South Korea - The Korea Times

Police clash with anti-THAAD protesters

Police try to remove protesters from the path to the base of a U.S. anti-missile system in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, Monday. / Yonhap / YonhapRiot police are trying to remove protesters from a bridge leading to the base of the U.S. THAAD anti-missile system in southeastern South Korea on Monday, sparking clashes between the two sides.About 200 residents and activists have been occupying the Jinbat bridge in a sit-in aimed at blocking construction vehicles from entering the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense base in Seongju, some 300 km southeast of Seoul.About 3,000 riot police were mobilized to break up the sit-in.Protesters resisted by inserting their arms into plastic pipes in an attempt to tie themselves together to make it difficult for police to carry them away. They also chanted slogans such as "Out with violent police," blasting the police for using force."It is the defense ministry that deteriorated the situation like this," Kang Hyun-woo, a leader of the protesters, said. "Responsibility for all forthcoming consequences rests with the defense minis

Apr 23, 2018

Korea speeds up development of accurate GPS

South Korea is speeding up the development of its own global positioning system (GPS) that will be more accurate and offer greater coverage for users, the government said Sunday.The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said it will hold talks with representatives from the U.S. Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) at the headquarters of the International Civil Aviation Organization in Montreal this week."The meetings that will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday are to be technical conferences on the Korea Augmentation Satellite System, or KASS, which could have a accuracy rate of about a meter," the ministry claimed. This is significantly better than the margin of error of several meters for existing global location tracking systems.KASS is Seoul's take on the Satellite Based Augmentation System that is designed to reduce errors in finding a precise location using GPS. It is expected to go into service in the latter half of 2020 and provide full coverage for Korea.KASS employs geostationary satellite over the Korean Peninsula and can be used by planes, drones, ships, mobi

Apr 22, 2018

Korea speeds up development of accurate GPS

Measures eyed to ease tension at DMZ

By Lee Min-hyungThe Ministry of National Defense will announce measures to ease inter-Korean military tension after the summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un next week, the ministry said Friday.It did not elaborate, citing the sensitivity of the issue before the historic gathering of the two leaders in the southern part of the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjeom on April 27.The two Koreas are yet to decide specific timelines and details for inter-Korean military talks, but they are likely to hold the dialogue soon after the summit in a bid to guarantee lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.“We will unveil details after the summit, and at the moment, we cannot share details,” a military official said.Easing military tension has been cited as one of the most important items to be discussed at the summit, with the North in recent months reaffirming its clear message for denuclearization.But as the denuclearization issue is too important to settle quickly, the two Koreas are likely to unveil a list of measures to alleviate tension on th

Apr 20, 2018

UH-1H military chopper ditches, four injured

The UH-1H / Korea Times fileBy Park Si-soo A UH-1H military helicopter made an emergency landing near Pohang Friday, injuring four Marines.They are being treated for non-life-threatening injuries at a Navy hospital in Pohang. The accident happened while the helicopter was assisting a rappel drill of Marines. The accident's cause is not yet known. In the meantime, the military has suspended the use of all UH-1Hs.

Apr 20, 2018

UH-1H military chopper ditches, four injured

First female military drone pilot

Sergeant First Class Yoon poses with her drone after receiving her drone pilot license, becoming the first female soldier to do so. Courtesy of Republic of Korea ArmyBy Kim Hyun-binThe Republic of Korea Army has trained its first female military drone pilot, Sergeant First Class Yoon Hee-young. Yoon is a member of the 36th Infantry Division, and recently completed training and passed the examination to officially become the first female soldier to receive a drone pilot license in the armed forces“Gender is irrelevant. I am proud that I have received a drone pilot license, it's one of the things I dreamt of. Now, I want to utilize my skills for the military,” said SFC Yoon Hee-young.The army's concentrated efforts to promote the fairly new drone program caught many soldiers attention including Yoon's.“The army has been working to integrate drones into the combat arena after it decided that drone surveillance would be needed for the Winter Olympics, which was an attention grabber for many soldiers. It created a drone boom in the military, there were even drone love ga

