A day after Seoul and Tokyo pulled off a compromise in their sex slavery row, the U.S., the U.N. and other actors in the international community churned out praise and support, displaying hopes for an end to the decades-old historical animosity. While acknowledging the need for Japan to follow through on its promises, they stressed the significance of what is supposed to be a “final and irreversible” closure of the dispute that has long plagued relations between the two neighbors and staunch U.S

Despite a much-touted breakthrough with Japan on sex slavery, criticism is simmering over Seoul’s apparently rushed negotiations that led to its failure to consult beforehand with the victims, leaving room for potential diplomatic blunders and political backlash at home. Monday’s announcement came as a surprise to many because the bilateral director-general-level talks had made little headway during the 11 rounds since April 2014. Even early this month, diplomatic sources remained skeptical of t

The strains of “Arirang,” Korea’s unofficial national anthem, filled the air as President Park Geun-hye smiled at the National Marionette Theatre in Prague early this month, followed by Czech folk song “Humoresques.“Titled “In the Attic,” the puppet show was the product of collaboration between the two countries’ artists ― traditional Korean pansori piece “Sugungga” formed the central music and story line under the command of a Korean director, while the rabbit and turtle marionettes playing the

The U.S. Forces Korea has conducted 16 rounds of clandestine experiments involving dead anthrax samples and one plague test since 2009, a joint investigation panel said Thursday, upending Washington’s previous claim that last May’s anthrax shipment marked its first-ever trial here. In late May, 22 U.S. servicemen were found to have possibly come into contact with the lethal bacteria sent to Osan Air Base in Gyeonggi Province from a military laboratory in Utah. Though the USFK said that none of t

The government Wednesday picked U.S. defense giant Lockheed Martin as the new contractor for its project to renovate the aviation electronic systems of KF-16 fighters that has sat dormant for months due to demands for a cost hike by a previous partner. Under the 1.84 trillion won ($1.58 billion) program, the Maryland-based company will exchange and upgrade the radar, armament and other integrated electronic systems of 134 KF-16s currently operated by South Korea’s Air Force. During a defense acq

The war of words is heating up between the government and Seoul City over the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs’ plans to raise the national flag at the heart of downtown in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the country’s liberation from Japan this year. The tit-for-tat over how long and where the giant flag pole should be installed represents a fresh standoff between the conservative government of President Park Geun-hye and the progressive municipality run by Mayor Park Won-soon

With delays in the expansion project of the U.S. military base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, the relocation of the bulk of troops from central Seoul and other northern regions due to conclude in 2016 will take another year, the commander of the 8th U.S. Army said Thursday. Under the plan, initially slated to take place in 2008 but delayed until 2012, Camp Humphreys will be home to some 42,000 U.S. forces and their families as they shift in stages, said Lt. Gen. Bernard Champoux, who is also

GAESEONG, North Korea -- The two Koreas held a rare high-level meeting Friday in the North Korean border town of Gaeseong, seeking to mend fences worn by a flare-up in military tensions last summer and a perennial standoff over sanctions, stalled tours and other issues. The South’s delegation, led by Vice Unification Minister Hwang Boo-gi, left for the city that houses a joint factory park early in the morning to join his counterpart Jon Jong-su, a vice director of the North’s Committee for Peac

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has claimed the communist state has developed a hydrogen bomb, which may signal a significant advancement in its nuclear capabilities, though Seoul officials remain dubious of the claim’s veracity. While inspecting a historic arms factory site in Pyongyang on Wednesday, Kim lauded its founder and his late grandfather Kim Il-sung for testing some of the country’s maiden weapons some 70 years ago, which made possible its transformation into a “powerful nuclear weapo

Washington has agreed in principal to transfer the 21 sets of technologies essential for Seoul’s drive to introduce its own fighter jets, officials here said Wednesday, though uncertainties remain over some undecided subcategories. A delegation of officials from South Korea’s defense and foreign ministries and state arms procurement agency held meetings with their U.S. counterparts in Washington last week to drum up their support for the KF-X program, after the State Department vetoed export lic

