Seoul reiterated its calls on Tokyo to uphold the pacifist principle and transparency in carrying out its defense policy after Japan’s parliament enacted legislation early Saturday that will allow its military to fight overseas in a contentious overturn of its strictly defensive postwar security law. Following a fiery political battle and late-night vote, the upper house approved 11 related bills, lifting constraints enshrined in Japan’s constitution on its military after World War II. The new r

China has added to the pressure on North Korea to refrain from provocations after Pyongyang hinted at nuclear and missile threats ahead of the 70th anniversary of the founding of its ruling Workers’ Party next month. In recent weeks, Seoul has been ramping up diplomatic efforts to avert any test of a long-range missile or atomic device. Washington, Beijing and other countries have also warned of further sanctions should Pyongyang press ahead with a major provocation. Last week, the communist sta

By Shin Hyon-hee South Korea on Thursday secured a contract to export four T-50 trainer jets to Thailand in another coup that marks the local defense industry’s growing technological clout. The $110 million agreement was clinched between the Korea Aerospace Industries and the Thai government in Seoul. The supersonic aircraft, built with technical assistance from the American defense giant Lockheed Martin, is scheduled to be delivered by March 2018. The Thai Air Force has been pushing to replace

By Shin Hyon-heeThe country’s defense acquisition officials came under fire Thursday during a parliamentary audit for a string of fresh allegations of illicit participation of an arms broker, buying subquality supplies and other irregularities. According to Rep. Baek Kun-ki of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy, a Korean weapons brokerage based in the U.S., was involved in the Defense Acquisition Program Administration’s 2012 bid to adopt new AW-159 Wildcat helicopters in br

With a reclusive and erratic leader at the helm of North Korea, the U.S. Coast Guard is ready to respond to any contingency on the peninsula, its chief said Wednesday, expressing concerns of a possible miscalculation and unintended escalation. Commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft said his organization has a “significant force package” including vessels and personnel as part of Washington’s broader plan designed to deal with an armed conflict involving the two Koreas.Paul Zukunft“When you deal with the l

Army Gen. Lee Sun-jin was named the first-ever Army Academy graduate to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Monday in a major reshuffle of the top military leadership. Lee Sun-jin. Yonhap The 61-year-old chief of the Army’s 2nd Operations Command will replace Adm. Choi Yoon-hee, whose two-year stint ends in October.If he wins presidential approval on Tuesday and the ensuing parliamentary hearing, Lee will become the first Army Academy alumnus to take up South Korea’s highest-rankin

Army Gen. Lee Sun-jin was named the first-ever Army Academy graduate to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Monday in a major reshuffle of the top military leadership. The 61-year-old chief of the Army’s 2nd Operations Command will replace Adm. Choi Yoon-hee, whose two-year stint ends in October. Gen. Lee Sun-jin (Defense Ministry)If he wins presidential approval on Tuesday and the ensuing parliamentary hearing, Lee will become the first Army Academy alumnus to take up South Korea’

In the face of a long-running job crunch, young South Korean men are finding it increasingly difficult to join the military for the obligatory two-year service, with an acceptance rate hovering around a mere 13 percent this year, a lawmaker said Monday. Between January and July, only 84,224 out of 630,427 applicants were enlisted in the Army, Navy, Air Force or Marine Corps, beating odds of 1 in about 7.5, said Rep. Chung Mi-kyung of the ruling Saenuri Party, based on data submitted by the Milit

A grenade exploded at an Army recruit training center in Daegu on Friday, killing one instructor and injuring two other soldiers, military officials said. The incident took place at 11:08 a.m. as a 20-year-old trainee, identified only by his surname Sohn, was preparing to throw a K413 hand grenade right after removing its safety hook. A 27-year-old sergeant surnamed Kim who was giving guidelines in the same trench was immediately hospitalized to treat shrapnel wounds all over his body but died a

The foreign and defense ministers of South Korea and Australia pledged to jumpstart high-level strategic dialogue, logistics support and other bilateral and multilateral military partnerships as they unveiled their blueprint for defense and security cooperation in Sydney on Friday. Foreign ministers Yun Byung-se and Julie Bishop and defense ministers Han Min-koo and Kevin Andrews held the second round of their “two-plus-two” meeting and explored ways to beef up their defense and security collabo

