UDT/SEAL unit members go through harsh trainingDespite the face-numbing weather, the Navy’s elite special warfare troops, clad in black diving suits, hurled themselves into the frigid waters after jumping out of their rubber boats Tuesday.The group of the naval troops, dubbed UDT/SEAL, was engaging in their three-week combat training session, which began off the coast of Jinhae in Changwon City on

President Lee Myung-bak has instructed the government to bring the five Somali pirates captured alive last Friday to Korea for criminal punishment, a Cheong Wa Dae official said Tuesday.“The president instructed officials to bring the pirates here for punishment. Therefore, the possibility of them being handed over to a third country is not high,” the official said, on condition of anonymity.Anoth

Calls are growing for the government and shipping firms to strengthen measures against Somali pirates, particularly following reports that pirates have threatened to take revenge for the killing of their comrades by South Korean troops.Currently, the best way to protect seamen passing perilous areas in the Indian Ocean appears to be strengthening self-defense measures such as establishing a bullet

South Korea on Monday rolled out the first armed version of its T-50 supersonic trainer aircraft, designed to carry out entry-level tactical training missions, according to the state military acquisition agency.The armed variant of the T-50, the nation’s first homegrown trainer jet, is intended to train fledgling military pilots on air-to-air and air-to-surface missions before their full operation

Successful raid on hijacked ship also a message to N.K.: expertThe successful military operation Friday to rescue all of the 21 crew members of a South Korean freighter held by Somali pirates is apparently a crucial political boon for President Lee Myung-bak.Internet sites are now inundated with messages supporting the president and his military that were harshly upbraided for what critics called

The Seoul government is consulting with several countries adjacent to Somalia over how to deal with the five pirates captured during the successful rescue operation Friday, a government source said Sunday.It is currently seeking cooperation from Kenya, Yemen and Oman. However, they remain reluctant to accept the pirates, citing the costs of and lack of facilities for handling them, according to th

Special forces kill eight Somali pirates, capture five in the Indian OceanAll of the 21 crewmembers of a South Korean freighter seized by Somali pirates armed with machine guns and rifles in the Indian Ocean last Saturday were safely rescued by South Korean troops, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Friday.The South Korean 58-year-old captain of the Samho Jewelry suffered abdominal gunshot wounds, but

The Seoul government appears to be agonizing over how to deal with Somali pirates, after a South Korean cargo vessel carrying 21 crewmembers was seized last Saturday.The 11,500-ton Samho Jewelry freighter, carrying eight South Koreans, was captured in the Arabian Sea between Oman and India en route to Sri Lanka from the United Arab Emirates.The government has reiterated its vow not to negotiate wi

South Korea has recently begun consultations with the U.S. over whether to revise their long-standing missile agreement and allow Seoul to develop longer-range ballistic missiles in order to better safeguard itself, according to a government source.The move comes as North Korea continues to develop nuclear programs and long-range missiles that pose a threat not only to its southern neighbor, but a

A U.S. diplomatic cable provided to WikiLeaks suggested that North Korea likely received payment for weapons sales to Iran via a Seoul-based branch of an Iranian bank blacklisted for aiding Iran’s nuclear weapons programs.According to the cable dated March 24, 2008, which was released on Sunday by the Norwegian daily Aftenposten, “Hong Kong Electronics,” an Iranian-based enterprise, wired a total

A foundation established last year to honor the 46 sailors killed in North Korea’s torpedo attack on the corvette Cheonan is to begin several support programs this week for survivors of the disaster.The foundation, named “Cheonan-ham Foundation,” will offer 5 million won ($4,480) to each of the 58 survivors during a ceremony Friday in Seoul, officials said.The ceremony will also see the launch of

Gates warns Pyongyang to renounce hostilityU.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Friday that “diplomatic engagement” with North Korea, starting with direct inter-Korean dialogue, is possible as a next step to deal with the belligerent communist state.“With regard to next steps on North Korea, diplomatic engagement is possible, starting with direct engagement between DPRK (North Korea) and the S

Blocking defects in weapons and military equipment is to be a key goal of South Korea’s military acquisition agency this year, the agency said on Thursday.This goal is apparently aimed at addressing public concerns over several military accidents due to flaws in military supplies and equipment in recent years.The Defense Acquisition Program Administration also said that it would seek this year to

K-21 armored vehicles will return to military use in April after defects that sank two of them in 2009 and last year were fixed, an official at the military acquisition agency said Thursday.After it sank during a river-crossing training session in July, killing one solider, the domestically-built K-21, which was touted as a high-tech amphibious infantry fighting vehicle, was found to have a series

General-level officers from the Army, Navy and Air Force are expected to equally share key decision-making posts at the Defense Ministry and the Joint Chiefs of Staff by the end of next year, a government source said Wednesday.The move is aimed at enhancing interoperability among the three armed services and addressing the Army’s dominance in the military’s decision-making processes, which has lon

A ruling party lawmaker is planning to submit to parliament three revision bills this week that would offer more independence to the Marine Corps, which was merged into the Navy in 1973.The move comes as the need for the Marines’ independence from the Navy has been voiced following North Korea’s artillery attack on Yeonpyeong Island in November that killed two marines and two civilians. Rep. Chung

Generals are still too attached to decorations, outfitsWithdrawing the plan to detach the star-studded plates from military generals’ sedans has prompted concerns over whether the top brass’ reform drive is eroding.At the beginning of this year, the Army leadership asked generals to remove the plates ― a longtime symbol of their pride and authority ― displaying its strong resolve to revamp the mil

The Ministry of National Defense is seeking to hold a joint commission ceremony for all military academies, officials said Tuesday.The move is aimed at reducing the cost of holding all the ceremonies separately. It is also in line with military efforts to curtail administrative procedures and enhance interoperability among the Army, Navy and Air Force, the officials said.According to the plan unde

South Korean and Japanese defense ministers agreed to “expand and deepen” bilateral military cooperation during talks in Seoul on Monday, amid heightened tensions following a series of deadly North Korean attacks last year.Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin and his Japanese counterpart Toshimi Kitazawa also exchanged views on regional security issues including North Korean nuclear threats, the Ministry

The Army held a ceremony Monday marking the creation and dispatch of a South Korean contingent to the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday a two-year mission to help train the Middle East country’s special forces.The dispatch of the 130-strong contingent, named “Akh,” “brothers” in Arabic, follows the UAE’s request last August that South Korea help it nurture world-class special warfare troops.The Seou