President Park Geun-hye reiterated her calls Tuesday for the National Assembly to pass the pending bills on labor reforms, lambasting the political bickering among lawmakers which she said “only magnifies the pain of the young generation.”Presiding over a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, she also stressed the need for legislation designed to head off possible terrorist attacks on the back of the surge of the Islamic State extremist group and its threats against Seoul as a staunch U.S. ally. “Wh

The main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy on Monday demanded the government offer an apology for a claim by a U.S. weekly that the South Korean consul general in New York protested an article criticizing President Park Geun-hye. The newspaper, the New York-based Nation, ran a story last week lambasting the Park administration’s crackdown on antigovernment protesters, likening her approach to the authoritarian rule of her deceased father and late strongman, Park Chung-hee. The write

Korea Aerospace Industries forged a strategic partnership Friday with PT Dirgantara Indonesia, a state-run plane developer, as it seeks to expand its foray into the Southeast Asian country’s defense market following the export of its trainer aircrafts. Under the agreement, the two firms will crank up cooperation in the areas of both military and civilian aviation and the development of unmanned aerial vehicles and other systems by creating a joint panel and holding two rounds of meetings every y

PRAGUE (Yonhap) -- President Park Geun-hye met with Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka on Thursday for talks on how to boost substantial cooperation in a wide-range of areas.The two leaders are set to adopt an action plan meant to implement a bilateral strategic partnership signed earlier this year.The action plan calls for, among other things, political dialogue, consultations on cybersecurity as well as cooperation in nuclear energy.It marked the second time that Park has met with Sobotka t

BEIJING (Yonhap) -- South Korea is expected to "play a more active role" in the Chinese-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the bank's deputy head was quoted as saying by a Chinese state media service on Thursday.The AIIB's deputy chief, Chen Hun, told state-run China News Service that South Korea would support bonds that will be issued and rated by the new regional lender for the first time. Chen also said the AIIB will hold its opening ceremony in the middle of next month.  The remarks b

The country’s defense budget is set to hike 3.6 percent to 38.8 trillion won ($33.3 billion) next year on the back of an increase in salaries and production costs of utility helicopters and other weapons systems. Overall, more than 27.1 trillion won was allotted for force operations, while some 11 trillion won will be spent to advance defense capabilities such as by continuing the establishment of the Kill Chain and the Korea Air and Missile Defense preemptive strike systems slated to be complet

In May 2014, many South Koreans were struck by the discovery of three crashed drones in frontline areas that had been flown in from North Korea. Albeit crude, the small devices had taken photos of major military installations on border islands, potential infiltration routes and the presidential palace in downtown Seoul, kindling concerns over a potential security breach and lax air defense. Boosted by the brisk advancement of aerospace power following two World Wars, drones have revolutionized m

North Korea appears to have failed to launch a ballistic missile from a submarine in yet another provocative action that may escalate tensions on the peninsula, government sources in Seoul said Sunday. The communist state is believed to have tried to fire a KN-11 missile from a submarine in the East Sea between 2:20 p.m. and 2:40 p.m. Saturday, but it stopped short of soaring from the waters, the sources said. Seoul’s Defense Ministry declined to officially confirm the report. “The cover of the

JEJUDO ISLAND ― Minutes after the bus drifted down a tote road toward the shore, a glassy cobalt blue ocean unfolded menacingly, with two newly paved, sprawling breakwaters being occupied by a small fleet of naval ships including an Aegis-equipped destroyer and submarines. Following several years of protests and subsequent delays, the Navy is gearing up to introduce a strategic naval base on this scenic island as early as January as part of Seoul’s efforts to shore up its maritime defense. A cap

With Korea’s push to build homegrown fighter jets turning increasingly vapid in the face of a string of setbacks for U.S. technology transfer, calls are growing to clarify where the responsibility lies.The responsibility issue has come to the fore since Washington was found to have vetoed last April the U.S. defense firm Lockheed Martin Corp.’s envisioned handover of four technologies vital for Seoul’s project to introduce its own first KF-16-class warplanes by 2025, dubbed KF-X or Boramae.  (Yo