The relations between the U.S. and North Korea show no signs of improving with Washington increasing pressure on Pyongyang to give up its nuclear program, while the latter continues to shift the blame to the former for bilateral antipathy.U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice delivers a speech at George Washington University on Monday. (Yonhap)Their diplomatic tensions are expected to further escalate later this week as the U.S. is expected to call on China to exert more influence to stop th

North Korea Sept. 22, 2015

Japan’s passage last week of the controversial legislation to expand its security role is stirring public concerns here, with Seoul officials scurrying to allay them by repeating that Tokyo cannot use its forces at will in a Korean emergency.   Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attends a parliamentary session. (Yonhap)Amid the growing angst over Japan loosening its postwar stricture on the use of force, the issue of whether the country is really a potential security threat to Korea, as it was i

Defense Sept. 21, 2015

Investigators of the Defense Security Command raided a defense-related office of Hanwha Corp. in central Seoul on Friday as part of a probe into an employee suspected of leaking military secrets.Hanwha Corp. in Seoul (Yonhap)Defense authorities said the raid and search were related to a violation of the Military Secret Protection Act, and that investigators confiscated computer files and other documents to glean evidence for the case. They refused to elaborate further on the investigation.Observ

Defense Sept. 18, 2015

South Korea’s ruling and opposition parties alike called on North Korea to stop any provocative moves to escalate military tensions and damage the emerging mood for dialogue on Friday, a day before the 10th anniversary of a landmark denuclearization deal.Rep. Moon Jae-in, leader of the main opposition New politics Alliance for Democracy, speaks during the party`s Supreme Council meeting on Friday. (Yonhap)Moon Jae-in, leader of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy, stressed th

North Korea Sept. 18, 2015

The international community is ratcheting up pressure on North Korea to stop any additional provocations after it threatened to launch a long-range rocket next month, and said that it restarted all nuclear facilities in its Yongbyon complex. Seoul`s chief nuclear envoy Hwang Joon-kuk (Yonhap)Seoul stepped up its diplomacy this week to secure international support to forestall Pyongyang’s rocket test, while Washington warned of “severe consequences” for any provocative decision by the communist r

Latest News Sept. 17, 2015

North Korea’s evolving nuclear weapons capabilities have returned to the spotlight as it claimed Tuesday that its researchers have been pushing to improve the “quantity and quality” of its nuclear weapons to ensure deterrence against the U.S. Satellite imagery shows part of the Yongbyon nuclear complex north of Pyongyang, North Korea. (Yonhap)Analysts presume that the North has come a long way in developing nuclear warheads and their delivery means such as long-range rockets, through three nucle

North Korea Sept. 16, 2015

North Korea has restarted all nuclear facilities including its uranium enrichment factory at its Yongbyon nuclear complex north of Pyongyang, its atomic research agency said Tuesday, the day after it hinted that it would launch a long-range rocket next month. The file photo shows North Korea`s launch of a long-range rocket in 2012. (Yonhap)The unidentified director of the Atomic Energy Institute said that its staff have continued to make “innovations” to secure the credibility of the North’s nuc

North Korea Sept. 15, 2015

North Korea has been hardening its rhetoric against President Park Geun-hye’s policy drive for reunification as Seoul intensifies diplomatic efforts to drum up international support amid Pyongyang’s deepening isolation. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visits a construction site for a power plant, the Rodong Sinmun reported on Monday. (Yonhap)Observers say that the North’s increasingly harsh criticism of Park’s efforts for reunification could hurt the emerging mood for cross-border dialogue and f

North Korea Sept. 14, 2015

The Defense Ministry plans to establish a database on the traits of conscripts who are prone to accidents, crimes or suicide to analyze and prevent those unfit for military life from joining the armed services.The plan was conceived after a series of soldiers, categorized as those “requiring special attention,” have committed various crimes including desertions with weapons and a shooting rampage, which have undermined troop morale and the overall readiness posture.But critics voiced concerns th

Defense Sept. 13, 2015

 President Park Geun-hye’s attendance at China’s much-trumpeted military parade last week underscored both increasingly tricky diplomatic challenges facing South Korea, and the potential of its middle-power diplomacy to seek a delicate balance between the U.S. and China. Hwang Jae-hoPark’s trip to Beijing from Sept. 2-4 came amid escalating concerns that it could further reinforce the growing impression that Seoul is tilting too much toward Beijing at the expense of its traditional security alli

Defense Sept. 9, 2015

Seoul has earmarked 38.95 trillion won ($32.7 billion) in its proposal for next year’s defense budget, an increase of 4 percent from the previous year, as it seeks to beef up defense capabilities to better counter North Korea’s evolving military threats.“To realize a robust security, we have reflected the security situations, including North Korea’s recent provocations, and our strong resolve to address them in our budget planning for next year,” Vice Defense Minister Baek Seung-joo said during

Defense Sept. 9, 2015