Apr 13, 2018

Sailors volunteer for communities

Sailors of the Republic of Korea Navy 2nd Fleet conduct volunteer activities at a sanatorium for senior citizens located in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday. / Courtesy of 2nd FleetBy Jun Ji-hyeSailors of the Republic of Korea Navy are actively participating in volunteer activities in an effort to share with local communities.Ten sailors and civilian workers belonging to the Navy 1st Fleet, which looks after the East Sea, visited a senior welfare center located near Mukho Port in Donghae, Wednesday.They repaired old facilities and cleaned up the center and surrounding area, while some took a walk with the elderly and kept them company. “Through volunteer activities, sailors and civilian workers could recall a sense of gratitude toward the elderly,” said Shim Joong-ho, a civilian worker who leads the Fleet's maintenance unit. “We will continue to carry out volunteer activities for local residents.”Sailors of the 1st Fleet have conducted various volunteer services in cooperation with local social service agencies, including giving haircuts, delivering ch

Apr 12, 2018

South Korea confident about advanced radar development

South Korea said Wednesday it's confident about developing its own advanced radar system for envisioned indigenous combat jets.The defense authorities launched the 360-billion-won (US$338 million) program in 2016 to acquire an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar system.It's part of the ongoing KF-X fighter development project, worth 8.8 trillion won, to replace the Air Force's aging fleet of F-4 and F-5 jets.The state-run Agency for Defense Development is leading the radar initiative. It has a contract with Hanwha Systems, a local defense firm, for the production of a prototype.The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), the state defense procurement agency, formed a panel to review the feasibility of the program.Its recent inspection showed that "the domestic development of an AESA radar is possible," the DAPA said in a statement.It was the second and last confirmation process to determine whether South Korea is capable of developing the radar system, following a previous process in June last year.A total of 112 items in four sectors were scrutinized, includi

Apr 11, 2018

South Korea confident about advanced radar development

South Korean president thanks US veteran of Hungnam evacuation

Burley Smith, 89, gives his thoughts on South Korea at the Historic Park of Geoje POW Camp, Friday. / YonhapSmith, his family and South Korean government officials at the park / YonhapBy Jung Min-hoPresident Moon Jae-in has expressed his gratitude to a U.S. veteran, who participated in the operation that saved the lives of Moon's parents during the Korean War (1950-53).In his letter to Burley Smith, 89, who is visiting South Korea with his family, Moon expressed his deep gratitude to the former sailor on the SS Meredith Victory, a ship that carried 14,000 North Korean refugees, including Moon's parents, to South Korea at the height of the war.“My parents would not have made it to Geoje Island, if it weren't for great sailors like you. I also wouldn't be here today,” Moon wrote. “I'd like to express my gratitude to you in person in Busan, but I won't be able to because of my schedule as president.“But a senior official at the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs will serve you there for me. If your schedule permits, the official will treat you and your fam

Apr 8, 2018

South Korean president thanks US veteran of Hungnam evacuation

PHOTOS Moon Jae-in: Son of war refugees rises to power

Jet fighter crash kills 2 pilots

The debris of the F-15K is scattered on a mountain in Chilgok, North Gyeongsang Province, Thursday. / Yonhap Rescue workers arrive at the scene of the accident. / YonhapBy Kim Se-jeongAn Air Force jet crashed into a mountain in Chilgok, North Gyeongsang Province, 216 kilometers southeast of Seoul, Thursday, killing two pilots,  the Air Force said.The military initially said both ejected from the jet safely. No civilian damage was reported. The crash site is close to a golf course.The crashed jet was an F-15K that was returning to an Air Force base in Daegu after an airstrike exercise. The crash happened at 2:47 p.m.Witnesses said they heard explosions in the distance. Local fire authorities have dispatched two helicopters, trucks and 50 personnel to the crash scene to extinguish fire and collect debris.“We’re looking to find how the jet fell from the air and crashed,” the Air Force said.The Air Force saw a similar incident in 2016. An F-16D fighter jet crashed during an exercise in Cheongsong, North Gyeongsang Province, 322 ki

Apr 5, 2018

South Korea, US to hold military cost-sharing talks next week

Officials of South Korea and the United States will hold their second round of talks next week to renew their cost-sharing agreement for about 28,500 American troops stationed here, the foreign ministry said Thursday.The talks will be held on South Korea's southern resort island of Jeju next Wednesday and Thursday, according to the ministry. This follows their first meeting held last month on Hawaii.South Korea has shared U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) upkeep costs since 1991 under the Special Measures Agreement (SMA). Seoul's contribution has increased to around 960 billion won ($887.5 million) this year from 150 billion won in 1991.The current arrangement, signed in 2014, is set to expire on Dec. 31. The U.S. is currently demanding Seoul shoulder more of the financial burden.The talks will be led by Chang Won-sam, a career diplomat who was appointed in mid-November to head the South Korean negotiation team, and Timothy Betts, deputy assistant secretary for plans, programs and operations at the U.S. State Department.On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha told reporters that South K