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CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.

S. Korea to announce site for deploying THAAD: defense ministry

South Korea will announce the site for deploying a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system later in the day, the defense ministry said Wednesday.The decision for the location will be announced at 3:00 p.m., the Ministry of National Defense said in a brief media release.Last week, South Korea and the United States' militaries officially unveiled their agreement to place the high-tech anti-ballistic missile defense system in South Korea to counter North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.The allies have virtually agreed to pick the southern county of Seongju, where a South Korean air defense artillery unit is based, to host the defense system, according to military sources.The mountainous region near South Korea's southeastern coast has been tapped as the most suitable site for its location close to key South Korean and U.S. military headquarters as well as being relatively far from China.The county located some 300 km southeast of Seoul places it out of range of North Korea's long-range multiple rocket launcher systems. Beijing has opposed the THAAD deployment on South Kor

Jul 13, 2016

Seongju picked as site for THAAD battery

 By Kang Seung-wooSouth Korea and the United States have chosen Seongju County in North Gyeongsang Province as the site for a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery, sources said Tuesday.The government is expected to announce the decision on July 22 following approval from both nations’ defense ministers.Seoul and Washington officially announced Friday that they will deploy the U.S. missile defense battery in South Korea to counter continued North Korean threats after formal consultations began in March.“After comprehensive reviews on candidate locations, the allies have reached the conclusion that Seongju is the optimal site for THAAD and they are currently in the final stage of administrative procedures,” a government source said.The source said that unless an unexpected factor comes up, Seongju County will become the home for THAAD.The Air Force is currently operating a Hawk ground-to-air missile battery in the county and if THAAD comes to the town, it is expected to be moved to another region.Seongju is out of range of North Korea’s multi

Jul 12, 2016
Seongju picked as site for THAAD battery
  • Main opposition key figures clash over THAAD

Presidential office says it is carefully watching THAAD fallout

The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday that it is "closely watching" for negative economic fallout from the recent decision by Seoul and Washington to deploy an antimissile system here.The statement comes amid growing fears that China, which strongly opposes the stationing of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea, could take some retaliatory steps, including some form of economic sanctions."With regard to (China's possible) economic sanctions, we are closely watching the situation," Kang Seog-hoon, the president's senior secretary for economic affairs, told reporters.Chinese state-run media outlets have published articles claiming that Beijing should take retaliatory measures against Seoul in response to the plan to deploy a THAAD battery, which Beijing says would undermine its security interests.Kang said that the leaders of South Korea and China may have an opportunity to meet each other and possibly discuss the issue surrounding THAAD when they gather at the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit in Mongolia later this week.President Park Geu

Jul 12, 2016

Navy general arrested on embezzlement charge

/Courtesy of TwitterBy Lee Han-sooThe Korean Navy’s Cheonghae Unit, which is part of the Combined Task Force 151 that counters piracy in Somalia, is under scrutiny after a current navy one-star general was arrested Monday for allegedly embezzling 30 million won ($26,000) of provision expenses.The suspect led the unit during its 10th tour in 2012.Military prosecutors have also booked two officers without detention on the same charge.The officers allegedly embezzled money by giving favors to a Somalian company operated by a Korean. The company then doubled the price of provisions and gave kickbacks to the officers, who bought expensive whisky.Army prosecutors are also investigating whether former captains during the unit’s tour, which rotates every six months, also were involved.In October 2015, the ship captain of the 11th tour was arrested for embezzlement and sentenced to 18 months in prison.“Besides the 10th tour unit, we are also looking to prosecute five officers from the eighth, 12th, 14th and 18th tour for embezzling funds,” a military prosecutor sa

Jul 12, 2016
Navy general arrested on embezzlement charge

Confusion grows over possible THAAD location

Civic activists protest in Gwanghwamun Square in downtown Seoul, Monday, against a decision by South Korea and the United States to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery here./ Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukBy Yi Whan-woo    Confusion is growing over the location for a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery as the government, which reportedly has already chosen the site, is delaying its announcement amid growing protests from residents.On Friday, the Ministry of Defense said it needs “a couple more weeks” before picking the site jointly with the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK).Defense Minister Han Min-koo said Sunday that the location has already been picked, and will be announced soon.Some other military and government officials then said the number of candidate sites has been narrowed down to “one-digit.”Citing health risks associated with electromagnetic radiation emitted by THAAD’s radar, residents at mentioned candidate locations have been protesting.Those areas include locations where U.S. troops are statio

