All universities with the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program in place will be allowed to recruit their female students for the program this year, officials at the Ministry of National Defense said Monday. A female ROTC cadet takes part in a bayonet drill in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, last week. (Park Hae-mook/The Korea Herald)A total of 109 four-year universities across the country will be

China hacked South Korea’s secret military information on plans to introduce a U.S-made high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle, last June, an opposition lawmaker claimed Monday.Observers say Beijing may be unnerved by Seoul and Tokyo’s pursuit to secure unmanned reconnaissance aircraft as their bolstered intelligence capabilities could help the U.S. glean more intelligence on China.“After we talked

North Korea did not respond on Friday to the proposal to send back 27 of the 31 North Koreans whose fishing boat strayed across the western inter-Korean sea border on Feb. 5.Despite Pyongyang’s repeated calls to send all of its nationals back, Seoul has decided to return only 27. The South says that it cannot repatriate the four who wish to stay here, based on “international humanitarian principle

Polls to elect three lawmakers, 23 other officialsRival parties are speeding up preparations for the April 27 by-elections as their lists of potential candidates take shape.The ruling Grand National Party and the main opposition Democratic Party are striving to field more competitive personalities for the elections, which are expected to serve as a political weathervane ahead of parliamentary and

Boeing’s F-15SE, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 likely candidates for FX-III projectSouth Korea is accelerating moves to purchase a high-end fleet of stealth fighter jets to counter North Korea’s asymmetrical threats and keep pace with neighboring countries seeking to secure their own radar-evading combat aircraft.Under the FX-III acquisition project worth around 10 trillion won ($8.86 billion), the Seoul

Boeing’s F-15SE, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 most likely candidates for FX-III projectSouth Korea is accelerating moves to purchase a high-end fleet of stealth fighter jets to counter North Korea’s asymmetrical threats and keep pace with neighboring countries seeking to secure their own radar-evading combat aircraft.Under the FX-III acquisition project worth around 10 trillion won ($8.86 billion), the

 SEATTLE ― The capability to glean crucial intelligence on potential enemies and quickly detect any signs of possible aggression from them is indisputably the most critical requirement to ensure national security.To meet this, the U.S. aerospace giant Boeing has been working on developing a set of state-of-the-art intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft, both manned and unmanned.One

Allies defy latest retaliation threats from North KoreaSouth Korea and the U.S. began annual joint military drills Monday to enhance readiness for any additional provocations by North Korea and a possible all-out war with the communist state.The nationwide Key Resolve and Foal Eagle exercises started as the North hardened its bellicose rhetoric against the allies, warning of a “ruthless” military

North Korea on Sunday threatened to strike South Korean psychological warfare apparatus on the border “in light of self-defense,” in more tough rhetoric ahead of the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercise to begin Monday.  Civic group members send propaganda leaflets to North Korea at the Imjingak Pavilion near the inter-Korean border on Feb. 16. (Yonhap News)“Should the anti-North psychological

Vote seen as a yardstick for parliamentary, presidential polls in 2012Rival parties are striving to field powerful candidates to win the crucial April 27 by-elections, regarded as a prelude to the parliamentary and presidential elections slated for next year.The vote is expected to serve as a political weather vane ahead of the two major elections as it is a nationwide poll to fill at least 26 pos

Prosecutors on Friday questioned the former state arms acquisition chief over his alleged involvement in two separate bribery scandals.Appearing at the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office in the morning, Chang Soo-man, former commissioner of the Defense Acquisition Program Agency, looked dismal, refusing to answer questions from a throng of journalists waiting at the office.Chang, who offer

Company suspected of bribing chief arms procurerProsecutors on Thursday raided the headquarters of Daewoo Engineering & Construction Co. in central Seoul over allegations that its president handed gift certificates to the state arms acquisition chief last September in return for favors.Some 10 investigators from the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office searched the construction firm at aroun

Korean Marines helped establish a multi-purpose classroom at a school in Thailand as part of a international humanitarian exercise taking place in the Southeast Asian country, the Marine Corps said Thursday.Some 50 Korean, U.S. and Thai troops engaged in the construction of the classroom at the Baan Pong Wua School in Chantaburi Province from Feb. 5-15. On Tuesday, the troops held a ceremony marki

Chang Soo-man, commissioner of the Defense Acquisition Program Agency, has tendered his resignation over his alleged involvement in a high-profile bribery scandal, a government source said Wednesday.“The DAPA commissioner expressed his wish to step down in the morning. He appears to have offered to resign due to the controversy over whether he is involved in the scandal,” said the source on condit

A North Korean man crossed the inter-Korean border and defected to South Korea on Tuesday, officials said Wednesday.The 21-year-old defector, identified only by his surname Kim, immediately expressed his wish to defect to the South after he crossed the Military Demarcation Line in the Demilitarized Zone and was spotted at around 5 p.m. by South Korean troops standing guard around the frontline are

Jong-chol attends Eric Clapton showNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-il’s second son Jong-chol was seen watching a concert of world-famous guitarist Eric Clapton in Singapore on Monday, two days ahead of his father’s birthday.Accompanied by around 20 people, the casually-attired Kim, born in 1981, was seen taking photos during the performance of the British musician in a video clip released by local me

Seoul denies exercises are based on plan to deal with N.K. contingenciesSouth Korea and the U.S. will begin an 11-day joint military exercise from Feb. 28 to prepare against additional localized provocations by North Korea and other possible emergencies on the peninsula, officials said Tuesday.Along with the Key Resolve command post exercise, the two militaries will also stage the Foal Eagle field

President Lee Myung-bak is rolling up his sleeves to support the country’s third attempt at hosting the Winter Olympics in the popular winter sports resort city of PyeongChang in Gangwon Province.Lee flew to the city Tuesday to host a reception for the 14-member delegation of the International Olympic Committee, which arrived here Monday to carry out an onsite inspection until Feb. 20.The presiden

Contenders attack leading potential candidate for 2012 pollPolitical competitors of former Grand National Party Chairwoman Rep. Park Geun-hye are moving to dampen her increasing efforts to keep the political pendulum swinging in her favor ahead of the 2012 presidential vote.Park, the frontrunner among potential presidential candidates, has recently made moves toward her bid for Cheong Wa Dae, whic

A 43-year-old North Korean defector who has taken asylum here since 1997 believes that his and other defectors’ remittances to their relatives in the communist state help enlighten them about the free, democratic and capitalist South.“When we make remittances to our loved ones in the North, we talk to them over the phone to ensure the money was properly sent. Through such talks, a wave of news abo