South Korea - The Korea Times

South Korea completes preliminary design of new submarine

The Changbogo III-class Batch-II submarine / YonhapSouth Korea has completed the preliminary design of a 3,000-ton indigenous submarine that features capabilities for longer-duration and speedier underwater operations, Seoul's arms procurement agency said Wednesday.Since July 2016, Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co. took the lead in designing the Changbogo III-class Batch-II submarine, whose construction is set to begin in the latter half of next year, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said.The next generation submarine is to be equipped with a locally developed lithium battery, which will allow longer underwater operations, and advanced sonar and combat tools that will enhance its target detection capabilities and overall survivability."It is expected that by possessing the strategic weapons system designed based on local cutting-edge technologies, the country will be able to further strengthen the Navy's independent defense capabilities," the DAPA said in a press release.The DAPA said that 80 percent of its component parts were made by Korean busines

Dec 26, 2018

South Korea completes preliminary design of new submarine

Syria pullout decision fuels concerns over defense cost-sharing talks

U.S. President Donald Trump last week ordered U.S. forces to withdraw from Syria. / AP-YonhapBy Yi Whan-wooU.S. President Donald Trump's order to pull out American troops from Syria is fueling speculation the Trump administration will increase pressure on South Korea to spend more money on the upkeep of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK).Trump's Syria withdrawal decision tests his “America First” foreign policy aimed at reducing the U.S. financial burden on global defense and letting its allies shoulder more responsibility, according to analysts, Sunday.They said Trump's test would be expanded to other regions, including South Korea, which has been making little headway with the U.S. in negotiations over the cost of the USFK.Trump has accused South Korea of “free riding” on U.S. defense and branded Korea's payment of $830 million a year to the U.S. to offset the cost of 28,500 American troops as “peanuts.”In negotiations about the Special Measures Agreement (SMA), a five-year defense contract set to end on Dec. 31, the Trump administration reportedly has wan

Dec 23, 2018By Yi Whan-woo

Syria pullout decision fuels concerns over defense cost-sharing talks

Aegis destroyer marks 10th launch anniversary

Aegis destroyer marks 10th launch anniversary: Crew members pose on the deck of Sejong the Great KDX-III Aegis destroyer before it completes its three-day cruise and returns to the naval base on Jeju Island, in this photo released by the Navy, Sunday. The Sejong the Great, the lead ship of three KDX-III destroyers, went on the cruise in the waters off Jinhae, South Gyeongsang Province, and the West Sea to from Dec. 19 to 21 mark the 10th anniversary of its launch. / Yonhap

Dec 23, 2018By Yi Whan-woo

S. Korean Navy dismisses Tokyo's claim about targeting of Japanese patrol aircraft

This file photo shows a Japanese P-1 patrol aircraft. From YonhapThe Navy on Friday dismissed Japan's claim that a South Korean warship directed fire-control radar at Tokyo's patrol aircraft a day earlier, saying the neighboring country misunderstood its operation to help a North Korean ship drifting near a sea border.Japan's Kyodo News reported that Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya said the South Korean vessel targeted the Maritime Self-Defense Force's P-1 patrol aircraft and that Tokyo lodged a protest with Seoul."The vessel used fire-control radar not because of the P-1, which was flying in Japan's air defense identification zone, but because we tried to trace a North Korean warship drifting near the inter-Korean sea border," a Navy official told Yonhap News Agency on condition of anonymity.The official added that the Navy ship appears to have used both fire-control radar and navigation radar to more accurately locate the North Korean vessel moving toward the Northern Limit Line in the East Sea."We have already explained this to the Japanese government, stressing that we di

Dec 22, 2018

S. Korean Navy dismisses Tokyo's claim about targeting of Japanese patrol aircraft

Japan rebukes S. Korea for 'extremely dangerous' weapons radar lock on military plane

Japan rebukes S. Korea for 'extremely dangerous' weapons radar lock on military plane

Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya. AP-Yonhap (Korea Times file)Tokyo has lodged a strong protest with SeoulJapan rebuked South Korea on Friday after claiming one of the country's warships had locked its weapons targeting system onto a Japanese military aircraft.South Korea's KDX-1 class destroyer locked its fire control radar on a Japanese P-1 patrol plane on Thursday off Noto peninsula in the Sea of Japan that divides the two countries, Tokyo's defence ministry said.“It was an extremely dangerous act,” Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya told reporters. “Considering the significance of this case, our country today conveyed a strong protest to South Korea.”Ties between Japan and South Korea ― both allies of the United States ― have remained icy for decades due to the legacy of Japan's brutal 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean peninsula.Both countries have frequently locked horns over islets in the sea controlled by Seoul but also claimed by Tokyo.Japan cancelled plans to join an international naval fleet review in South Korea in October after Seoul demanded

Dec 22, 2018

Japan rebukes S. Korea for 'extremely dangerous' weapons radar lock on military plane

