South Korea - The Korea Times

Trump says S. Korea-US military ties will remain 'firm, strong'

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday reaffirmed Washington's security commitment to South Korea during his telephone conversation with South Korean President Park Geun-hye, an official source said.During the talks that lasted some 10 minutes, Trump was quoted as saying that the United States will maintain a "firm, strong" defense posture to defend its Asian ally South Korea. The talks took place at around 10:00 a.m. (Korea time).Trump added that Washington will work together with Seoul "until the end" for the security of the United States and South Korea, according to the official.In response, Park congratulated him on his electoral win, stressing that South Korea and the U.S. have built trust based on the alliance while weathering a series of challenges together over the past six decades. She also pointed out that the alliance has served as a "cornerstone" of peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific."I expect that (we) can strengthen and develop the alliance down the road for the shared interests in various areas," she was quoted as saying during the phone talks.Trump, in t

Nov 10, 2016

Trump says S. Korea-US military ties will remain 'firm, strong'

Trump Aftershock Trump may reduce US commitment to S. Korea's security

Donald Trump U.S. President-elect Donald Trump could try to complete the postponed transfer of the wartime operational control of South Korean forces from Washington to Seoul in an effort to reduce American security burdens, a top expert on Korea said Wednesday.South Korea handed over control of its forces to the U.S. during the 1950-53 Korean War to defend against invading troops from North Korea. Peacetime control of its forces was returned in 1994, but the wartime control, known as OPCON, still rests with the U.S.The two countries agreed in 2007 to transfer OPCON to Seoul by 2012. But the planned transfer was postponed twice amid growing threats from North Korea, first until 2015 and then indefinitely until the South becomes more capable of coping with the North's threats."Trump's guiding principle has been to put American interests first. In this regard, it is entirely plausible that a Trump presidency may seek to complete OPCON transfer and put these responsibilities in the hands of Koreans," said Victor Cha, Korea chairman at the Center for Strategic and International Stud

Nov 10, 2016

[Trump Aftershock] Trump may reduce US commitment to S. Korea's security

Trump Era Donald Trump elected US president in stunning upset victory

S. Korea, Japan set to hold talks over military intelligence exchange

South Korea and Japan are set to hold working-level talks in Seoul on Wednesday on a bilateral pact to share military intelligence on North Korea.Expectations are growing that the two sides would conclude the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) since they resumed negotiations in Tokyo last week after a botched attempt four years ago in the face of public opposition in Seoul.Defense and foreign affairs officials from the two neighbors will attend the second round of working-level talks. the Ministry of National Defense said."The wording of the pact currently under review is not different from that of the agreement discussed in 2012," said a ministry official. "We expect that the two sides would finalize the pact's wording soon."In 2012, the two nations initialed the pact but Seoul suspended its signing due to strong opposition from opposition parties and civic groups. They claimed the deal was arranged too hastily and behind the scenes.Seoul and Tokyo, which are still in historical rows, are seeking to conclude the pact by the end of this year in a move that th

Nov 9, 2016

UK's Typhoon jets train in Korea for 1st time

Typhoon fighter jetBy Yi Whan-wooThe United Kingdom unveiled one of its key warplanes, the Typhoon, during a joint drill with South Korea and the United States at the U.S. air base in Osan, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday.Four Typhoon fighter jets conducted flights here for the first time, in an aerial exercise titled “Invincible Shield” along with South Korea’s F-15Ks and American F-16s over the air base.The Typhoon is a twin-engine jet capable of multi-role combat, including air-to-air and air-to-ground strikes. It can carry the Taurus 350 radar-evading cruise missiles.The plane has a maximum speed of mach 2.The Royal Air Force (RAF) has been operating Typhoons in the Middle East in recent years, including in strike missions against ISIS.The trilateral aerial drill began on Nov. 4. It will run until Thursday.The RAF also deployed a Voyager tanker aircraft and C-17 Globemaster tactical transport aircraft.“The three countries’ air forces are especially focusing on countering incoming attacks from enemy planes and striking command posts and other key facilitie