Jul 11, 2016
  • Businesses fear backlash from China

THAAD deployment decided as part of 'self-defense' efforts

The recent decision by South Korea and the United States to deploy an advanced anti-missile defense system on the peninsula is part of "self-defense" efforts against evolving nuclear and missile threats from North Korea, Seoul's top diplomat said Monday.Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se also said in his speech at the National Assembly that the country will take every possible measure in the face of the North's continued pursuit of weapons of mass destruction."At a time when the North is upgrading its nuclear and missile capacity and publicly expressing its intention for a nuclear strike, (the decision) is a self-defense action aimed at protecting our national security and life," Yun told lawmakers."Going forward, the government will take every possible measure to cope with the North's nuclear and missile capacity," he added.On Friday, South Korea and the United States announced that the countries have agreed to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile interception system in order to upgrade the military allies' defense against North Korea's nuclear and missile capab

Jul 11, 2016
THAAD deployment decided as part of 'self-defense' efforts
  • Park strongly defends THAAD deployment decision
  • UN panel to visit Seoul to discuss N. Korean sanctions

Cheong Wa Dae reiterates THAAD is self-defense measure

The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae on Monday reiterated the recent decision by South Korea and the United States to station an advanced anti-missile system here was a "self-defensive" measure to counter growing military threats from North Korea."The (planned) deployment of THAAD (Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense) is a self-defense step to safeguard the well-being of the country, the lives of the people and their properties," presidential spokesman Jung Youn-kuk told reporters.The statement comes amid strong protests from China and Russia, which have long argued that the installment of THAAD would undermine their security interests, although South Korea and the U.S. have made it clear that the new defensive asset would only target the North.Beijing has expressed "strong discontent and firm opposition" against the allies' plan to deploy THAAD here. Moscow voiced "very serious concern" over the plan.Experts said that China is concerned that a radar system, attached to a THAAD battery, could be used to monitor China's military activities. China also fears that THAAD could undermine

Jul 11, 2016

Protests continues against THAAD

By Kim Se-jeong Residents continued their protests against the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) over the weekend in regions considered as possible sites for the U.S. missile defense system.The protests came after Seoul and Washington agreed Friday to deploy the advanced defense system on South Korean soil in an effort to deter North Korean ballistic missile threats.The two countries’ military officials said they were in the final stages of selecting the site for THAAD out of five candidates: Chilgok County in North Gyeongsang Province, Pyeongtaek in Gyeonggi Province, Eumseong in North Chungcheong Province, Wonju in Gangwon Province and Gunsan in North Jeolla Province. The two plan to announce the final candidate soon.In front of Waegwan train station in Chilgok County, Saturday, 3,000 residents gathered to protest against a THAAD installation in the region. Waegwan seems to be one of the strongest candidates because of its small population and an existing U.S. military base.“THAAD is a big threat to the safety and health of local residents

Jul 10, 2016
  • THAAD can destroy SLBMs: defense chief

Ties with China, Russia put to test

By Rachel LeeSouth Korea is strengthening diplomatic efforts to seek understanding from China and Russia about its recent decision to allow the United States Forces Korea (USFK) to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery here.Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se convened a meeting of senior diplomats, Saturday, in an apparent move to discuss future diplomatic strategies with neighboring countries ― especially China and Russia, which have opposed the deployment of THAAD in South Korea, sources said Sunday.“We will cooperate closely with the two countries to prevent the agreement on THAAD from dampening economic and security ties with them,” a South Korean diplomat said on condition of anonymity. “We will especially focus on continuing concerted international efforts regarding North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.”China and Russia expressed strong discontent and opposition after the South and the U.S. announced the decision, arguing that the THAAD’s long-range radar can be used to spy on their military activities despite U.S.

Jul 10, 2016
  • THAAD can destroy SLBMs: defense chief

UNC allows heavy weapons in DMZ

By Rachel LeeThe United Nations Command (UNC) has revised rules to allow South Korean and U.S. military forces to carry heavy weapons in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), officials here said Sunday.The measure came in response to the North Korean military’s placement of heavy weapons in the DMZ, a 257-kilometer-long, 4-kilometer-wide buffer zone that has remained since the armistice ending the Korean War was signed in 1953, they said.The existence of heavy weapons in the DMZ increases the possibility of military conflict between the two sides and weakens the primary purpose of setting up the buffer zone after the 1950-53 war.According to UNC Regulation 551-4, which outlines and implements responsibilities required to comply with the armistice, the U.S.-led UNC approved the deployment of heavy weapons at the buffer area, including medium and heavy machine guns, recoilless rifles, mortars and automatic grenade launchers. The changes went into effect on Sept. 5, 2014. Only individual arms were originally allowed in the DMZ.The UNC said in the revised regulation that it made such updat

Jul 10, 2016
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