S. Korean Navy dismisses Tokyo's claim about targeting of Japanese patrol aircraft

USFK threatens Korean employees with unpaid leave

A U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) letter states the USFK will send 8,700 Korean employees on unpaid leave from April 15, 2019, if Seoul and Washington do not settle a deal on their defense cost-sharing by the end of this year. Courtesy of USFK Korean Employees Union'Threat' comes amid defense cost-sharing negotiations between Seoul and WashingtonBy Yi Whan-wooThe U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) has sent a letter to the union of its Korean employees stating that it will place them on unpaid leave from mid-April 2019, if the ongoing defense-cost sharing negotiations between Seoul and Washington are not settled by the end of this year.In the letter to USFK Korean Employees Union President Choe Ung-sik, USFK headquarters' Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Michael Minihan said, “Unfortunately, unless the ongoing SMA negotiations can be completed in a timely manner to avoid a lapse in labor funding, we will be required to issue a general furlough notice.”“Unless a new SMA is agreed to, it will be necessary to implement the furlough effective April 15, 2019,” Minihan said.This is viewed by

Dec 14, 2018By Yi Whan-woo

USFK threatens Korean employees with unpaid leave

Minister holds meeting with defense firm CEOs

Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo, third from right, speaks during a meeting with the heads of 13 defense firms, at the Ministry of National Defense Convention Center in Seoul, Friday. / Courtesy of Ministry of National DefenseBy Lee Min-hyungDefense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo met with the heads of 13 defense companies to address their declining sales and profits, Friday.The meeting was arranged amid growing uncertainties in the Korean defense industry, with a number of firms here posting a steep drop in their operating profit in recent years.According to data from the Korea Defense Industry Association, ninety-three defense companies have reported falling profits in recent years. Their combined sales dropped to 12.76 trillion won ($11.29 billion) last year, down 13.9 percent from the previous year.The defense minister listened to the ongoing difficulties the local defense industry is facing both here and overseas.“The ministry will do its best to vitalize the local defense industry and help companies export more by enhancing defense diplomacy with other countries,” Jeong

Dec 14, 2018By Lee Min-hyung

Minister holds meeting with defense firm CEOs

South Korea's military set for Dokdo defense drills

South Korean UDT/SEAL soldiers descend from a UH-60 helicopter on Dokdo Island, Oct. 25, 2013. Provided to Hankook IlboSouth Korea's Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force and police were set to kick off a regular exercise Thursday to hone their combined capabilities to defend Dokdo, a pair of rocky islets in the East Sea.In the two-day maritime drills, a 3,200-ton destroyer and seven other surface ships will be mobilized, along with several aircraft, including an F-15K fighter, a P-3C maritime surveillance plane and a UH-60 helicopter, defense officials said. Seoul launched the Dokdo drills in 1986. Since 2003, it has typically conducted the training twice a year for its troops' combat readiness.The South Korean Navy's first fleet carries out military training at Dokdo Island in 2008. Navy vessels, anti-submarine helicopter LYNX, Korean Coast Guard vessels and the South Korean Air Force's F-15K joined the drill. Provided to Hankook IlboSouth Korea has been in effective control of the nation's easternmost islets with a small police detachment since its liberation from Japanese colonial rule in

Dec 13, 2018

South Korea's military set for Dokdo defense drills

Korean War remains enshrined

The honor guard carries the remains of soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War, in an enshrinement ceremony held at the Seoul National Cemetery, Wednesday. / YonhapBy Lee Min-hyungThe defense ministry has enshrined 365 sets of remains of those killed during the 1950-53 Korean War, at a national cemetery in Seoul, the ministry said Wednesday.A group of high-ranking officials, including Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon and Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo, participated and paid respect to the fallen soldiers during the event, according to the Ministry of National Defense.“The defense ministry will continue fulfilling its responsibility and duty to bring back war remains to the bereaved families,” the ministry said in a statement.Most of the remains have been recovered in border areas, such as Cheorwon in Gangwon Province, and Paju in Gyeonggi Province. The defense ministry has teamed up with the Army and the Marine Corps for the war remains excavation project which began this May and continued for eight months.What is notable is that 12 sets of remains were recovered durin

Dec 12, 2018By Lee Min-hyung

Seoul, Washington to hold defense cost talks

American artillery brigade soldiers participating in the U.S.-South Korea joint Ulchi Freedom Guardian drill take a break at a training ground in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, June 19, 2018. Korea Times fileSouth Korea and the United States are set to hold another round of negotiations in Seoul on Tuesday over dividing the cost for the stationing of the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), Seoul officials said.The allies will struggle to nail down a deal from the 10th round of talks over the Special Measures Agreement (SMA), a cost-sharing contract set to expire at the end of this year. The talks will run through Thursday.A sticking point is Washington's push for a sharp increase in Seoul's contribution. This year alone, South Korea has contributed 960 billion won (US$859 million) to maintaining U.S. forces on the peninsula, a key deterrent against possible North Korean aggression.Marines run out from a LVT-7 during the U.S.-South Korea joint landing exercises called Ssangyong, part of the Foal Eagle military exercises, in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, Mar. 31, 2014. YonhapThe Wal

Dec 11, 2018

Seoul, Washington to hold defense cost talks

ED Undue US demand

Defense