Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Further Reading

• S Korea to Refrain From Deploying Tactical Nuclear Weapons in Country Sputnik 22 Aug 2017 -- South Korea's head of the Presidential National Security Office Chung Eui-yong said Tuesday that the government is not considering deploying tactical nuclear arms in the country.
• S Korea, US start joint military drills amid tensions with North Press TV 21 Aug 2017 -- South Korea and the United States have started annual joint military exercises, ignoring strong warnings from Pyongyang, which has slammed the wargames as the "most explicit expression of hostility" against the North.
• S Korean President Warns of Dangerous Fallout From Any US-N Korea Conflict Sputnik 21 Aug 2017 -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in believes that even a minor conflict between Washington and Pyongyang may threaten the lives of South Koreans and foreigners, including the US forces stationed on the Korean peninsula, a presidential spokesman said on Monday.
• Exercise to Strengthen Efforts in Defense of South Korea, Mattis Says AFPS 20 Aug 2017 -- A joint U.S.-South Korean computer-simulated defensive exercise set to kick off tomorrow is meant to strengthen joint efforts for the defense of South Korea, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said today.
• New S Korean Top Military Official Vows to Retaliate Against Pyongyang's Attacks Sputnik 20 Aug 2017 -- Newly appointed chairman of the South Korean military Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Jeong Kyeong-doo pledged on Sunday to "resolutely and strongly" respond to any of Pyongyang's provocations and attacks amid the escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula.
• Exercise Ulchi Freedom Guardian 2017 DoD 18 Aug 2017 -- The Republic of Korea and United States Combined Forces Command will begin the annual Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercise on Aug. 21 and will be continued through – Aug. 31, 2017.
• Not Scaling Back: At Least 75,000 Troops to Join Annual Seoul, US War Games Sputnik 18 Aug 2017 -- South Korea and the US will conduct joint military drills at a similar level to last year's exercises, Seoul's military said Friday, contradicting rumblings that they may limit maneuvers so as to not rile North Korea.
• Joint Statement of the Security Consultative Committee DoD 17 Aug 2017 -- Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, along with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, met with their Japanese counterparts, Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera and Foreign Minister Taro Kono, at the State Department today.
• Readout of Secretary Mattis' phone call with Republic of Korea (ROK) Minister of National Defense Song Young-moo DoD 17 Aug 2017
• Any US military action on North Korea must have South's consent: Moon Press TV 17 Aug 2017 -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in says any US military action against North Korea must be taken with Seoul's prior consent, adding that the United States has agreed to consult South Korea before taking any military measure on the Korean Peninsula.
• Moon says there will never be war on Korean Peninsula for 'certain' People's Daily 17 Aug 2017 -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Thursday said there will never be war on the Korean Peninsula for "certain," and vowed to accelerate his efforts to reform the nation and overcome security and economic difficulties facing the country, during a news conference marking his first 100 days in office.
• Tensions ease on peninsula, ministry says People's Daily 17 Aug 2017 -- Senior diplomats have embarked on a new round of talks to tackle the simmering tensions on the Korean Peninsula, with frequent phone conversations taking place in the past 48 hours to exchange views among the major parties involved.
• South Korea: Trump Promises Not to Attack North Without South's Consent VOA 17 Aug 2017 -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in Thursday said he has received assurances from U.S. President Donald Trump that Washington would not launch any attack against North Korea without Seoul's approval.
• Dunford: U.S.-South Korean Alliance Ready to Defend Against North Korean Threat AFPS 14 Aug 2017 -- The U.S.-South Korean alliance can defend South Korea, Pacific allies and the American homeland from nuclear and missile threats emanating from North Korea, two top American military officials said here today.
• Dunford Meets With Korean Defense Leaders AFPS 14 Aug 2017 -- Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, met today with South Korea's defense minister, Song Young-Moo, and defense chief, Gen. Lee Sun-Jin, the chairman's spokesman said in a statement following the meeting.
• Battalion prepares for Patriot missile defense modernization on Korean peninsula Army News 14 Aug 2017 -- After eight months of intense training, members of the 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade successfully completed a Patriot missile defense system modernization effort that will provide continued protection from potential North Korean aggression.
• Pentagon Completes Largest-Ever Patriot Missile Defense Upgrade in S Korea Sputnik 14 Aug 2017 -- The US 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade in South Korea and engineers from defense contractor Raytheon have completed the largest Patriot missile defense modernization project ever conducted outside a US facility amid the escalation on the Korean peninsula, the Department of Defense said.
• Top US General: US-South Korea Working Through 'Technical Issues' on THAAD VOA 14 Aug 2017 -- The top U.S. general says the United States and its South Korean allies are working through "a number of technical issues" before the United States' Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system can be fully deployed on the Korean peninsula.
• Report Suggests Seoul Might Use German Cruise Missiles in Case of N Korea Attack Sputnik 14 Aug 2017 -- South Korea may use German-supplied Taurus KEPD 350 cruise missiles against Pyongyang in case of military conflict with North Korea in the first combat mission of one of the world's strongest weapons, German newspaper Die Welt reported, citing military sources.
• S Korea, US to Continue Defending Peace on Peninsula As War Unacceptable - Seoul Sputnik 14 Aug 2017 -- The South Korean president said Monday that a new war on the Korean Peninsula would be unacceptable.
• S Korea Says Pyongyang Unlikely to Strike Guam, But It's Technically Possible Sputnik 14 Aug 2017 -- North Korea is extremely unlikely to implement its threats to fire four intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) into waters off of the island of Guam, even though Pyongyang is technically capable of conducting such an attack, South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo said Monday.
