S.Korea must respond sternly to N.Korea attacks: army chief

S.Korea seeks bigger role in weapons drill: report
Seoul (AFP) June 20, 2010 - South Korea wants a bigger role in the global effort to stop the trafficking of weapons of mass destruction, a news report said Sunday amid mounting tension with the North over the sinking of a Seoul warship. South Korea plans to become a core member of the 95-nation Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) which allows signatories to stop ships suspected of carrying the arms or their delivery systems, Yonhap news agency said. "We have decided to join the Operational Experts Group (OEG)," an unnamed South Korean foreign ministry official told Yonhap, referring to PSI's 20-member steering committee.

Seoul believes signing up for the OEG in Japan in November will make sharing information on North Korea, a proliferator of illegal weapons, easier, the report said. The PSI, set up in 2003 by then US president George W Bush, carries out drills to practise intercepting suspect vessels and is planning an exercise later this year. South Korea's participation last year was denounced by North Korea as a "declaration of war" against the communist state. South Korea accused Pyongyang of torpedoing one of its warships near the disputed Yellow Sea border with the loss of 46 lives on March 26.

The South has announced its own reprisals including cutting off trade. It also wants a strongly worded resolution, or at least a presidential statement, from the 15-member UN Security Council. Last week it briefed council members on the evidence collected by a multinational investigation, which found overwhelming evidence that a North Korean submarine torpedoed the 1,200-tonne Cheonan corvette. The North, which angrily dismisses the South's claims as "sheer fabrication", also addressed the council. Officials at Seoul's foreign ministry were not immediately available on Sunday for comment.

by Staff Writers
Seoul (AFP) June 18, 2010
South Korea's military faces a "desperately dangerous situation" after the sinking of a warship and must respond sternly to any future North Korean provocations, the new army chief said Friday.

"With a resolute determination, the military must put together all of its capabilities and resources to sternly deal with any provocations by North Korea," General Hwang Eui-Don said in his inauguration speech.

Hwang took over in a reshuffle of military top brass amid criticism that the armed forces reacted sloppily to the sinking of the corvette near the disputed sea border on March 26. A total of 46 sailors were killed.

State inspectors recommended that 13 generals, 10 lower-level officers and two civilian defence ministry officials be punished. The country's top military officer Lee Sang-Eui offered his resignation.

South Korea announced non-military reprisals against its impoverished communist neighbour after a multinational investigation concluded last month that a submarine from the North had torpedoed the Cheonoan.

The sinking has dramatically escalated tensions on the peninsula ahead of the 60th anniversary of the start of the Korean war on June 25, 1950 and has stalled efforts at resuming North Korea nuclear disarmament negotiations.

The North, which angrily denies any involvement, has threatened military action if the UN Security Council accepts Seoul's request to censure Pyongyang.

Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Friday again accused Seoul of fabricating the evidence in the sinking.

"This has pushed the inter-Korean relations to a total collapse and created such (a) tense situation on the Korean peninsula that a war may break out right now," KCNA said.

Hwang said he would work to build a strong army that is "trusted and loved by the people," according to a transcript of his inauguration speech released by the defence ministry.

The new army chief told reporters Thursday that chances of another military provocation are quite high.

"North Korea is not showing any direct moves for provocations, but when we look at its past pattern of behaviour, there are fair chances of provocations and that's why we raised" alertness, he said.

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US to retake control of S.Korea war games amid tensions
Seoul (AFP) June 17, 2010
US forces will regain control over a major annual military exercise with South Korea amid rising tensions with the North following the sinking of one of Seoul's warships, officials said Thursday. Seoul's defence ministry said the Combined Forces Command led by US General Walter Sharp will retake control of the computerised war game called Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG) from this year. In 2 ... read more

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