Most Popular
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Debate rages over ‘overly fatty’ samgyeopsal
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Marine Corps commander summoned by CIO for questioning on alleged influence-peddling case
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40 flights canceled on Jeju Island due to bad weather
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[Weekender] Korean psyche untangled: Musok
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N. Korea slams US, other countries for seeking alternative to UN sanctions monitoring panel
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Pandemic left Korea more depressed than before: report
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Gov't appears to shelve punitive measures against mass walkout by doctors
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[Eye Interview] 'If you live to 100, you might as well be happy,' says 88-year-old bestselling essayist
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From fake prostitution ring to nonexistent robber, prank calls hamper police
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Missing S. Korean traveler in Paris found safe after 2 weeks
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Military blasted over border security
The Joint Chiefs of Staff came under mounting criticism Thursday over lax security on the border with North Korea following the defection of a soldier from the communist state.The military is also being reproved for maintaining a poor reporting system in the chain of command, further raising concern over South Korea’s military communication channels.The JCS said that the military unit guarding the demarcation line that took in the North Korean solider did not falsely report the situation to or t
Oct. 11, 2012
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Korea, U.S. to strengthen missile defense
South Korea and the U.S. are moving to boost their missile defense as a key deterrent against nuclear-armed North Korea.Various sources told local media that the two allies have drawn up a strategic plan that aims to target and intercept the North’s nuclear facilities, underground bunkers and missiles.Officials from the two sides are expected to discuss the matter at the bilateral Security Consultative Meeting, scheduled to be held in the U.S. later this month.The plan calls for launching a stri
Oct. 10, 2012
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JCS blasted for lax border watch
The Joint Chiefs of Staff has been criticized for loosely guarding the military demarcation line and allowing a North Korean soldier to freely cross over to the South.At a parliamentary inspection on the incumbent administration, lawmakers of the National Assembly’s national defense committee lashed out at JCS Chairman Jung Seung-jo for lax security at the border.The Ministry of National Defense said last Saturday that a North Korean solider defected to the South by crossing the MDL after killin
Oct. 9, 2012
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Seoul to deploy longer-range missiles in 5 years
South Korea, U.S. seek to strengthen missile intelligence cooperationSouth Korea plans to fully deploy ballistic missiles with ranges of 550 km and 800 km within five years as Seoul and Washington have revised a bilateral guideline governing its missile development.A senior Seoul official said that the government had earmarked some 2.4 trillion won ($2.16 billion) for a five-year plan, starting from next year, to develop and deploy these longer-range missiles.“We aim to deploy these ballistic mi
Oct. 8, 2012
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Outdated materials used for chemical warfare exercises
Korea’s Defense Ministry has its soldiers use aging and out-of-date materials for chemical and biological warfare exercises, raising concerns over their health and drill practicality.Citing a report submitted to the National Assembly’s national defense committee, lawmakers said that the ministry had only disposed of 44,367 materials out of 165,600 between 2008 and 2011. The rest, including 29-year-old mask filters and 13-year-old emergency personal decontaminants, are still being used. Soldiers
Oct. 8, 2012
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White House says S. Korea's improved missile capability to target only N. Korea
The White House sought Sunday to limit the impact of a new missile deal with South Korea to its global nonproliferation efforts and regional security conditions in which China plays a growing role."The ROK's new missile guidelines are designed to improve the Republic of Korea's ability to defend against DPRK ballistic missiles," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters."The revisions
Oct. 8, 2012
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S. Korea to deploy 550-km, 800-km-range missiles in 5 years: gov't source
South Korea plans to complete the deployment of new ballistic missiles with ranges of 550 and 800 kilometers in five years, a government source here said Monday, a follow-up measure for a revised missile agreement with the United States aimed at deterring threats from North Korea. (Yonhap News)
Oct. 8, 2012
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Seoul to get more powerful, longer-range ballistic missiles
Seoul to get more powerful, longer-range ballistic missilesSeoul and Washington have agreed on revising a bilateral guideline to allow South Korea to develop more powerful ballistic missiles with a range of up to 800 km, up from the previous 300 km, Cheong Wa Dae said Sunday.The revision is expected to strengthen deterrence against North Korea as the maximum range, from South Korea’s central regio
Oct. 7, 2012
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N. Korean soldier defects after killing two superiors
A North Korean soldier on Saturday crossed the military demarcation line to defect to South Korea after shooting dead two of his superiors, officials at Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.The soldier crossed the border at around 12:06 p.m. and expressed his intention for defection to a nearby guard post just south of the heavily fortified border. He is the first to defect across the MDL since the
Oct. 6, 2012
