South Korea - The Korea Times

Japan moving to introduce de facto aircraft carrier

An Izumo-class destroyer.By Lee Min-hyungJapan is on track to introduce a de facto offensive aircraft carrier by changing its description, because under its post-war Constitution the country is not allowed to operate warships with flight decks for attack aircraft. According to reports, the Japanese government is pushing ahead with its plan to retrofit its Izumo-class vessel by thickening its deck in a move to accommodate F-35B stealth fighter jets.But because the plan is an apparent violation of the country's pacifist constitution, Japan is seeking to change the description of the de facto aircraft carrier to a “multi-purpose operation destroyer.”Tokyo claims the multi-purpose vessel is not aimed at possible military provocation, but to enhance the nation's defense capabilities in case of emergency.Defense Minister Minister Takeshi Iwaya also hinted at the possibility of retrofitting at least one of its two Izumo destroyers to enable F-35B jets to take off and land on the vessel.“It is desirable for us to use valuable equipment for as many purposes as possible,&rdqu

Dec 9, 2018By Lee Min-hyung

Japan moving to introduce de facto aircraft carrier

Renowned surgeon appointed as Honorary Navy Commander

Lee Cook-jong, right, poses with Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Sim, Seung-seob after an honorary navy commander promotion ceremony at the Navy Service Support Battalion in Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Republic of Korea NavyBy Kim Hyun-binLee Cook-jong, a renowned surgeon at the Ajou University Medical Center in Suwon has been promoted to honorary navy commander.Last month, the Republic of Korea Navy's (ROKN) selection committee selected Lee as honorary navy commander for his continuous contributions to the Navy medical field and held an official promotion ceremony earlier this week.“Professor Lee has enhanced the Navy's aviation medical evacuation capabilities and supported on the job training of naval medics and their emergency first aid. His contributions greatly enhanced the medical field of the Navy,” the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) said.Lee has been a vocal activist who continuously urged the need for air evacuation to better treat urgent patients.He is famous for saving the life of Seok Haw-kyun, a former captain of the freighter Samho Jewelry, which was hijacke

Dec 7, 2018By Kim Hyun-bin

Renowned surgeon appointed as Honorary Navy Commander

Surion will replace Black Hawk as defense chief's helicopter

By Lee Min-hyungSurionA Korean-made Surion will be used as the official helicopter of the nation’s defense minister, instead of the UH-60 Black Hawk developed by Sikorsky of the United States, a military official said Sunday.This is part of the ministry's efforts to localize weapons and military equipment.The Black Hawks are flagship helicopters for ranking Korean military officials and commanders.The Army has 93 Surion choppers, manufactured by the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). The Surion is also used by the fire and police agencies.“No specific timeline has been fixed, but the plan to replace the UH-60 with the Surion is part of the military's efforts to raise the global profile of the local military industry,” the official said.“The move is also in line with global defense trends under which most defense ministers in other countries use domestically made helicopters as their major means of transportation,” he said.The move will have a ripple effect with other military chiefs are expected to follow in the footsteps of the defense minister by using

Dec 2, 2018By Lee Min-hyung

Surion will replace Black Hawk as defense chief's helicopter

58 conscientious objectors to be released from jail

Military servicemen walk along the streets of Hwacheon, Gangwon Province, in this file photo. / YonhapBy Lee Suh-yoonFifty-eight out of 71 imprisoned conscientious objectors will be released on parole this week, the justice ministry said Monday. The decision follows a landmark Supreme Court ruling earlier this month that acknowledged people's rights to refuse mandatory military service for religious and conscientious beliefs in acquitting a 34-year-old objector who had been sentenced to 18 months in prison by the district and high courts.“The expected date for the release is Nov. 30 ,” a ministry official confirmed on the phone Tuesday. They will be released on the condition of carrying out community service, the ministry said. In the past, conscientious objectors were only released on parole after serving at least 14 months, or about 80 percent of an 18-month jail term.Thirteen conscientious objectors will remain behind bars: Eight were not eligible for parole, having completed less than six months of their sentence, while the other five were judged as not having “

Nov 27, 2018

58 conscientious objectors to be released from jail

South Korea to launch anti-espionage intelligence-sharing center

The Cabinet was set Tuesday to approve a measure authorizing the establishment of an anti-espionage intelligence-sharing center and designating the justice ministry and the customs service as counter-espionage agencies.The move is part of efforts to strengthen the country's overall anti-espionage system in response to ever-sophisticating foreign intelligence activities infringing upon national security and interests, the government said.The revision of the regulation on counter-espionage duties, which will pass through a Cabinet meeting to be presided over by Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, calls for establishing the intelligence-sharing center under the director of the country's main spy agency, the National Intelligence Service.It also calls for adding the justice ministry and the Korea Customs Service to the list of counter-espionage agencies, such as NIS, the National Police Agency, the Coast Guard and the Defense Security Support Command. (Yonhap)

