naval destroyers to the Chinese officer in February.On the day of the indictment, a high-ranking official of the military prosecution told reporters that the suspected Chinese agent asked the DSC officer, whose id

Jul 20, 2015By Jun Ji-hye

South Korea

'Hazed Marine attempted suicide'

By Jun Ji-hye The Marine Corps said Monday it is reinvestigating an assault case in which a Marine attempted to commit suicide after being beaten by his seniors.“We are again looking into the case where three juniors were allegedly beaten by seniors at the 2nd Division of the Marine Corps,” an official said, Monday.The Marine Corps dispatched three military policemen to the division to question those involved.The measure came after a revelation that a Marine, 20, attempted to commit suicide on June 28 by leaping from the third floor of the barracks. He suffered a fracture in his left ankle.According to the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, the Marine was assigned to the 2nd Division on May 22, and then was beaten with two other colleagues from May 24-28 by three senior soldiers.He made a report to a civilian advisor who visited the unit, which led to the initial investigation.After this investigation, the three assailants moved out to other units on June 25, but the 20-year-old, who also wanted to move out, was left in the same unit.    The Ma

Jul 20, 2015By Jun Ji-hye

South Korea

Seoul, Tokyo conduct military intelligence talks

By Jun Ji-hyeA meeting between the intelligence bureau chiefs of the South Korean and Japanese defense ministries has raised the likelihood that the two sides will again push for a bilateral agreement in sharing sensitive military information.Seoul’s Defense Ministry said Friday that Tadashi Miyagawa, the top intelligence officer in Japan’s ministry, arrived here Wednesday for a three-day visit and met his South Korean counterpart, Jo Bo-geun.The ministry stressed that the two discussed general issues only, such as threats from North Korea and the state of affairs in Northeast Asian region.“Whether to resume the suspended discussion on the signing of the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) or whether to hold Seoul-Tokyo defense ministers’ talks was not discussed,” the ministry said.However, military observers say GSOMIA being on the agenda cannot be ruled out as Japan has been pressuring Seoul to resume talks to strengthen the two sides’ defense capabilities against missile and nuclear threats from the North.During the

Jul 17, 2015By Jun Ji-hye

South Korea

Soldiers' meals get moms' touch

Mothers put dumplings on the plate in order to evaluate the quality of food served for soldiers at the Ministry of National Defense, Monday. / YonhapBy Jun Ji-hyeOne common wish for all active soldiers is to eat homemade meals cooked by their mothers.Now some lucky sons in the armed services can do just that.The Ministry of National Defense said Monday that 15 mothers of active soldiers are now working as “food monitors” to help the military select suppliers of ingredients and evaluate the quality of the produce.The group, formed last year, attended a food testing event at the ministry and evaluated the food supplied by companies.The ministry launched the program as part of efforts to improve the quality of food provided for soldiers.During Monday’s event, the mothers tasted dumplings while monitoring the color and smell of the food. They also checked company management arrangements and the production capacity of suppliers.Sohn Kyung-hee, 50, a mother of a private serving in Gapyeong, said she was happy to choose what was best for her son.“Mothers tried dumpli

Jul 13, 2015By Jun Ji-hye

South Korea

Park names ex-lawmaker as political aide

By Jun Ji-hyeHyun Ki-hwanPresident Park Geun-hye appointed former ruling Saenuri Party lawmaker Hyun Ki-hwan as her new senior secretary for political affairs Friday, according to the presidential office.The appointment came 54 days after former secretary Cho Yoon-sun quit in May to take responsibility for the delayed progress in passing a bill to reform the public employee pension system at the National Assembly.Presidential spokesman Min Kyung-wook said, “Hyun is a qualified person to assist the President in communicating with politicians as he has distinct sociability and a large network of relationships.”Hyun, 56, a native of the port city of Busan, served as a lawmaker from 2008 to 2012 after working at the Federation of Korea Trade Unions, one of the nation’s two largest labor unions with more than 650,000 members.He is the fourth presidential secretary for political affairs in the Park Geun-hye administration after Park Joon-woo, Rep. Lee Jung-hyun and Cho.Follow Jun Ji-hye on Twitter @TheKopJihye

Jul 10, 2015By Jun Ji-hye

Park names ex-lawmaker as political aide

South Korea

'Classified data leaked to China'

By Jun Ji-hye Military prosecutors indicted a Navy officer, Friday, for allegedly leaking classified information to a person believed to be a Chinese intelligence officer.The lieutenant-commander, who is now working at the Defense Security Command (DSC), is suspected of having handed over third-class confidential information on naval destroyers to the suspected Chinese officer in February.During a media briefing, Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said the two had a liaison, also believed to be Chinese, who allegedly received the data from the officer and delivered it to China.The officer, whose identity was withheld, visited the hometown of the suspected agent, and the trip was paid for by the latter, Kim said.A high-ranking ministry official explained, on condition of anonymity, that there was no evidence showing the lieutenant-commander received money or valuables from the Chinese.The officer, however, has a bank account in China. “We could not look into his bank account in China,” he said.The investigators believe that the person who received the c

Jul 10, 2015By Jun Ji-hye

Jun Ji-hye

Read more

New body to handle large-scale arms programs

Controversy persists over NIS scandal

`NK may fire long-range missile'

Spy agency hit for sloppy reaction

Military hit for lying about THAAD info

'Hazed Marine attempted suicide'

Seoul, Tokyo conduct military intelligence talks

Soldiers' meals get moms' touch

Park names ex-lawmaker as political aide

'Classified data leaked to China'

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