• Dunford to Visit China, South Korea, Japan to Discuss Range of Issues AFPS 13 Aug 2017 -- The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is traveling to Asia to reassure allies and improve military-to-military ties during a complicated time in the region.
• S Korea Launches Expertise on US THAAD Deployment Environmental Impact Sputnik 12 Aug 2017 -- South Korea on Saturday began a formal environmental survey on US THAAD system's deployment, local media reported, citing officials.
• South Korea needs own nukes: Korean media Press TV 11 Aug 2017 -- Media in South Korea have started floating the idea that the country may have to develop nuclear weapons of its own, as fears escalate of a potential conflict with North Korea.
• South Korean Army Pledges to Increase Forces' Combat Readiness Sputnik 11 Aug 2017 -- Newly appointed South Korean Army chief Gen. Kim Yong-woo vowed in his inauguration speech on Friday to boost the national forces' preparedness to fight and enhance troops reserves.
• S. Korea urges DPRK to stop threatening rhetoric People's Daily 10 Aug 2017 -- South Korea on Thursday urged the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to stop letting out a threatening rhetoric that runs against the consensus of the international community.
• 'Strong and Resolute': South Korea, Japan Issue 'Stern Warning' to North Korea Sputnik 10 Aug 2017 -- South Korea and Japan reaffirmed their support for the US on Thursday following North Korea's announcement that they are considering a ballistic missile attack against Andersen Air Force Base on the US island territory of Guam in Micronesia.
• S.Korea closely monitoring possible DPRK "provocation" after strike warning against Guam: official People's Daily 09 Aug 2017 -- South Korea's unification ministry said Wednesday that the country was closely monitoring "possible provocation" of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) after Pyongyang's warning of preemptive missile strikes against the U.S. island of Guam in the Pacific.
• South Korean President Calls for Urgent Enhancement of Defense Capabilities Sputnik 09 Aug 2017 -- South Korea must urgently and completely reform its defense system in view of the threat of North Korea, according to South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
• Air Force chief appointed as new chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff ARIRANG 09 Aug 2017 -- President Moon Jae-in has appointed Air Force chief General Jeong Kyeong-doo as the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in a major military reshuffle that includes six other key appointments.
• U.S. considering possible revisions to South Korea's missile guidelines: Pentagon ARIRANG 08 Aug 2017 -- In light of North Korea's growing missile threat, the Moon Jae-in administration requested Washington in late-June, to amend the current missile guidelines between the two countries.
• With Pyongyang Defiant, Pentagon Weighs Allowing Seoul More Powerful Weapons Sputnik 08 Aug 2017 -- As the US searches for the right pressure points to persuade North Korea to end its weapons development programs, the Pentagon is reviewing the ballistic missile regulation regime in place for South Korea, possibly paving the way for Seoul to possess more powerful projectiles.
• S. Korean president urges DPRK to come to dialogue table after UN resolution adoption People's Daily 07 Aug 2017 -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Monday urged the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to come to a dialogue table following the UN Security Council's unanimous adoption of a resolution toughening sanctions on Pyongyang.
• South Korea Holds Live-Fire Drills Near Western Border With North Korea Sputnik 07 Aug 2017 -- South Korea staged what military officials called a "routine" exercise near its contentious western border with North Korea, with Seoul's marines using K9 self-propelled howitzers to fire more than 200 artillery rounds and launching a Spike surface-to-surface missile.
• South Korea, U.S. Agree To Step Up Pressure on North RFE/RL 07 Aug 2017 -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed in a telephone call on August 7 to apply maximum pressure and sanctions on North Korea, as Pyongyang defiantly vowed to bolster its nuclear arsenal.
• US, S. Korean Presidents Say N. Korea Poses Growing Threat to Global Security Sputnik 07 Aug 2017 -- US President Donald Trump held a telephone conversation with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and the two leaders called the North Korea a growing threat to the global security, the White House press service said Sunday.
• S. Korea, Japan leaders talk over phone on Korean Peninsula issues People's Daily 07 Aug 2017 -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held talks over the phone on the Korean Peninsula issues, Moon's office said Monday.
• South Korean FM says open to meeting North Korean counterpart Press TV 05 Aug 2017 -- South Korea's new foreign minister has expressed readiness to meet and discuss inter-Korean issues with her North Korean counterpart on the sidelines of a security summit in the Philippines.
• Spy Agency Used 'Psychological Warfare' to Help Disgraced South Korea President Sputnik 04 Aug 2017 -- South Korea's spy agency has admitted it conducted a behind-the-scenes campaign which helped Park Geun-hye win the 2012 presidential election. The National Intelligence Service (NIS) used psychological warfare techniques to boost support for Park, who was ousted earlier this year after becoming embroiled in a corruption scandal.
• Seoul to Deploy Extra THAAD Units Amid Environment Impact Test - Ministry Sputnik 03 Aug 2017 -- South Korea plans to install additional THAAD system units despite the current environmental impact assessment, the Defense Ministry said on Thursday.
• First submarine export as S. Korea hands over vessel to Indonesia ARIRANG 03 Aug 2017 -- A Korean-built submarine rolls out to sea. Next stop: Indonesia. This submarine, named 'Nagapasa' , is ready for a handover to Indonesia's Ministry of Defense at a shipyard in Geoje , a city in Gyeongsangnam-do province.
• Probe Confirms S Korean Intel Service Meddled in 2011, 2012 General Elections Sputnik 03 Aug 2017 -- The South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS) was involved in influencing the results of parliamentary elections in the country in 2011 and 2012, an investigation found, as reported by local media Thursday.