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Defense

Marine Corps to set up new command for maritime defense

By Yi Whan-wooThe Marine Corps plans to create a new command tasked to defend the country’s islands near North Korean, Japanese and Chinese waters, next year.This is to counter growing territorial claims of Japan and China as well as North Korea’s possible provocations in the western sea border.In particular, the Marine Corps will set up a new unit dedicated to defending islands in the East Sea, including Dokdo, to which Japan has intensified its sovereignty claims.The Marine Corps unveiled these plans during a National Assembly audit.“We’ve been seeking to take relevant measures preemptively as China, Japan and North Korea have been bolstering their amphibious capabilities,” a Marine Corps officer said.The Marine Corps currently has the 5,000-strong Northwest Islands Defense Command, which is in charge of defending the South’s five border islands in the West Sea. This will be transformed into a larger command with 6,000 personnel with an expanded mission of defending islands in other seas as well.The tentatively titled “Ulleung unit” w

Oct 19, 2017
Marine Corps to set up new command for maritime defense

Moon stresses defense capabilities for peace

President Moon Jae-in sits in a T-50 jet of the Air Force’s Black Eagles aerobatic flight team for a photo with pilots during his visit to the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition 2017 at Seoul Airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday. The biennial event will be held for six days. Korea Times photo by Ko Young-kwonPresident vows early establishment of 3-pronged systemBy Jun Ji-hyeSouth Korea needs to develop its own aerospace and defense capabilities to maintain peace on the Korean Peninsula, President Moon Jae-in said Tuesday.Moon also said the country should deploy advanced weapons systems to better defend against North Korea’s evolving nuclear and missile threats.He made these remarks during an opening ceremony for the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX) 2017, a biennial event that will be held for six days at Seoul Airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.“The government will make every effort to establish a three-pronged defense system at the earliest possible date to strengthen national security,” Moon said.Th

Oct 17, 2017
Moon stresses defense capabilities for peace

Moon, Trump to hold summit in Seoul on Nov. 7: White House

By Jun Ji-hyeU.S. President Donald Trump will hold a summit with President Moon Jae-in in Seoul, Nov. 7, to discuss North Korean issues and other challenges facing the two countries, the White House announced Monday.Trump’s visit to South Korea is part of his trip to Asia from Nov. 3 to 14, which will take him to Japan, China, Vietnam and the Philippines.President Trump will stay in South Korea from Nov. 7 to 8, during which time he will also visit American and South Korean service members amid heightened military tension here.During their talks, Moon and Trump are expected to discuss how to better deter the North’s evolving nuclear and missile threats as well as a renegotiation of the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA).  Earlier this month, Seoul and Washington agreed to initiate amendment negotiations at the U.S. government’s request. They are likely to kick off as early as January.The White House added President Trump will speak at the South Korean National Assembly.“He will celebrate the enduring alliance and friendship between the United Sta

Oct 16, 2017
Moon, Trump to hold summit in Seoul on Nov. 7: White House

South Korea, US begin massive combined maritime drills

By Jun Ji-hyeNaval ships from South Korea and the United States began a massive combined maritime exercise around the Korean Peninsula, Monday, amid mounting military tension here.The exercise involving the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan’s strike group will run through Friday.U.S. Navy vessels participating in the exercise’s drills also include the USS Stethem and USS Mustin, according to the U.S. Seventh Fleet.The Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy mobilized its first Aegis destroyer, the Sejong the Great, and other warships such as small submarines.The Seventh Fleet said the joint exercise is being participated in by ROK Air Force, U.S. 7th Air Force and U.S. Eighth Army alongside the navies of the two countries.Other assets mobilized include FA-18 Hornet fighters, A-10 ground attack aircraft and AH-64E Apache attack helicopters from the United States, and F-15K fighters, P-3 Orion anti-submarine aircraft and Lynx and AW-159 Wild Cat naval helicopters from South Korea.As part of the exercise, the allies are scheduled to conduct a Maritime Counter Special O

Oct 16, 2017
South Korea, US begin massive combined maritime drills

Military developing attack-oriented strategy

By Yi Whan-wooThe Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Monday it is developing a new strategy to end a war with North Korea in the shortest possible time while minimizing casualties if North Korea wages a full-scale attack.Speaking at the National Assembly audit of the JCS, its officials said the envisioned strategy will be critical amid the rapid advance of the North’s nuclear program and a growing need to better counter Pyongyang’s asymmetric threats using weapons of mass destruction.“The concept of our strategy is to end a full-scale war within a month while ensuring the fewest casualties as we can,” a JCS officer said.The strategy will shift from the South Korean military’s defense-oriented tactics, as it is aimed at striking North Korea’s key facilities in advance if necessary.To achieve the goal, the military is bolstering efforts to detect possible signs of Pyongyang’s provocations, beef up assets on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and improve surgical strike capabilities.“It will be critical to devastate the enemy&rsqu

