South Korea - The Korea Times

NK Proposes Inter-Korean Military Talks Be Held March 2

By Jung Sung-ki Staff Reporter North Korea proposed Monday that inter-Korean military talks be held March 2 to discuss cross-border traffic, communications and customs clearance for South Korean companies operating at a joint industrial complex in the North. South Korea had proposed holding working-level military talks with North Korea on Feb. 23 to discuss those issues at the truce village of Panmunjeom. In a counter proposal sent to Seoul by fax, Pyongyang requested that the talks take place next Tuesday at the Gaeseong Industrial Complex, a spokesman of the Ministry of National Defense said. It is the first time North Korea has requested that inter-Korean military talks be held at the Gaeseong complex. "We're considering whether or not to accept the offer," ministry spokesman Won Tae-jae told reporters. If held, the talks will be the first meeting of military officials from the two Koreans since October 2008. The South has demanded that Pyongyang ease restrictions concerning communications, customs clearance and the passage of South Korean workers to

Feb 22, 2010

S. Korean Navy to Receive New Patrol Aircraft

By Jung Sung-ki Staff Reporter The Navy will acquire the first three of the eight planned P-3CK maritime patrol aircraft from Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) after a delay of nearly one and a half years due to systems integration and redesign problems. The last hurdle for their delivery was cleared earlier this month as the U.S. government approved export restrictions on key electronic warfare equipment for the P-3CK, according to KAI and Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) officials. The P-3CK is one of the new variants of the U.S. P-3 Orion maritime aircraft developed in the 1960s. KAI, South Korea's only aircraft developer, has been in charge of remodeling the older aircraft since 2005. L-3 Communications Integrated Systems of the United States is a subcontractor that provides system modernization and a service life extension program. The ceremony to mark the delivery of the three planes will be held at a navy unit in Pohang, about 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul. According to the KAI, the remaining planes will be handed over to the Navy by

Feb 22, 2010

Exclusive US Defense Firms Complain of Cleanup Drive

By Jung Sung-ki Staff Reporter Representatives from U.S. defense firms doing business here have discussed the idea of submitting a declaration of transparency to Cheong Wa Dae, amid Seoul’s crackdown on irregular weapons acquisition deals, an industry source said Friday. During a meeting at the American Chamber of Commerce(AMCHAM) in Korea in Seoul, Tuesday, some of the executive officers complained that the proposed policy to fight corruption in arms deals was too rigid and not realistic, the source said, requesting anonymity. Participants included representatives from Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman and General Electric, he said. “The representatives were engaged in a debate over an arms acquisition policy that has been proposed by the government,” the source told The Korea Times. “They put forward the idea of presenting a pledge of transparency to the presidential office as part of anti-corruption efforts but failed to reach an agreement.” In recent months, President Lee Myung-bak and other government officials have called for a new arms-buying me

Feb 19, 2010

N. Korea Urged to Be Open Wider to Talks

By Na Jeong-ju Staff Reporter A presidential secretary for inter-Korean relations called on North Korea, Thursday, to resume dialogue with South Korea to discuss solutions to the economic crisis and to ensure political stability in the communist nation. "Pyongyang should have an open mind on talks with Seoul because only the latter can help it rebuild its economy and ease security concerns," Kim Sung-hwan, senior presidential secretary for diplomatic and security issues, said. "We are always open to talks with Pyongyang. However, the inter-Korean ties will only improve when the North shows sincere efforts to resolve the nuclear issue," Kim said during a luncheon meeting hosted by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in Korea (EUCCK) at the Lotte Hotel in central Seoul. The proposal came amid reports that the two Koreas have been involved in behind-the-scenes efforts since late last year to realize a summit between President Lee Myung-bak and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. Sources close to the dialogue said North Korea demanded a wide range of economic incentives

Feb 18, 2010

US Isnt Prepared for Life After Kim Jong-il

By Kim Sue-young Staff Reporter The United States appears to be unprepared for a possible power vacuum after North Korean leader Kim Jong-il dies, a professor said in his contributions to Foreign Policy Magazine. Lee Sung-yoon, who teaches at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, said a continued U.S. commitment is necessary to ensure stability on the Korean Peninsula. "It's true that U.S. and South Korean officials have been quietly discussing a contingency plan for a drastic change in North Korea, dubbed OPLAN-5029 by the Pentagon," he said. But beyond short-term emergency response measures such as securing the North's stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction and maintaining public safety, controlling borders is critical to protecting U.S. strategic interests in that vital region of the world, he said. Given America's political, economic and human investment in the two Koreas over the past 65 years, he said it was also a "moral imperative." The North Korean leader is reported to have been in bad health since he allegedly collapsed