The foreign and defense ministers of South Korea and Australia pledged to jumpstart high-level strategic dialogue, logistics support and other bilateral and multilateral military partnerships as they unveiled their blueprint for defense and security cooperation in Sydney on Friday. Foreign ministers Yun Byung-se and Julie Bishop and defense ministers Han Min-koo and Kevin Andrews held the second round of their so-called two-plus-two meeting and explored ways to beef up their defense and security

A grenade exploded at an Army recruit training center in Daegu on Friday, killing one instructor and injuring two other soldiers. The incident took place at around 11 a.m. as a 20-year-old trainee, identified only by his surname Sohn, was gearing up to throw a K413 hand grenade right after removing its safety hook. A 27-year-old sergeant surnamed Kim who was giving guidelines in the same trench was immediately hospitalized to treat shrapnel wounds all over his body but died shortly before 1 p.m.

South Korea, the U.S. and China should initiate a mechanism to head off a possible handover of North Korean nuclear weapons to terrorist groups and boost substantive top-level talks to better prepare for the future of the peninsula, a U.S. scholar said Thursday. 　Robert Pape, a professor at the University of Chicago who leads its project on security and terrorism, singled out “loose nukes” as the “first and foremost” crisis that may break out following a sudden collapse of the Kim Jong-un regime

Some 250 top defense policymakers, military executives and academics from more than 30 countries on Thursday stressed the significance of concerted efforts of neighbors in achieving a peaceful integration of the Koreas, saying their division remains a regional threat. As the Seoul Defense Dialogue kicked off, the participants explored possible scenarios of the unification, from a “soft landing” based on a mutual consent, to a “hard landing” involving an abrupt fall of the Kim Jong-un regime or p

By Shin Hyon-hee President Park Geun-hye on Wednesday underscored the need for a multinational security mechanism in East Asia, saying it would help bring about not only a unification of the Korean Peninsula but also lasting peace and stability in the region. In her keynote speech to the Seoul Defense Dialogue, she pointed to what she called the Asian paradox as a threat to global peace ― regional instability stemming from the perennial standoff on the peninsula and persistent territorial and hi

President Park Geun-hye on Wednesday underscored the need for a multinational security mechanism in East Asia, saying it would help bring about not only a unification of the Korean Peninsula but also lasting peace and stability in the region. In her keynote speech to the Seoul Defense Dialogue, she pointed to what she called the Asian paradox as a threat to global peace -- regional instability stemming from the perennial standoff on the peninsula and persistent territorial and historical spats b

High-level defense officials from some 30 countries and global organizations are set to gather in Seoul this week to discuss pressing security issues around the region and the world and explore ways to counter emerging unconventional threats. Hosted by the Defense Ministry, the Seoul Defense Dialogue will kick off on Wednesday for a three-day run with the theme “70 years of the Post-WWII Era and the Division of Korea.” The vice-ministerial conference is its fourth edition this year.The participa

By Shin Hyon-heeThe Park Geun-hye government is pushing to bring in advanced, pricey military assets without a budget commensurate with the size of the projects, heaping a financial burden of billions of dollars onto its successor, a report said Monday.After analyzing 22 weapons acquisition programs each worth 500 billion won ($415 million) or more, Rep. Baek Kun-ki of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy said the incumbent administration is expected to spend some 13.6 trillion won for defens

In the wake of President Park Geun-hye’s much-hailed visit to China, Seoul is poised to speed up its groundwork for a future unification with North Korea by intensifying diplomatic efforts with key neighbors and expediting humanitarian exchanges across the border. South Korea will initiate various discussions “in the near future” on how to bring about the peninsula’s unification, Park said, adding that the issue was also the focal point of her summit with President Xi Jinping last week. “We agre

Japan on Thursday expressed its resolve for discussions to arrange a trilateral summit with South Korea and China, while the U.S. lauded the three countries’ efforts to mend fences in the face of steadfast historical and territorial tension. Presidents Park Geun-hye and Xi Jinping announced after their meeting on Wednesday they will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Seoul in late October or early November. The event is also likely to set the stage for first-ever talks between Park