Oct 16, 2017

South Korean version of 'Iron Dome' being developed

By Kim Rahn The military is developing its own interception system to combat North Korea’s long-range artillery similar to Israel’s Iron Dome, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Monday.In a report to the National Assembly audit, the JCS said the Agency for Defense Development has been working to develop core technology to “hit to kill” the North’s projectiles.The development has come amid concerns that South Korea does not have sufficient weapons to deal with artillery attacks targeting Seoul and the nearby metropolitan area.“We plan to deploy the system as a countermeasure against the North making possible multiple strikes on South Korea’s key state and military facilities,” the JCS said in the report.The military considered purchasing Israel’s Iron Dome to fend off North Korean threats, but concluded the system was not suitable for use here for various reasons, such as cost effectiveness and the country’s mountainous terrain.“The Iron Dome is a defense system suitable to defend sporadic rocket strikes

Oct 16, 2017
South Korean version of 'Iron Dome' being developed

South Korea, US start maritime drills against North Korea

The South Korean and U.S. navies on Monday kicked off massive combined drills off the coast of the peninsula amid heightened tensions.The allies plan to continue the Maritime Counter Special Operations Exercise (MCSOFEX) through Friday in the East Sea and the Yellow Sea, also known as the West Sea.It involves the U.S. 7th Fleet's aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) and two Arleigh Burke-class destroyers -- the USS Stethem (DDG-63) and the USS Mustin (DDG-89).The carrier strike group will train with South Korean warships and other defense assets, such as the Sejong the Great Aegis ship and P-3 Orion anti-submarine aircraft in the East Sea.A unit of U.S. special forces tasked with carrying out "decapitation" operations is aboard a nuclear-powered submarine in the group, according to a defense source.Among other assets mobilized are F-15K, FA-18 and A-10 fighter jets, as well as AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, Lynx and AW-159 Wild Cat naval choppers.The U.S. has also deployed a Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) plane to closely monitor the North's ground a

Oct 16, 2017
South Korea, US start maritime drills against North Korea

US to show off military might in joint drills

The United States is poised to show off its military might this week through joint drills and a defense exhibition in South Korea, deploying an aircraft carrier, nuclear-powered submarine, stealth fighters and other strategic assets.The show of force comes amid growing tensions on the peninsula, with North Korea expected to engage in additional provocations in protest against the South Korea-U.S. military drills.Pyongyang has not launched any major provocation since it fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile over Japan on Sept. 15. But Seoul and Washington officials remain on alert amid signs of possible missile launches following its leader's recent warning of a more powerful action."In various locations in the North, TELs have repeatedly appeared and disappeared," a military official said on condition of anonymity. A TEL is a transporter erector launcher. "Based on this, we have judged that the North could launch a provocation at anytime, and we have remained on increased alert."The allies' militaries are set to hold a joint exercise in the East and West Seas from Monday to F

Oct 15, 2017
US to show off military might in joint drills

Combined Forces Command should be audited: lawmaker

By Choi Ha-youngRep. Kim Joong-roThe Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC) should be audited annually by the National Assembly, Rep. Kim Joong-ro of the People’s Party claimed Thursday.The Assembly National Defense Committee conducts audits on the Ministry of National Defense and its affiliated organizations annually. However, the CFC has never received an audit since it was established in 1978.Rep. Kim, a former Army general, said he will draw up a bill within this year to enable the Assembly to inspect the command.Kim, a member of the National Defense Committee, said the CFC is operated with taxpayers’ money and has South Korean personnel. However, the exact amount of resources invested in it and its expenditure are unknown, he said.While the CFC has no communication channel with the Assembly, it frequently reports confidential affairs to the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Pacific Command and the U.S. Congress.Further, the lack of an audit makes it difficult to figure out how confidential documents about the South Korean military are handled, Rep. Kim noted in a pr

Oct 12, 2017
Combined Forces Command should be audited: lawmaker

South Korea, US to draft plan for future alliance command

The South Korean and U.S. militaries will soon formalize a plan to create a new combined command, which will become effective when Seoul regains its wartime operational control (OPCON) of the country's troops, the Ministry of National Defense said Thursday.The allies plan to approve the scheme in their annual Military Committee Meeting (MCM) and Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) later this month, it told lawmakers.The MCM is an annual session involving the chairmen of the allies' joint chiefs of staff (JCS). This year's meeting will be held in Seoul on Oct. 27, a day before the ministerial SCM."(The two sides) will authorize the creation of the future command of combined forces during the MCM and the SCM," the ministry said in a report for a regular parliamentary audit of its affairs.The allies will then draw up a specific scheme to establish a system to have a South Korean commander and a U.S. deputy commander, it added.The current Combined Forces Command (CFC), formed in 1978 as the headquarters of joint military operations, is led by a four-star U.S. commander. A four-star South

Oct 12, 2017
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