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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.

US, S. Korea moving forward in THAAD talks: Pentagon

The United States and South Korea are moving forward in negotiations on the potential deployment of the THAAD missile defense system in the South, and are now focused on working out unspecified "complicated issues," the Pentagon said Monday.Following the North's long-range missile test in February, Seoul and Washington launched official talks about placing a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery in the South to bolster defense against missile threats from the communist nation.The move has irked China, which claims the powerful THAAD radar can be used to spy on it.The issue has drawn renewed attention after a senior U.S. official was quoted as saying last week that there will be a "public announcement soon." The remark was seen as meaning that the two sides are close to agreement on THAAD deployment."Those alliance negotiations continue and my understanding is they are proceeding as planned and we are working through the complicated issues that need to be worked out before that deployment can move forward," Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said at a press briefing.Cook said,

Jun 7, 2016

THAAD to enhance capacity to counter N. Korea threat: defense chief

South Korea's defense chief said the possible deployment of a U.S. advanced missile defense system to South Korean soil will help "dramatically" enhance Seoul's capacity to counter North Korea's missile threats.Seoul and Washington have been discussing the potential deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in the South, where about 28,500 American troops are stationed, in an effort to better defend against growing missile threats from the communist nation."South Korea only has the capacity to intercept missiles at its terminal phase. So we have limitations. If THAAD is deployed to U.S. forces in Korea, our capability will be dramatically enhanced. There are definite military benefits to this," Defense Minister Han Min-koo said in an interview with CNN.Han spoke in Singapore, where he attended the annual regional defense ministers' meeting. The so-called Shangri-La Dialogue highlighted a deepening row between South Korea and China over THAAD as China has explicitly expressed its opposition to Washington's move to deploy it to the South.Han said the North has

Jun 7, 2016

KF-X revives concerns on overdependence on US

 An artist’s conception of the indigenous fighter jet, dubbed the KF-X  / Courtesy of Korea Aerospace IndustriesBy Jun Ji-hye The nation’s heavy dependence on U.S. weapons has reemerged in its indigenous fighter jet development project as the state arms procurement agency and the aircraft maker are apparently seeking steady progress by using familiar U.S. products rather than choosing a new path.But critics are raising concerns that the overdependence on the Washington’s products and technologies could put Korea into an unfavorable position in the future when exporting jets.The so-called KF-X project is aimed at locally developing twin-engine combat jets equipped with state-of-the-art aviation electronics equipment by 2026, which would replace the Air Force’s aging fleet of F-4s and F-5s.Developing the fighter jets is estimated to cost 8.5 trillion won ($7.2 billion), and an additional 10 trillion won is needed to produce 120 jets by 2032.On May 26, U.S.-based General Electric (GE) won a bid against European rival Eurojet to supply twin eng

Jun 6, 2016
KF-X revives concerns on overdependence on US

Park urges Pyongyang to give up nukes in memorial speech

President Park Geun-hye said Monday that South Korea will join forces with the international community to induce North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons development program and return to the negotiation table during a Memorial Day speech."North Korea must realize that the international community will roll out tougher sanctions as the regime clings to the development of nuke and missiles," Park said, adding the country will eventually fall into further isolation and self-destruction.The speech was made as South Korea marks its 61st Memorial Day at a formal ceremony held at Seoul National Cemetery. Some 10,000 veterans and citizens participated in the ceremony to mark those that have sacrificed themselves for the country."North Korea's nuclear development is a critical provocation against our security as well as the peace in Northeast Asia and the world," Park added. "It is also a hurdle for Koreas' reconciliation and unification."The president stressed Seoul will maintain strong military ties with Washington, adding it will not hesitate to strike back against Pyongyang in the event

Jun 6, 2016

S. Korea, U.S. on same footing about THAAD: S. Korean defense minister

South Korea and the United States have a shared nderstanding on the issue of deploying a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system against North Korea's missile threats, South Korea's defense chief said Friday, although he also confirmed that the issue will not be discussed at the annual "Shangri-La Dialogue" meeting this week."I don't think (the two countries') stances are mismatched at all," Defense Minister Han Min-koo said in a brief press meeting on the sidelines of the Asia Security Summit which opened its three-day run in Singapore earlier in the day.U.S. reports have earlier quoted U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter saying that the deployment issue would come up during his bilateral talks with Han, which are scheduled for Saturday.Following North Korea's defiant nuclear test in January and the following long-range missile launch in February, the allies announced a plan to explore the deployment of the sophisticated defense shield against North Korea's ever-increasing ballistic missile threats.A joint working group was launched in early March and has been working to map out th

