The Korea Times

F-X, KF-X projects hinge on budget issue

By Jun Ji-hyeThere are growing concerns over funding following the recent announcements of the purchase of 40 F-35 stealth fighters as the nation’s next-generation fighters (F-X), and the development of an indigenous fighter, the KF-X.Some analysts wonder whether the plans will strain the government budget.The two programs will likely cost a total of 15.8 trillion won ($15 billion).The government plans to spend 7.3 trillion won to purchase 40 Lockheed Martin radar-evading combat planes, and 8.5 trillion won to develop indigenous “F-16 class” fighter jets scheduled to be put into service from 2025.The Defense Acquisition Program Executive Committee, which was presided over by Defense Minister Han Min-koo, approved the plans Wednesday.Concerns are flaring up because the military already changed its plan last year due to a difficulty in securing funds ― Korea initially planned to introduce 60 high-tech combat planes with a budget of 8.3 trillion won, but it later decided to buy 40 due to the high cost of the F-35, 120 billion won each.The Defense Acquisition Progr

Sep 25, 2014By Jun Ji-hye

South Korea

Korea finalizes plan to buy F-35s for W7.3 tril.

By Jun Ji-hyeThe defense acquisition agency has finalized a plan to purchase 40 Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighters as the nation’s next-generation fighters (F-X) with a total budget of 7.3 trillion won ($7 billion), officials said Wednesday.The unit cost of each aircraft is 120 billion won.“The plan is to gradually buy the aircraft, 10 at a time, from 2018 to 2021,” said Jung Kwang-sun, director of the aircraft department at the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).In return for the purchase, Lockheed Martin agreed to transfer fighter-related technology in 17 areas to Korea in its bid to develop an indigenous fighter, codenamed KF-X, to replace aging F-4 and F-5 jets.The Defense Acquisition Program Executive Committee, which was presided over by Defense Minister Han Min-koo, approved the plan later Wednesday.Following the agreement, the government is set to sign letters of agreement sent by the U.S. side. This is expected to be completed by the end of the month, Jung said.DAPA spokesman Baek Youn-hyeong said that the administration carried out negoti

Sep 24, 2014By Jun Ji-hye

People & Events

Female soldiers shine in military

Army 6th Infantry Division sergeant first class Yoo Eun-mi, instructs a fellow soldier on how to handle a K-4 machine gun on Sept. 17. / YonhapSecond lieutenant Hong Ji-hye camouflages her face before ordering the 76th ArtilleryBattalion to fire during an exercise Sept. 17. / YonhapBy Jun Ji-hye Hong Ji-hye, a second lieutenant, is the first-ever female officer assigned to the Army’s artillery branch.Commissioned in March, the 25-year-old is currently carrying out her duties at the 76th Artillery Battalion. Her primary task is to calculate firing data and order troops to shoot.She could become the first female officer specialized in artillery missions after the Army opened its artillery, armored and air defense divisions to female soldiers this year.“I want to explore a new way at the artillery unit, a pivot of counter-fire warfare,” said Hong. “I feel a huge responsibility with the title of the first female officer of the artillery branch. I am also well aware of the public attention on myself. I will spare no effort to improve as an artil

Sep 24, 2014By Jun Ji-hye

South Korea

Factional disputes within opposition still persist

Rep. Moon Hee-sang, left, interim leader of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD), shakes hands with Lee Hee-ho, the widow of the late President Kim Dae-jung, during a visit to Kim’s grave at the National Cemetery in Dongjak-dong, Seoul, Tuesday. The late President is seen as an iconic democracy figure among the opposition lawmakers. / YonhapBy Jun Ji-hyeFactional disputes within the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) showed no signs of abating Tuesday despite interim leader Rep. Moon Hee-sang declaring an end to such conflicts.During a meeting of the party’s emergency planning committee Monday, Moon told members, “Factionalism will no longer exist in the NPAD.”But the five-term lawmaker is already facing complaints from fellow lawmakers, especially those who believe they were excluded from the formation of the committee.Monday’s meeting was the first since he was appointed chairman of the committee last week.His current task is to lead the party until a new NPAD chairman is elected at a national conventio

Sep 23, 2014By Jun Ji-hye

Factional disputes within opposition still persist

South Korea

Party leaders push for Sewol dialogue

Rep. Kim Moo-sung, left, chairman of the ruling Saenuri Party, and Rep. Moon Hee-sang, interim leader of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy, shake hands ahead of a meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, Monday, to discuss ways to resolve the deadlock on the special Sewol bill. / YonhapBy Jun Ji-hyeRep. Kim Moo-sung, chairman of the ruling Saenuri Party, and Rep. Moon Hee-sang, interim leader of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD), urged their floor leaders Monday to resume dialog to discuss the stalled special Sewol bill to get the National Assembly back on track.“The call came as the two leaders agreed on the need to normalize the functions of the National Assembly to pass a backlog of pending bills,” said Rep. Yoo Ki-hong, spokesman of the ruling party, after Kim and Moon wrapped up a meeting that lasted for about 20 minutes.The meeting took place four days after Moon was appointed as the new leader of the opposition, raising hopes about his possible role in breaking the deadlock between the rival camps.During the meet

Sep 22, 2014By Jun Ji-hye

South Korea

Will military change itself this time?