Nov 13, 2018

South Korea to launch anti-espionage intelligence-sharing center

North Korea removed 636 mines from Panmunjom area: defense minister

North Korea has removed 636 land mines from the truce village of Panmunjom straddling the border with South Korea, Seoul's defense chief said Monday.Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo told lawmakers that it's part of the accomplishments under the inter-Korean Comprehensive Military Agreement (CMA) signed in September.The CMA, a key element in their latest summit deal, calls for the two sides to take a set of confidence-building measures, including the pullout of front-line troops and firearms.The two sides completed a joint work to get rid of land mines from Panmunjom's Joint Security Area (JSA) on Oct. 20 in order to disarm it."There were no land mines found in our region, and the North informed us that it has removed more than 600 land mines," Jeong said at a National Assembly session. Asked to specify the number, he said 636.With regard to concrete-made guard posts inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the South used to operate more than 60, plus general outposts just south of the DMZ, while the North has more than 160 guard posts, he said.Each Korea completed the withdrawal of troo

Nov 12, 2018

North Korea removed 636 mines from Panmunjom area: defense minister

Moon to step up peace diplomacy

South Korea, US aim for deal next week on sharing defense cost

South Korea said Friday it will hold another round of negotiations with the United States next week on sharing the cost of stationing American troops on the peninsula.The two sides are running out of time for an agreement. The existing accord is to expire at the end of this year.South Korean officials said they aim to strike a deal in the four-day talks to open in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Tuesday.It would mark the 9th round of negotiations the Special Measures Agreement (SMA)."South Korea and the U.S. plan to have in-depth consultations to coordinate their stances on the basis of what was discussed in the previous session," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.At issue is Washington's call for a sharp increase in Seoul's contribution.Washington has called for Seoul to significantly increase its contribution from the current 960 billion won (US$851 million) a year to support the stationing of the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea.The U.S. wants South Korea to pay, at least partly, for the regular or emergency deployment of so-called strategic assets to Korea.The assets include advanced U.S.

Nov 9, 2018

South Korea, US aim for deal next week on sharing defense cost

Gen. Abrams inaugurated new US Forces Korea chief

Gen. Robert Abrams looks to the dais as he testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018. On that day, Gen. Abrams was nominated to take command of U.S. and allied forces in South Korea. He said the decision to cancel several major military exercises on the Korean peninsula this year caused a slight degradation in the readiness of American forces. YonhapArmy Gen. Robert B. Abrams took office as the new commander of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) on Thursday, amid diplomatic efforts by Seoul and Washington to build a lasting peace on the divided peninsula.The change-of-command ceremony took place at Camp Humphreys, a sprawling U.S. military complex in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul, at 10 a.m. It was attended by top South Korean and U.S. officials, including Seoul's Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo.Abrams, the former chief of the U.S. Army Forces Command, replaced Gen. Vincent Brooks who had led the USFK, the U.N. Command and the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command, all headquartered in South Korea, since April 20

Nov 8, 2018

Gen. Abrams inaugurated new US Forces Korea chief

South Korea, US resume marine drills

South Korea and the United States resumed their combined marine drills Monday for the first time since they were suspended in June to support diplomacy with North Korea over its denuclearization.The allies began the two-week Korea Marine Exercise Program (KMEP), which involves some 500 troops, including U.S. marines from Okinawa, Japan, and military equipment, such as assault amphibious vehicles.The resumption of the drills is in line with the allies' decision to continue their battalion-level or other small maneuvers while they are apparently inclined towards suspending large-scale exercises to prevent provoking the communist regime amid peace efforts.The allies' marines plan to conduct the KMEP 24 times next year. They staged the KMEP 14 times in fiscal 2016 and 17 times the following year. This year, they have conducted it a total of 11 times, excluding the latest one.Seoul and Washington have continued to suspend their major combined exercises, the latest being the Vigilant Ace air force exercise originally slated for December.Seoul's Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo said that t

Nov 5, 2018

Potential draftees turning to Jehovah's Witnesses

By Kim Hyun-binThe Supreme Court's ruling on conscientious objection to military service last week is bringing an “unexpected” side effect ― a growing interest in the Jehovah's Witnesses, a religion whose adherents refuse to perform the mandatory commitment.Since the top court acquitted Oh Seung-hun, a Jehovah's Witness who refused to serve in the military, Thursday, questions on how to join the religion have been flooding internet portal sites.In South Korea, all able-bodied men are required to serve in the military for at least 21 months as the country is technically at war with North Korea, but the ruling is believed to have paved the way for conscientious objectors, mostly Jehovah's Witnesses, to legally avoid military service. Many people are asking questions to beat the system by using the ruling.“I am asking in a hurry because I can be exempt from military service. How can I register myself as a Jehovah's Witness?” a person wrote on a website. “Will I be exempt when I show a certificate showing I am a Jehovah's Witness at my military physical exam

Nov 4, 2018By Kim Hyun-bin

Defense