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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.

U.S. Pacific commander: THAAD talks don't necessarily mean deployment

The decision by South Korea and the United States to begin consultations on the potential deployment of the THAAD missile defense system doesn't mean the two sides have agreed to deploy the system, the U.S. Pacific commander said Thursday."Neither South Korea nor the United States have agreed to put a THAAD in Korea," Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr. said at a Pentagon briefing. "The decision to discuss it is not necessarily a decision to do it, not yet. So, we're having the discussions now, and we'll see how they turn out."The remarks contrast with the strong tones that he and other U.S. commanders have spoken with while stressing the importance of placing the advanced defense system in the South to better defend against growing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.That suggests the U.S. could back down on the issue in the face of intense opposition from China or in exchange for Beijing's cooperation in U.S. efforts to adopt a strong U.N. Security Council resolution imposing sanctions on Pyongyang for its nuclear and missile tests.Harris, however, reiterated previous remarks that Ch

Feb 26, 2016
  • UN drafts 'upgraded' sanctions against North Korea
  • THAAD is not 'bargaining chip'

US pushes to expand Korean War Memorial

By Yi Whan-wooThe U.S. House of Representatives will soon deliberate a bill calling for the expansion of the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C.According to the U.S. Congress website, Thursday, the bill proposes construction of a “Wall of Remembrance” inside the memorial to honor those who served with U.N. forces, including KATUSAs, during the 1950-53 Korean War.KATUSA stands for the Korean Augmentation to the United States Army ― a military unit initiated during the war and which is still active.The website showed that the bill, titled “H.R. 1475- Korea War Veterans Memorial Wall of Remembrance Act of 2015,” will be soon eligible for consideration.The bill was introduced in March 2015 ― the memorial opened in 1995.“The proposed act authorizes the Wall of Remembrance as part of the previously authorized Korean War Veterans Memorial, to include: (1) a list by name of members of the U.S. Armed Forces who were killed in action; (2) the number of members who were wounded, listed as missing in action, or prisoners of war; and (3) the num

Feb 25, 2016

Defense Minister inspects readiness of military's counter-terror units

Defense Minister Han Min-koo inspected the combat readiness of the military's special counter-terror units Thursday as the government recently warned of possible terror attacks by North Korea.Han visited the Special Warfare Command's counter-terror unit and a special chemical warfare battalion to check the forces' battle preparedness earlier in the day, the ministry said in a statement.The defense chief instructed the troops to maintain a "thorough readiness position" against possible terrorist attacks from North Korea, the statement said.Han is "aware of the seriousness of the current state where North Korea's terror threats are increasing after (leader) Kim Jong-un ordered increased terrorist forces against South Korea," the statement also noted. Last week, President Park Geun-hye warned of possible terror or cyberattacks by North Korea."New types of threats such as terror (attacks), cyberattacks or biological weapons could occur anywhere," Park said in a meeting with mayors and governors.On Tuesday, North Korea threatened to launch a "pre-emptive strike" on the presidential office

Feb 25, 2016

S. Korea, New Zealand hold defense talks

South Korea held defense policy talks with New Zealand Thursday to discuss security issues, including North Korea's recent nuclear and long-range missile tests, the South Korean government said.Director-General for International Policy Yoon Soon-ku represented South Korea during the talks held at the Ministry of National Defense in Seoul, with the New Zealand side headed by Charlotte Beaglehole, director of international relations.The discussion will encompass defense issues such as the security landscape of the Korean Peninsula in the wake of North Korea's fourth nuclear test in January and a long-range rocket launch earlier in the month, the ministry said ahead of the talks.The two sides will also discuss ways to enhance defense cooperation in the fields of commissioned officers' education, joint military exercise and peacekeeping operations, the ministry said. The director-level talks were first launched in 1999 with an eye to boosting bilateral security cooperation. Having fought for the South Korean side in the 1950-53 Korean War, New Zealand is one of South Korea's like-minded

Feb 25, 2016

USFK commander says THAAD working group to hold first meeting 'within a week'

The United States and South Korea are expected "within a week" to hold the first meeting of a joint working group aimed at discussing the proposed deployment of the THAAD missile defense system, the commander of U.S. Forces Korea said Wednesday.Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti told the House Armed Services Committee that it will take some time to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system to the South as the working group has determine the right location and other details."We're forming a joint working group that I think will have its first meeting within a week," he said. "THAAD is a complex system. It's going to take some time for us to find the right location because where you locate it makes a difference on how effective it is. So we got to find the right location and do that work, which we will do in accordance with our SOFA."SOFA refers to the Status of Forces Agreement that governs U.S. troop presence in South Korea.Scaparrotti also reiterated the importance of THAAD deployment."You are well aware of the large arsenal that North Korea has in ballistic missiles that is growin

