South Korea - The Korea Times

Arms agency faces audit over KF-X deal

By Yi Whan-wooThe National Assembly is seeking to adopt a motion calling for the government to look into the country’s troubled fighter jet development project.Lawmakers of the Assembly's National Defense Committee started a debate on whether to adopt the motion Wednesday, amid speculation that most members of the panel will support the motion.If it is approved at a plenary session, the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) must open an investigation into the KF-X project, led by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).The project is designed to replace the Air Force’s aging fleet of F-4s and F-5s and build indigenous combat jets by 2025. The total estimated costs will be 18 trillion won ($15.7 billion).DAPA, which is under the wing of the Ministry of National Defense, agreed with Lockheed Martin, a U.S. arms manufacturer, to receive 25 aviation technologies related to F-35 stealth fighters in return for purchasing 40 F-35s in a deal in September 2014.Lockheed Martin, however, has been refusing to transfer four core technologies, citing disapproval of the U.S.

Nov 25, 2015By Yi Whan-woo

US okays Harpoon missile sale

By Yi Whan-wooThe U.S. government has approved the sale of submarine-launched missiles and associated equipment to South Korea, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) of the U.S.The DSCA, which operates under the U.S Department of Defense, said Wednesday that it notified Congress of the proposed sale of the UGM-84L Harpoon Block II missiles and 13 Block II upgrade kits for an estimated cost of $110 million.It also said the approval was announced by the U.S. Department of the State. The prime contractor is Boeing, it added.According to the Seoul government, the U.S Department of State is responsible for determining whether to export highly sensitive military arms and related equipment in coordination with the Pentagon.“It is vital to U.S. interests to assist our South Korean ally in developing and maintaining a strong and ready self-defense capability,” the DSCA said in a press release. “The proposed sale will provide a defensive capability while enhancing interoperability with the U.S. and other allied forces.”The South Korean Navy has sou

Nov 19, 2015By Yi Whan-woo

Lockheed Martin reverses itself, claims unaware of Korea-U.S. THAAD talks

U.S. defense giant Lockheed Martin said Friday it is not aware of any talks taking place between South Korea and the United States about the THAAD missile defense system, reversing an earlier claim that such discussions are already under way."We regret the inaccurate information that was provided by Lockheed Martin yesterday at a media event in Washington," Jennifer Whitlow, senior vice president for communications at Lockheed Martin, said in a statement. "We are not aware of any discussions between the U.S. and Korea regarding THAAD."On Thursday, Mike Trotsky, the company's vice president of air and missile defense, claimed during a National Press Club news conference that the two countries have already been in "formal and informal discussions" on the possible deployment of a THAAD missile defense battery to the South.Trotsky also said the discussions are at "a very beginning state."The claim came ahead of U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter's trip to South Korea for the annual defense ministers' talks with Seoul's Defense Minister Han Min-koo, raising speculation that it might be a t

Oct 31, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji

Fallen U.N. soldiers commemorated

Members of the KATUSA Veterans Association (KVA) pose with other dignitaries during a ceremony to mark the 70th U.N. Day at U.N. Memorial Cemetery in Busan, Friday. / Courtesy of KVABy Yi Whan-wooThe KATUSA Veterans Association (KVA) and the 2nd Infantry Division (2ID) of the 8th United States Army honored fallen U.N. soldiers during the 1950-53 Korean War at a ceremony in Busan, Friday.KATUSA is an acronym for Korean Augmentation to the United States Army, a group of enlisted soldiers who serve their military duty with the 28,500 American troop stationed here.The KVA invited the 2ID to the ceremony at the U.N. Memorial Cemetery on the occasion of the 70th U.N. Day.Some 500 guests joined the events. They included KVA President Kim Jong-wook, the 2ID’s Commander Maj. Gen. Theodore Martin, its command Sgt. Maj. Edward Michell, the U.N. veterans and bereaved families of the war victims.Troops of the 2ID arrived in Busan on July 23, 1950, about a month after the outbreak of the war as the first unit from the U.S. They were sent to defend the Pusan Perimeter ― the last lin

Oct 23, 2015By Yi Whan-woo

Seoul, Tokyo apart over operations in NK

Japan's war scenario to fuel regional tensionsBy Jun Ji-hyeJapanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani indicated that Japan could conduct military operations in North Korea without consent from Seoul in the event of another war on the Korean Peninsula.His remarks imply  that Japan has set up a contingency plan to send its Self-Defense Forces (SDF) into North Korea without seeking consent from the South. He made the comments during talks with South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo in Seoul, Tuesday.This clearly shows that there is a wide gap between Seoul and Tokyo about the scope of South Korean territory, adding fuel to controversy over Japan’s move to expand its military role by revising the country’s Constitution.The possible landing of Japan’s SDF into North Korea could become a new seed of conflict in the Northeast Asian region because Japan’s military operations there could provoke China and Russia, which border the North.According to the Ministry of National Defense, Han told  Nakatani that Tokyo must seek approval or consent from Seoul first fo