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U.S. chemical battalion to be redeployed to S. Korea
(Yonhap) -- The United States plans to redeploy a chemical unit to South Korea to strengthen the combined deterrence against North Korea, nine years after its departure from the Asian ally, an American military official said Saturday. The 23rd Chemical Battalion withdrew from South Korea in 2004 as part of an agreement calling for South Korea to take over 10 major defense missions from the Unite
Oct. 6, 2012
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Seoul to announce missile pact revision as early as Sunday
Seoul reportedly plans to announce its agreement with Washington on revising a bilateral ballistic missile pact as early as Sunday. The revision is to allow South Korea to develop ballistic missiles with a range of up to 800 km, up from the previous 300 km, so as to better deal with missile threats from North Korea, reports say. The weight of the payload is to remain at the current 500 kg. “(Seou
Oct. 6, 2012
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U.S. military to bring in precision-guided 'Excalibur' shells
The U.S. military in South Korea plans to bring in precision-guided "Excalibur" shells capable of striking artillery batteries in North Korea by the end of the year, a military source said Thursday.The U.S. 2nd Infantry Division and South Korea's Agency for Defense Development successfully conducted a test-firing of the Excalibur shell in May, the source said. The U.S. forces also plan to addition
Oct. 4, 2012
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Navy searches East Sea following report of suspicious object
The Navy scoured waters off South Korea‘s east coast following a citizen’s report of an object that appeared to be a submarine, but the search turned up nothing unusual, officials said.A 39-year-old tourist reported to authorities he saw a strange object emerging and then disappearing in waters some 500 meters away from the Gyeongpodae beach in Gangneung, about 240 kilometers east of Seoul, around 6:20 a.m. while taking pictures of the sun rising.The Navy immediately sent an anti-submarine vesse
Oct. 2, 2012
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Tough negotiations ahead in copter project
Korea is likely to face tough price negotiations for its planned purchase of advanced attack helicopters, with costs currently appearing almost double the budget allocated for the project.The Defense Acquisition Program Administration plans to select the provider for 36 advanced military copters by late November. Boeing’s AH-64D Apache Longbow, Bell’s AH-1Z Cobra and Turkish Aerospace Industries/AgustaWestland’s T-129 choppers are competing for the deal. The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Age
Sept. 27, 2012
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Air Force insiders foresaw F-22 woes
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan (AP) -- Years before F-22 pilots began getting dizzy in the cockpit, before one struggled to breathe as he tried to pull out of a fatal crash, before two more went on television to say the plane was so unsafe they refused to fly it, a small circle of U.S. Air Force experts knew something was wrong with the prized stealth fighter jet.Coughing among pilots and fears that conta
Sept. 27, 2012
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U.S. gov't informs Congress of possible sale of attack copters to Korea
The United States government has formally notified Congress of a plan to seek the sale of 36 advanced attack helicopters to South Korea.A deal under the Foreign Military Sales program, if sealed, would be worth up to US$3.6 billion.In two separate notifications to Congress, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency at the Pentagon provided details of proposed sales of Boeing's AH-64D Apache Longbow
Sept. 27, 2012
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Six out of 10 crimes involving U.S. servicemen not indicted: report
More than 60 percent of crimes involving U.S. soldiers in South Korea were not sent to courts for trial last year, a government report showed Wednesday, raising concerns that judicial authorities are too lenient on such crimes.Charges were not pressed in 63.4 percent or 218 out of 344 criminal cases, involving U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) personnel in 2011, according to the report submitted by the National Police Agency and the justice ministry to the parliament.The share was up sharply from 30.1 pe
Sept. 26, 2012
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Defense budget up 5.1%
The government on Tuesday called for a 5.1 percent increase in its defense budget for next year to improve defense and the welfare of its soldiers.The Ministry of National Defense has drawn up a spending plan worth 34.6 trillion won for 2013, up from 32.9 trillion won this year.It plans to allocate 24.1 trillion to the operations and maintenance of its strategic military bases, which includes boosting the health and welfare of its soldiers, and providing other necessities such as high-tech train
Sept. 25, 2012
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Korea to extend troop deployment in UAE, Somalia
The Korean government on Tuesday endorsed a motion to extend its troop deployment in Somalia and the United Arab Emirates for another year until the end of 2013. The Cabinet meanwhile approved a separate bill, calling for the withdrawal of most soldiers in Afghanistan this year except for a 70-strong unit to protect aid workers and embassy staff.The proposals are subject to parliamentary approval.Korea dispatched 310 troops to the Gulf of Aden off Somalia in 2009 as part of a multinational effor
Sept. 25, 2012
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Pentagon: S. Korea has many options to help U.S. missile defense
A senior Pentagon official said Monday that South Korea has "a lot of ways" to help the U.S. missile defense system in Northeast Asia."Yes, there are a lot of ways one can contribute," Kathleen Hicks, principal deputy under secretary of defense for policy, said at a forum. "We do have dialogue with the (South) Koreans about how to contribute to missile defense."She was responding to Yonhap News Ag
Sept. 25, 2012