Nov 8, 2016

한미영 3국, 첫 공군 연합훈련…'타이푼' 공개

/ 연합한국에서 사상 처음으로 연합훈련을 진행 중인 한미영 3국 공군이 8일 영국 공군의 유로파이터 '타이푼'을 비롯해 이번 훈련에 투입된 항공기들을 공개한다.군 관계자는 "오늘 오전 경기도 오산기지에서 한미영 3국 공군 연합훈련인 '무적의 방패'(Invincible Shield)에 참가하는 항공기들을 국내외 언론에 공개할 것"이라고 밝혔다.한미영 3국 공군은 지난 4일부터 한국에서 첫 연합훈련을 진행 중이다. 오는 10일까지 계속되는 이번 훈련에는 우리 공군의 F-15K와 KF-16 전투기, 미 공군의 F-16, 영국 공군의 타이푼 전투기 등이 투입됐다.타이푼은 유럽을 대표하는 다목적 전투기로, 최고속도가 초음속인 마하 2에 달하고 장거리 공대지유도미사일 '타우러스'를 포함한 정밀유도무기를 장착한다. 영국 공군은 이번 훈련에 타이푼 전투기 4대와 '보이저' 공중급유기 1대, C-17 전략수송기 1대를 파견했다.이번 훈련에서 3국 공군은 가상의 적 군사시설과 지휘부를 정밀 타격하는 훈련과 함께 대량으로 공격해오는 적 항공기를 공중 요격하는 연습을 집중적으로 진행 중이다.상이한 무기체계를 갖춘 3국 항공기들이 공중전술훈련을 하는 것은 무기체계의 상호운용성을 강화하고 연합작전의 수준을 높이는 계기가 될 것으로 기대된다.영국 공군 항공기들은 무적의 방패 훈련에 이어 이달 중순에는 일본 아오모리(靑森)현 미사와(三澤) 기지 일대에서 일본 항공자위대와 연합훈련을 할 것으로 알려졌다.찰스 헤이 주한 영국대사는 지난달 31일 훈련을 앞두고 기자회견을 열어 "이번 훈련의 목적은 한미영 3국 공군의 연합 작전능력을 향상시키고 안보와 군사 부문에서 영국과 한국의 파트너십을 강화하기 위한 것"이라고 밝힌 바 있다.앞서 북한 외무성 대변인은 지난달 14일 영국 공군이 한국, 미국 공군과 연합훈련을 하기로 한 데 대해 "영국은 침략적인 군사연습 참가를 당장 취소해야 할 것"이라며 민감하게 반응했다. (연합)

Nov 8, 2016

South Korea launches eighth 1,800-ton submarine

South Korea launched its eighth 1,800-ton submarine on Tuesday in an effort to reinforce its maritime combat capability in the face of North Korea’s growing threat including its submarine-launched missiles.The Lee Beom-seok submarine, named after a renowned independence fighter, was unveiled in the shipyard of its manufacturer Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. (DSME) in Geojedo, 333 kilometers (207 miles) south of Seoul.It is scheduled to be deployed in late 2018 after a test and review process, the Navy said.South Korea is striving to catch up with the North in terms of submarine capability. Seoul currently has 15 submarines, nine 1,200-ton and six 1,800-ton vessels, far less than Pyongyang’s 70, according to the defense ministry.The Navy plans to increase the number to 18 by 2019 and add nine 3,000-ton submarines in the 2020s.In 2000, South Korea began the new submarine project, dubbed KSS-II, and selected the German shipbuilder Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft's 214-type subs as its next-generation submarines.The KSS-II submarine, 65 meters (213-foot) long a

Nov 8, 2016

S. Korea, US conduct joint infiltration drill amid N. Korea threat

South Korea's Army on Tuesday conducted an air infiltration drill with the support of U.S. helicopters in a move to better counter growing nuclear and missile threats posed by North Korea.The latest maneuver is part of the broader Hoguk combined drill, which the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force have carried out every year since 1996. The two-weeklong Hoguk combined exercise will run through Nov. 11.Some 250 South Korean soldiers from the 30th Mechanized Infantry Division boarded helicopters and took off from Chungju, 147 kilometers south of Seoul, and landed in Hongcheon, 102 km east of Seoul, to carry out the infiltration exercise, an Army spokesman said.In an air infiltration drill, the Army sent its special forces troops to sever the enemy's line of communication and take strategically important areas or facilities that can help South Korea and its allies in the event of a conflict breaking out.Helicopters that joined the drill included six UH-60 Blackhawk and CH-47 Chinook helicopters sent by U.S. forces and 10 UH-60 Blackhawks and four AH-1S Cobra helicopters dispatched by