Oct 21, 2015

Seoul, Tokyo apart over operations in NK

Seoul, Tokyo likely to boost defense exchanges

By Yi Whan-wooSouth Korea and Japan are expected to resume negotiations on sharing military intelligence, sources said Monday.The defense ministers of the two nations will meet in Seoul today.The meeting between Defense Minister Han Min-koo and his Japanese counterpart Gen Nakatani are the first high-level defense talks since the Seoul-Tokyo discussions on the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) were suspended in 2012.The GSOMIA is aimed at boosting exchanges of military intelligence about North Korea.In June 2012, the two countries were close to the signing of the pact when former President Lee Myung-bak was in power.South Korea, however, put off signing the pact following protests from politicians and civic activists amid prolonged historical disputes between the two nations.Since then, Seoul has faced a growing need to bolster a trilateral security alliance with the United States and Japan in the wake of Pyongyang’s threats to fire a long-range rocket and carry out its nuclear program.The military regime has repeatedly hinted at firing a long-range ro

Oct 19, 2015By Yi Whan-woo

KF-X project dealt further blow

US rejects request for tech transferBy  Kim Hyo-jinThe U.S. government has rejected South Korea’s request to transfer core technologies on F-35 stealth fighters, dealing a further blow to Seoul’s KF-X project to develop its own fighter jets.U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter made it clear that the American government will not agree to Defense Minister Han Min-koo’s request for the transfer, the Ministry of National Defense said.Han asked Carter to reconsider Washington’s earlier decision not to hand over the technologies, during their talks at the Pentagon Thursday. But Carter said there will be no change in Washington’s stance.The minister accompanied President Park Geun-hye on her trip in a bid to persuade the U.S. government to change its position.The U.S. refusal is expected to add fuel to criticism against the Korean government that it chose Lockheed Martin’s F-35 stealth fighters as its next-generation fighters although it knew there would be no transfer of the technologies.As Seoul has failed to persuade Washington, the KF-X project is e

Oct 16, 2015

Defense ministers of Korea, Japan to meet Tuesday

By Kim Hyo-jin Defense Minister Han Min-koo and his Japanese counterpart, Gen Nakatani, will hold talks in Seoul on Oct. 20, the Ministry of National Defense said Friday. “The two ministers are expected to discuss their defense policies, the security situation in the region, bilateral cooperation and exchanges,” the ministry said. “Han will also hear and discuss the Japanese side’s explanation regarding the security laws passed in September.”It will be the second talks between the defense ministers of Korea and Japan this year.Nakatani’s visit comes at a sensitive time when Korea is worried about possible consequences of Tokyo’s move to expand the role of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces (SDF) abroad.Controversy has been escalating here over the Japanese forces’ possible entrance on and near South Korean territory.Tokyo has constantly expressed its hope to explain the implication of the bills to Seoul, wary of growing concern in the neighboring country. Seoul is expected to reaffirm its stance that SDF activity that affects the peninsu

Oct 16, 2015

Airbus to display A400M transport plane

A400M transport planeBy Jun Ji-hyeThe Airbus A400M military transport plane will be displayed at a defense exhibition in Korea next week.Visitors can see the cutting-edge aircraft during the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition 2015 (Seoul ADEX 2015) that will run for six days from Oct. 20 at Seoul Airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.An official of Airbus Defense and Space said Friday that air forces of eight countries have placed orders for 174 A400Ms, and 14 of the aircraft are operating.The French Air Force received the Airbus military transport first in August 2013.“The A400M is famous for its performance, regardless of high and low altitude during its missions,” a company official said. The exhibition, which began in 1996, includes indoor exhibits, demonstration flights and an outdoor exhibition of aircraft and ground equipment.In June, Airbus beat its U.S. rival Boeing to win a 1.4 trillion won ($1.3 billion) deal to provide four in-flight refueling tankers by 2019 to the South Korea Air Force.

Oct 16, 2015By Jun Ji-hye

F-35 technologies crucial for future air warfare

By Jun Ji-hye The U.S. refusal to hand over four core technologies used in making F-35 stealth fighters to Korea has put its indigenous fighter jet development program, KF-X, in jeopardy.The government said it can develop the technologies on its own, but questions remain about whether this is possible and whether it can achieve its goal of developing the jets by 2025.With this in mind, Defense Minister Han Min-koo accompanied President Park Geun-hye on her U.S. trip and asked Washington to retract its earlier decision and allow Lockheed Martin to transfer the technologies. The four technologies ― the active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, infrared search and track (IRST), electronic optics targeting pod (EOTGP) and RF jammer ― are crucial for air warfare.The AESA radar is essential equipment that helps a pilot identify friend or foe in battle and finds targets on the ground. Its strength lies in determining and detecting multiple targets simultaneously. It also has advantages with its information processing speed and combat capability.The nation’s Agency fo

Oct 15, 2015

Defense