Feb 25, 2016

S. Korea, U.S. hold joint air force training

Seven A-10 American anti-tank aircraft have been deployed in South Korea for joint air force training, the Air Force here said Wednesday.The four-day Buddy Wing exercise between South Korean and U.S. air force squadrons will run through Thursday in Osan Air Base, it said.The U.S. mobilized seven A-10 Thunderbolt aircraft for the joint drill, which focuses on the allies' capability to carry out joint air support operations.The A-10 is tasked with launching air attacks on North Korean armored vehicles in the event of a war. It is unusual for the U.S. to deploy the high-survivability and versatile aircraft for such a joint training. South Korea deployed four KA-1 light attack aircraft for the training.The A-10 is capable of carrying a maximum of 7,250 kilograms in weapons, including GAU-8 Avenger auto cannons, AGM-65 Maverick air-to-ground tactical missiles and Mark 82 unguided bombs."The joint training, now and in the future, will be carried out with a focus on strengthening the combined mission capabilities and interoperability," said Col. Andrew Hansen, commander of 51st Fighter Wing

Feb 24, 2016

S. Korea dismisses China's concern over THAAD

South Korea's presidential office expressed displeasure Wednesday at China's ferocious opposition to its push for the deployment of THAAD, a U.S. missile defense system, here.It is a matter of "self-defense" against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Jeong Yeon-guk told reporters.He was responding to increased public pressure from China over the THAAD issue.Beijing's top envoy in Seoul warned Tuesday that bilateral ties will be destroyed "in an instant" if the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system is positioned on the peninsula.In a meeting with Kim Jong-in, head of the main opposition Minju party, Ambassador Qiu Guohong was also quoted as saying South Korea's own national security may be jeopardized as well.Qiu's remarks, quite unusual for a senior diplomat, were seen by many as Beijing's explicit pressure on Seoul.The Cheong Wa Dae official stressed that it's a self-defense measure for South Korea to allow the U.S. Forces Korea to deploy THAAD in the country. He cited the North's growing military threats."It's a matter to be decided in accordanc

Feb 24, 2016

China's opposition to THAAD 'preposterous': U.S. Pacific commander

China's opposition to the potential deployment of the U.S. THAAD missile defense system to South Korea is "preposterous" as it amounts to wedging itself between Seoul and Washington over a defensive system, the U.S. Pacific commander said Tuesday."I find it preposterous that China would try to wedge itself between South Korea and the United States for a missile system designed to defend Americans and Koreans on the peninsula," Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr., commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, said during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing."If they were truly concerned, if they truly interested, I believe China would and should intervene with North Korea and convince them to quit their cycle of provocation," he said.Shortly after the North's missile launch on Feb. 7, South Korea and the U.S. jointly announced they would begin official discussions on the possible placement of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system in South Korea. That ended more than a year of soul-searching by Seoul over how to deal with the issue amid Washington's desire to d

Feb 24, 2016

S. Korea to dispatch 6th rotational PKO forces to South Sudan

South Korea will dispatch its 6th batch of peacekeeping troops to South Sudan as part of its mission to help the civil war-torn African country's rebuilding efforts, the Army said Tuesday.The 270-strong contingent will depart for the United Nations peacekeeping operations based in Bor, located in the Jonglei State of South Sudan, in two groups in late February and mid-March, it said.South Korea first stationed the rotational PKO forces with the U.N. Mission in South Sudan in March 2013 and has replaced them every eight months to assist the newly independent country's recovery from a destructive civil war.South Sudan became independent from Sudan in 2011, but political instability still abounds in the new country, with tens of thousands of people killed or displaced in the ongoing civil war that started in 2013.The Army said the outgoing 6th group of troops has undergone seven weeks of intense preparations, which focused on training in military engineering and transporting. They also completed drills in countering military and non-military threats in a prompt manner, according to the

Feb 23, 2016

S. Korea, U.S. to sign agreement on THAAD talks this week

South Korea and the United States plan to sign an accord this week on launching official talks to deploy the advanced American anti-ballistic missile defense system, the Defense Ministry here said Tuesday.The signing of the "terms of reference" over the possible positioning of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) unit in the Northeast Asian country will take place on Wednesday or Thursday, as the countries have yet to iron out some details, ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun said.The allies had previously planned to hold the signing ceremony on Tuesday. After signing the agreement, Seoul and Washington will establish a joint working group to negotiate the sensitive THAAD issue, including cost-sharing and a candidate site.Hours after North Korea launched a long-range rocket carrying a satellite on Feb. 7, the allies announced plans to begin talks on bringing THAAD into the peninsula.(Yonhap) 

Feb 23, 2016
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