Nov 8, 2016

US hopes to deploy THAAD to S. Korea as quickly as possible

The United States hopes to deploy the THAAD missile defense system to South Korea as quickly as possible, the Pentagon said Monday, after the U.S. military commander in South Korea said it would take about eight to 10 months to place the system.Gen. Vincent Brooks, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, said in a seminar last week that THAAD will "come in the next eight to 10 months" and the unit will be "a larger configuration than the one in Guam."At a regular Pentagon briefing, press secretary Peter Cook said, "This is something we continue to work closely with the South Korean government. We want to do this as quickly as possible. General Brooks, I know, referenced a time period. We'd like to do it as soon as possible."He declined to discuss the size of the unit and other details."We believe that the THAAD system that will be deployed will be capable of helping to defend South Korea ― our ally, South Korea, as part of a significant number of defensive steps that we can take to help protect South Korea, of course, and also protect the United States at the same time," Cook said. (Yon

Nov 8, 2016

US to withdraw Kiowa choppers from S. Korea, deploys Apaches

United States Army will withdraw its light Kiowa Warrior choppers from the Korean Peninsula and replace them with heavy-hitting Apaches, official sources said Sunday.South Korean military and United States Forces Korea (USFK) sources said the OH-53D armed reconnaissance helicopters will be pulled out gradually. The 30 choppers of an aviation squadron were deployed in the country in 2013 as part of a rotational force.The single-engine, single-rotor Kiowa is based on the Bell Model 206 copter and can be armed with 70 mm rockets, 12.7 mm heavy machine gun and Hellfire and Stinger missiles. They usually operate with the USFK and South Korean Army attack helicopters like the AH-1S Cobras and have been an integral part on local exercises like the Ulchi Freedom Guardian."The AH-64s, considered as the best attack helicopters in the world, will take the place of the Kiowa Warriors that will greatly enhance the fighting capability of the allies against North Korean forces," an insider who declined to be identified said. He said some 20 AH-64Ds or the more potent AH-64Es are expected to arrive

Nov 6, 2016

US to withdraw Kiowa choppers from S. Korea, deploys Apaches

USFK chief says THAAD to be deployed in next 8-10 months

An advanced U.S. missile defense system will be deployed to South Korea in the next eight to 10 months to better counter growing threats from North Korea, the chief of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said Friday.Gen. Vincent K. Brooks made the remarks in a seminar hosted by the Association of the Republic of Korea Army in Seoul.In July, South Korea and the U.S. announced a decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea to better defend against the North's evolving nuclear and missile threats. As for the issue of rotational deployment of strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula, Brooks said "that is under review" and it is a decision to be made by high-ranking policymakers.But the four-star general made it clear that the idea of bringing nuclear weapons back to the peninsula will "complicate" the situation in the Asia-Pacific region.This year alone, Pyongyang has conducted two nuclear tests in January and September and launched a series of missiles as part its efforts to achieve the goal of developing a nuclear-tipped long-range ballistic missil

Nov 4, 2016

Defense

Defense

Trump says S. Korea-US military ties will remain 'firm, strong'

Trump Aftershock Trump may reduce US commitment to S. Korea's security

S. Korea, Japan set to hold talks over military intelligence exchange

UK's Typhoon jets train in Korea for 1st time

한미영 3국, 첫 공군 연합훈련…'타이푼' 공개

South Korea launches eighth 1,800-ton submarine

S. Korea, US conduct joint infiltration drill amid N. Korea threat

US hopes to deploy THAAD to S. Korea as quickly as possible

US to withdraw Kiowa choppers from S. Korea, deploys Apaches

USFK chief says THAAD to be deployed in next 8-10 months

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