Defense Ministry said Wednesday it is seeking to enact a special law for ensuring the military’s political neutrality amid the allegation the Defense Security Command considered imposing martial law during massive protests against former President Park Geun-hye last year. “Currently, the Ministry of National Defense is seeking to enact a special law to make sure the military stay neutral in political affairs,” said a senior defense official during the meeting with reporters. The special law is e

With North Korean and US delegates scheduled to meet Thursday to negotiate the return of US war remains from the Korean War, the focus is now on whether the two sides can make progress on the issue. During their first summit last month in Singapore, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump committed to recovering US war remains, including the “immediate repatriation of those already identified.” North Korea holds about 200 sets of remains from among the some 5,300 US militar

　Defense Minister Song Young-moo on Tuesday vowed to conduct a thorough investigation into the allegation that the Defense Security Command drew up a plan to impose martial law during massive protests against former President Park Geun-hye. 　In a televised press briefing, Song Young-moo said the ministry will soon establish an independent investigation panel, noting the investigators will have unfettered authority to find any wrongdoings of the Defense Security Command. 　“Until the investigation

Defense Minister Song Young-moo on Monday found himself in hot water over his remarks that women should conduct themselves in a “cautious manner.”During a meeting with civilian advisers on sexual assault in the military, Song said that women should be conscious about their behavior as he discussed the military’s measures to prevent sexual assault during after-hours office gatherings.“I saw my wife educating my daughter in detail about riding a taxi and dating a guy. Then I said to my wife, ‘Why

South Korea on Tuesday announced the suspension of the annual government mobilization Ulchi exercise this year, following the suspension of the combined military drill Freedom Guardian with the US last month. 　The Defense Ministry and Interior Ministry said the Ulchi exercise will be incorporated with the command-post Taeguk military exercise next year. This year’s Taeguk command exercises will take place in late October in tandem with the Hoguk field training exercise, the ministries added.   　

South Korea should play a more active role in facilitating negotiations between the US and North Korea amid concerns over the two countries’ apparent difference over the denuclearization process, Moon Chung-in, a special adviser to President Moon Jae-in, said Monday.　Moon Chung-in, a Yonsei University professor, said while US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s trip to Pyongyang exposed a gap over how to resolve a nuclear standoff, both countries can address the issue their leaders reached an agree

Economic sanctions on North Korea will remain in place until the country achieves “final, verified” denuclearization, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday, stressing that Pyongyang’s rebuke of the demand as “gangster-like” was unfounded.   　Following his meeting with his South Korean and Japanese counterpart Kang Kyung-wha and Taro Kono, Pompeo said while there was progress made on denuclearization, the US and its allies will continue to apply international sanctions until North Korea c

South Korea and the United States need to lift their economic sanctions on a joint project between the two Koreas and Russia, a chairman of presidential committee on northern policy said, calling for an immediate resumption of the cross-border logistic initiative Rajin-Khasan Project. Rep. Song Young-gil, who chairs the Presidential Committee on Northern Economic Cooperation, said the two governments should allow for investment in connecting Russia and North Korea’s border towns of Rajin and Kha

During a sudden downpour in Seoul on Monday evening, Euljiro turned into a ghost town surrounded by a modern megapolis. Located south of the Cheonggyecheon in central Seoul, most of the shops and restaurants in Euljiro closed their business after a busy day dealing with customers visiting electric shops and publishing companies. But at the end of the dark alley, a light still glimmered. Under the roofs decorated with small flags of different nations, crowds of people sat in bright red plastic ch

　With US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo heading to Pyongyang to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, how much progress they can make on denuclearization remains the most pressing question amid persistent doubts over Kim’s pledge to completely abandon the country’s nuclear program.　Pompeo was set to arrive in Pyongyang on Friday and continue ongoing denuclearization negotiations with North Korea. It is Pompeo’s third known trip to North Korea and the first one since last month’s US-North Ko