Jun 3, 2016
  • US in rush to conclude THAAD deal

US in rush to conclude THAAD deal

Korea remains hesitant about early negotiationsBy Yi Whan-wooThe United States is apparently increasing pressure on South Korea to accelerate the ongoing talks on deploying a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery here.The allies are offering different stories about whether their defense ministers will discuss the missile system during a meeting in Singapore today.On Friday, South Korea’s defense ministry denied U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter’s claim a day earlier that he will discuss the THAAD issue when he meets Defense Minister Han Min-koo on the sidelines of the 15th Asia Security Summit in Singapore.“There is no plan for discussions between the two defense ministers in Singapore,” a ministry spokesman said.“Related discussions on THAAD have been underway between working-level officials of Seoul and Washington and they’ll make their conclusions public when their discussions are over.”“The two governments will consider these before finalizing whether to have a THAAD system on South Korean soil, and the two sides

Jun 3, 2016
US in rush to conclude THAAD deal
  • US presidential poll to decide fate of THAAD talks
  • US senator proposes to call for THAAD deployment in defense budget bill
  • S. Korea, U.S. on same footing about THAAD: S. Korean defense minister
  • Eumseong residents on edge over THAAD

T-50A succeeds in test flight

T-50A trainer jet / Courtesy of KAIBy Yi Whan-wooSouth Korea’s indigenous T-50A trainer jet has completed its first test flight successfully, its developer Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) said Friday.The successful test bodes well for the firm’s bid to sell the T-50A ― an upgraded version of the T-50 Golden Eagle ― to the United States, which is seeking to upgrade its trainer fleet.KAI said the jet took off from Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, where the T50-As are being manufactured.A KAI pilot accompanied by another pilot from Lockheed Martin flew the jet for about 50 minutes while officials from the two companies plus the Ministry of Defense, the Air Force and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration were on hand watching.A KAI official said the T-50A is the only jet that succeeded in test flights among probable candidates for the U.S. project to upgrade its trainer fleet.The U.S. Air Force is expected to issue notice of its bid by the end of this year and sign a contract in 2017.“The successful flight is expected to boost our marketing for th

Jun 3, 2016

S. Korea should build nuclear-powered submarine: expert

South Korea needs to build a nuclear-powered submarine to better counter North Korea's possible nuclear and missile attacks, an expert at Seoul's state-run think tank said Friday.With the new atomic energy pact reached between South Korea and the United States in 2015, the last restrictions to building a nuclear-powered sub have been removed, claimed Boo Hyeong-wook, a chief research fellow at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA). The pact permits Seoul to make low-enriched uranium with U.S. consent that can be used as fuel."The possession of a nuclear-powered submarine will allow us to better counter North Korea's possible nuclear and missile attacks," Boo said at a seminar held on a warship anchored at the country's southern resort island of Jeju. Nuclear-powered subs have far greater range and can effectively stay submerged as long as they have nuclear fuel and food.South Korea is seeking to build nine 3,000-ton submarines in three batches as part of its so-called Jangbogo-III project. The move is aimed at building submarines with local technology that can better meet t

Jun 3, 2016

US lawmaker calls Seoul-Washington alliance 'cornerstone' in regional peace

A visiting U.S. lawmaker has called the alliance between the United States and South Korea a "cornerstone" for regional peace and stability, expressing his conviction in its value and importance, the foreign ministry said Friday.Rep. Ed Royce, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is visiting South Korea, along with his colleagues Reps. Bill Flores and Ted Lieu. They met with Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam on Thursday in Seoul."During the meeting, Rep. Royce said he has conviction in the value and importance of the Korea-U.S alliance as a cornerstone for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and the Northeast Asian region," the ministry said in a press release."He expected that their visit to South Korea will serve as a chance to demonstrate again to South Koreans about how firmly the U.S. Congress and its people are supportive of the alliance between the two countries," it added.Lim noted that Seoul-Washington ties have been evolving beyond the security area toward a comprehensive global alliance, the ministry said. He praised the U.S. Congress for its non-parti

Jun 3, 2016

S. Korea, US have no plan to discuss THAAD at defense chiefs' meeting

South Korea's defense ministry on Friday said the issue of deploying a U.S. advanced missile defense system on South Korean soil will not be discussed at the upcoming meeting of the two countries' defense chiefs."The two countries are in consultation over the deployment of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery on South Korean soil. After the consultation is over, the results will come out," the ministry said in a statement.Seoul's reaction came as U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said he expects the issue of the THAAD missile defense system to come up when he meets with his South Korean counterpart, Han Min-koo, in Singapore on Saturday, according to a transcript by the Defense Department.In early March, the two countries launched a working group to discuss the issue of the THAAD deployment, but they have not unveiled details about any progress. (Yonhap)

Jun 3, 2016
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