PYEONGTAEK, South Korea, Aug. 10 (Korea Bizwire) – The commander of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said taking “shortcuts” for the transition of wartime operational control (OPCON) to Seoul from Washington could imperil the readiness posture on the Korean Peninsula. Gen. Xavier Brunson stressed the need to adhere to bilaterally agreed-upon conditions for the OPCON [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 10 (Korea Bizwire) — The Trump administration has reportedly pressed South Korea for explicit consent regarding the strategic flexibility of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), a key issue that may emerge as a significant agenda item in upcoming U.S.-South Korea summits or security discussions. Strategic flexibility allows the U.S. military to expand its operational reach [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 8 (Korea Bizwire) — The South Korean government on Friday delayed its decision on Google’s request to export high-precision map data overseas, the transport ministry said, amid pressure from Washington to resolve the issue, calling it a non-tariff barrier. In February, the U.S. tech giant submitted an application to the state-run National Geographic [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 8 (Korea Bizwire) — North Korea increased the number of loudspeakers against South Korea installed along border areas between May and June, but none of them are currently in operation, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Friday. The move came as North Korea remains unresponsive to South Korea’s completion of dismantling its [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 7 (Korea Bizwire) – The defense chiefs of South Korea and Japan held phone talks Thursday and agreed to continue with their bilateral security cooperation, as well as trilateral cooperation also involving the United States, the South’s defense ministry said. Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and his Japanese counterpart, Gen Nakatani, reached a consensus [...]
SEJONG, Aug. 7 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea will work to bolster its communication with the United States on sanitary and phytosanitary procedures (SPS) for agricultural imports as part of efforts to improve trade conditions between the two countries, the agriculture minister said Thursday. “That is why we are newly creating the U.S. desk under [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 7 (Korea Bizwire) — President Lee Jae Myung will host Vietnam’s top leader To Lam for summit talks early next week, the presidential office said Thursday, as the two nations are expected to deepen cooperation in fields that include trade, investment and high-speed rail. Lam will make a four-day trip starting Sunday in [...]
WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 (Korea Bizwire) – President Donald Trump said Wednesday that his administration will impose a 100% tariff on imported semiconductors, escalating trade tensions and raising fresh concerns for South Korean chipmakers such as Samsung Electronics Co. and SK hynix Inc. The tariff announcement came during a White House event highlighting Apple Inc.’s $100 billion [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 7 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean shipbuilding conglomerate HD Hyundai Co. said Thursday it has signed an agreement with U.S. defense technology company Anduril Industries Inc. to expand cooperation in the naval defense sector, particularly in the development of unmanned surface vessels (USVs). The two companies signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) on [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 6 (Korea Bizwire) — Top officials from U.S. defense technology company Anduril Industries Inc. are visiting South Korea this week to discuss potential partnerships with local defense firms and commemorate the opening of the company’s new office in Seoul, government and industry sources said Wednesday. Brian Schimpf, chief executive officer (CEO) of Anduril, [...]