Defense Minister Han Min-koo speaks at a forum with military officers in charge of religious affairs about how to reform military culture, at a Ministry of National Defense convention on Sept. 12. / YonhapJudiciary reform, ombudsman expected to serve as litmus test  By Jun Ji-hye The Ministry of National Defense is under increasing pressure from concerned citizens as well as human rights groups to reform the military in the wake of recent tragedies, including a 23 year-old serviceman who went on a shooting spree in June, killing colleagues, and the death of a soldier the same age, caused by injuries sustained over months of brutal treatment that was part of a hazing process.In response, the ministry has come up with a number of measures, which can be accomplished in a short period of time, to improve conditions for young men drafted into serving mandatory military service as well as career servicemen and women.These include raising the monthly salary of soldiers by 15 percent and increasing the unit cost of meals by five percent.However, two long-debated subjects _ how

Sep 22, 2014By Jun Ji-hye

South Korea

NPAD to soften position on Sewol bill

By Jun Ji-hyeRep. Moon Hee-sang, the newly selected interim leader of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD), indicated Friday that he is ready to compromise stance in dealing with a special bill for an investigation into the Sewol ferry disaster.“Everybody ― the ruling Saenuri Party, the National Assembly and the nation ― should move past the deadlock. We cannot die together,” the five-term lawmaker told reporters. “I have a plan in my mind. But there is a precondition ― the understanding of the relatives of those who died in the April ferry accident.”Moon was appointed as a chairman of the party’s emergency planning committee, Thursday. His job is to serve as the de facto leader of the largest opposition party until an NPAD national convention is held to elect a new chairman.His remarks were interpreted as indicating his intention to take a step back from the party’s existing position of complying with requests from the bereaved families regarding the bill, which is designed to establish a fact-finding commi

Sep 19, 2014By Jun Ji-hye

South Korea

Monthly salary of soldiers to be raised by 15 percent

By Jun Ji-hyeThe government is planning to raise the monthly salary of soldiers by 15 percent, as well as increase the unit cost of meals by 5 percent in a bid to improve conditions for draftees.“The monthly salary given to a corporal, for example, will be increased to 155,000 won from the current 135,000 won,” said the Ministry of National Defense in a statement, Thursday.The government is also planning to provide those enlisted in general outpost (GOP) units with new bulletproof vests, along with building additional indoor gyms and basketball courts there.The measures primarily focused on improving soldiers’ welfare were included in the government’s defense budget proposal for next year, in which it earmarked 37.6 trillion won ($36 billion). The money is up 5.2 percent compared to this year.The moves followed mounting calls on the military to take appropriate steps to reform misconduct in barracks and guarantee the human rights of soldiers in the wake of recent tragedies, including a deadly shooting spree and a death caused by hazing.A total of 26.3 trillion

Sep 18, 2014By Jun Ji-hye

South Korea

Speaker to open plenary session by authority on Sept. 26

National Assembly Speaker Chung Ui-hwa presides over a meeting with members of the standing committee at the National Assembly, Seoul, Tuesday. He said he will open a plenary session on Sept. 26 by using his authority for the parliament to deliberate over 91 stalled bills. / YonhapBy Jun Ji-hyeThe National Assembly Speaker Chung Ui-hwa said Tuesday that he will use his authority to open a plenary session on Sept. 26 for the parliament to deliberate over 91 bills that have remained pending since the Sewol ferry disaster in April.“The speaker sympathizes with the argument that the Assembly can no longer delay its duties,” read a statement from the office of the speaker.The announcement came a few hours after Rep. Lee Wan-koo, floor leader of the governing Saenuri Party, urged Chung to set up a schedule for the plenary sessions. He said that his party can no longer wait for an agreement from the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD).Once the plenary session is held, the ruling party will be able to unilaterally pass the backlog of pending bills because i

Sep 16, 2014By Jun Ji-hye

South Korea

NK renews calls for stopping anti-Pyongyang leaflet campaign

By Jun Ji-hyeNorth Korea’s National Defense Commission (NDC) has submitted letters of protest to Cheong Wa Dae calling for a group of conservative activists to be stopped from floating balloons containing anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the demilitarized zone (DMZ), according to government officials Tuesday.“The NDC sent the letters twice on Saturday and Monday to the presidential office’s National Security Office,” said an official.The letter that arrived Saturday claimed that Seoul should first stop spreading anti-Pyongyang leaflets if it wants to hold inter-Korean high-level talks, he said.Cheong Wa Dae replied Sunday, stating “The South is complying with the no-slander policy that was decided upon during the high level talks last February, but the government is not able to restrict activists’ right to freedom of assembly and association without a legal basis.”The official said that the North’s letter on Monday was a repetition of the previously stated position.Follow Jun Ji-hye on Twitter @TheKopJihye

Sep 16, 2014By Jun Ji-hye

Jun Ji-hye

Read more

F-X, KF-X projects hinge on budget issue

Korea finalizes plan to buy F-35s for W7.3 tril.

Female soldiers shine in military

Factional disputes within opposition still persist

Party leaders push for Sewol dialogue

Will military change itself this time?

NPAD to soften position on Sewol bill

Monthly salary of soldiers to be raised by 15 percent

Speaker to open plenary session by authority on Sept. 26

NK renews calls for stopping anti-Pyongyang leaflet campaign

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