Feb 18, 2010

N. Korea Calls for Absolute Faith in Kim Jong-il

By Kim Sue-young Staff Reporter On the occasion of the 68th birthday of its leader, North Korea called for absolute faith in and obedience to leader Kim Jong-il Tuesday. The secretive state's media also wished him good health. More focused on the birthday-related events than those for the Lunar New Year's Day ― the biggest holiday in both Koreas. "The army and the people must believe that we will unfailingly win and have to follow the general (Kim) to the world's end," the Rodong Sinmun, mouthpiece of the ruling Workers' Party, said. It also praised Kim's recent brisk activities and inspections, and encouraged the North Koreans to follow his spirit. Kim's birthplace is veiled but the North claims that he was born in a secret guerrilla camp on Mt. Paekdu, a sacred peak to North Koreans. He was named as successor to Kim Il-sung, founder of the communist regime, in 1974 and is referred to as the Dear Leader. He took power 20 years later and assumed titles of grand secretary of the ruling party and chairman of the National Defense Commission. Amid rumor

Feb 16, 2010

Inauguration of PKO for Haiti Mission Due

By Jung Sung-ki Staff Reporter South Korea will designate a unit for peacekeeping operations (PKO) for earthquake-stricken Haiti Wednesday, the Ministry of National Defense said Tuesday. Defense Minister Kim Tae-young will attend the inaugural ceremony of the 240-strong contingent, the sixth PKO unit from the country, the ministry said in a news release. About 1,400 people will attend the ceremony at a military base in Incheon. Among them will be Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan, Gen. Lee Sang-eui, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Walter Sharp, commander of the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command and lawmakers from the National Assembly’s Defense Committee. The Assembly passed a motion on Jan. 9 to deploy the contingent to work with the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). The contingent includes 120 engineers, 26 staff officers, and 41 Marines and reconstruction workers, according to the release. Army Col. Kim Soo-seong will lead the contingent. Kim led the Dasan engineering unit in 2003 for rehabilitation missions in Afghanistan. The

Feb 16, 2010

East Asian Security Framework Planned

By Jung Sung-ki Staff Reporter South Korea, Japan and China are discussing establishing a tripartite security framework this year, Seoul officials said Monday. Senior defense officials from the three countries will discuss their security and military cooperation in the region on a regular basis, the officials said. South Korea's Ministry of National Defense (MND) is leading the discussion, following a tripartite summit of leaders from the nations last October in Beijing, they said. The framework will help build trust between the three militaries as well as resolve pending security issues in the region, including North Korea's nuclear weapons program, said the officials. This issue was a lead topic during an MND meeting with South Korean diplomatic mission chiefs abroad last week, they added. "Once the tripartite security framework takes effect, it will help resolve many security issues in the region, including North Korea's nuclear problem and the U.S.-China relationship," a security expert said. "The framework could successfully evolve into a broader security

Feb 15, 2010

ROK Air Force Officer Gets US Medal

An Air Force officer has been honored with a U.S. government medal for his contributions to enhancing the ROK-U.S. combined air defense system, the Air Force said. Lt. Col. Kim Boo-guk received the Meritorious Service Medal, a rare honor given to a foreign, noncombatant officer, from Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Remington, commander of the U.S. 7th Air Force, in a ceremony, Wednesday. Kim was cited for the contributions he made while serving as the planning officer of the ROK-U.S. combined Air Force exercises from 2002 to 2004 and as the Korean liaison officer at U.S. Central Command from 2004 to 2005, the Air Force said in a press release. The U.S. 7th Air Force is located in Osan, Gyeonggi Province. About 28,500 American troops are stationed in South Korea to deter communist North Korea. jckim@koreatimes.co.kr

Feb 10, 2010

Air Force Introduces Advanced Weather Surveillance System

By Jung Sung-ki Staff Reporter The Air Force has begun operating advanced equipment to help give precise warnings and forecasts of atmospheric phenomena when its airmen conduct precision-strike operations. Under a 2007 agreement signed with the state-funded Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute on bolstering surveillance of the atmospheric environment, the service started operating an ionosphere radar system last October. The Air Force said it signed a follow-up agreement with the institute and opened an ionosphere observation center at the 73rd Weather Squadron Wednesday. The center will also be used for civil and public purposes, it said in a press release. The ionosphere is the uppermost part of the atmosphere, distinguished because it is ionized by solar radiation. It plays an important part in atmospheric electricity and forms the inner edge of the magnetosphere. "The ionosphere radar system will help reduce problems with launching precision-guided weapons systems under bad weather conditions," an Air Force official said. The system will also help air