U.S. again flies spy aircraft over South Korean capital areas: aviation tracker
Seoul: A U.S. reconnaissance plane flew above the Korean Peninsula, an aviation tracker said Monday, on an apparent mission to monitor North Korea amid concerns the communist nation could undertake additional military provocations after last week’s short-range rocket firings. The plane, believed to be a RC-135W Ribet Joint, was spotted flying in the skies above […]
U.S. set to press South Korea, NATO over burden-sharing next week
Washington: Next week promises to underscore the Trump administration’s demands that allies pay more for their defense, with a new round of negotiations over South Korea’s contributions to the upkeep of American troops in the country and President Donald Trump’s attendance at a meeting of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) leaders. In Washington, negotiators from […]
Is South Korea really a ‘free rider’ or ‘major abuser’ in alliance with U.S.?
By Song Sang-ho Seoul: U.S. President Donald Trump described South Korea as a “free rider” on the American security alliance network during his bombastic election campaign, with a recent memoir revealing that he even called the Asian ally a “major abuser.” Then came the nagging question of whether Seoul does not contribute to the decades-old […]
Trump believed war with North Korea could have killed 100 million people: new book
Washington: U.S. President Donald Trump estimated that as many as 100 million people could have been killed had the United States gone to war with North Korea under the previous administration of President Barack Obama, according to a new book based on interviews with the president. Trump’s comment came during a January 2019 meeting at […]
Pakistan’s apex court suspends Army Chief Gen. Bajwa’s job extension
By Nasir Aijaz AsiaN Representative Islamabad: Chief Justice of Pakistan Mr. Justice Asif Saeed Khosa on Tuesday suspended the government’s notification of Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa’s tenure extension until the top court’s hearing on Wednesday. The chief justice observed that “the summary and approval of army chief’s extension is not correct”. The court […]
South Korea to cut alternative military service slots by 1,300
Seoul: South Korea will cut the slots for alternative military service by about 1,300 in the coming years in an effort to cope with the dwindling number of men required to serve in the military amid a shrinking population, officials said. By law, all able-bodied males in South Korea must complete between 18 and 24 […]
Central Asian leaders to meet in Tashkent
Tashkent: The expansion of regional cooperation between the Central Asian states across several sectors will be high on the agenda of the second consultative meeting of heads of Central Asian states when they meet in Tashkent on on November 29, Uzbek state news agency UzA has reported. The summit agenda of the leaders of Kazakhstan, […]
South Korea decides to ‘conditionally’ suspend termination of Seoul-Tokyo military pact
Seoul: South Korea announced a decision Friday to “conditionally” suspend the expiry of a military information-sharing accord with Japan. South Korea has also decided to temporarily halt a petition process at the World Trade Organization while negotiations with Japan on the two sides’ export control policies go on, Kim You-geun, deputy director of Cheong Wa […]
Turkish Armed Forces’ Chief conferred Pakistan’s Military Award
By Nasir Aijaz AsiaN Representative Islamabad: President Arif Alvi has conferred the ‘Nishan-e-Imtiaz’ (Symbol of Distinction), a Military Award, upon Turkish Chief of Armed Forces General Yasar Güler at a special investiture ceremony at the Presidency in Islamabad. On the occasion, the president said that the unparalleled fraternal relationship between Pakistan and Turkey has […]
BTS will not be exempted from military service: culture minister
Paris: South Korea’s globally acclaimed superstars BTS and other high-flying K-pop stars will not be exempted from mandatory military service under the government’s new guidelines on conscription waivers, the culture minister has said. Since early this year, a government task force has been working to revamp the guidelines to raise fairness in military conscription, and the […]