　With the Constitutional Court for the first time urging the military to allow alternative service for conscientious objectors, the focus is now on whether the court would overturn its previous rulings that ban homosexuality in the military. 　According to legal experts and human right activists, Incheon district court has filed a motion with the Constitutional Court for a ruling on whether the current military criminal law violates the constitutional right to protecting sexual minorities.  　The

　A Blue House official under fire for sexist remarks was asked to stay on until after the scheduled summit with North Korea in Pyongyang later this year, following his offer to resign over the weekend.　According to Cheong Wa Dae, Presidential Chief of Staff Im Jong-seok declined to accept the resignation of presidential protocol aide Tak Hyun-min, who offered to leave his post on Saturday via Facebook and text messages to reporters. 　While Tak is considered to have played a major role in promoti

　North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un has visited a cosmetic factory near the border with China alongside his wife and top aides, the country’s state media said Sunday, raising the prospect of enhanced economic ties between the two countries.  　According to the Korean Central News Agency, Kim carried out inspections of a cosmetic factory in northwestern city of Sinuiju, close to China’s port city of Dandong. The state-run news agency did not specify when Kim made the trip to the border area.  　Kim’s

The defense chiefs of South Korea and the United States agreed on Thursday that they will continue to seek trust-building measures with North Korea for as long as Pyongyang engages in dialogue “in good faith.” 　During their meeting in Seoul, Defense Minister Song Young-moo and his US counterpart James Mattis stressed that their decision to suspend scheduled joint military exercises will support diplomatic efforts to achieve the complete denuclearization of North Korea. 　Having visited Seoul as a

A top US commander in South Korea on Wednesday dismissed concerns that the decision to suspend an upcoming large-scale joint exercise would lead to the end of training exercises that the allies’ forces have conducted regularly. During his speech at the Ministry of National Defense, USFK Commander Gen. Vincent Brooks said halting the scheduled Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercise would serve to build trust with North Korea by reducing “unnecessary irritation.”  (Yonhap)The general stressed that such m

　Expectations for inter-Korean economic cooperation are rising with talks of cross-border projects on infrastructure and environment, but challenges remain amid the persistent economic sanctions on the reclusive regime. 　Starting from the talks on reconnecting inter-Korean railways and subsequent meetings on reforestation of North Korea, the discussion over the joint projects raises the prospect of pursuing broader economic cooperation between the two Koreas. 　While the inter-Korean summits and

The two Koreas’ militaries Monday agreed to restore suspended military communication lines “as soon as possible,” as they announced a plan to hold a series of cross-border talks this week on reconnecting inter-Korean railways and reforestation of North Korea. 　Following the one-hour meeting at the Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine office, the two sides decided to restore the communication line in the West Sea first before reconnecting a similar one in the East Sea.　Reconnecting the military c

　US President Donald Trump’s remark over the remains of US service members fueled confusion in South Korea, despite the president’s apparent attempt to correct his previous suggestion that the remains have been sent back from North Korea to the US. 　During his meeting with cabinet members Thursday, Trump said the remains of US troops missing in the Korean War were in the process of being returned to the US from North Korea. The president said Wednesday that the remains have been sent back. 　Trum

President Moon Jae-in on Friday announced a plan to launch negotiations for South Korea’s first free trade agreement with Russia, calling for joint efforts to boost the two countries’ bilateral trade to over $30 billion by 2020. During a business forum in Moscow, Moon said he would agree with Russian President Vladimir Putin to begin domestic processes aimed at launching FTA negotiations related to the service and investment sector. The South Korean president said that he expects the FTA to enco

South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in on Thursday pledged to enhance trilateral cooperation between the two Koreas and Russia, expressing hopes that the Trans-Siberian Railway will link to the southern tip of South Korea.During his speech at the Russian parliament in Moscow, Moon said if the two Koreas replace the current armistice agreement with a peace treaty, the Northeast Asia region will be able to establish its own “collective security system.” “I have always hoped for permanent peace and co