Tag: ROK

Donald Trump Agrees to Suspend Military War Games During Winter Olympics

Photo provided courtesy of the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae shows South Korean President Moon Jae-in during his telephone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump on Jan. 4, 2018. (Yonhap)

STATEMENTS & RELEASES

Readout of President Donald J. Trump’s Call with President Moon Jae-In of the Republic of Korea

Issued on: January 4, 2018

President Donald J. Trump spoke today with President Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea to discuss recent developments on the Korean Peninsula.  The two leaders agreed to continue the campaign of maximum pressure against North Korea and to not repeat mistakes of the past.  The United States and the Republic of Korea are committed to a safe and successful 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang.  President Trump told President Moon that the United States will send a high-level delegation to the Olympics.  The two leaders agreed to de-conflict the Olympics and our military exercises so that United States and Republic of Korea forces can focus on ensuring the security of the Games.

From South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency:

SEOUL, Jan. 4 (Yonhap) — South Korean President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed Thursday to delay their countries’ regular joint military exercises during the Winter Olympic Games to be held here next month.

The agreement came in a telephone conversation between the two leaders, according to the South Korean presidential office Cheong Wa Dae.

The tentative agreement came at a request from the South Korean leader.

“I believe it would greatly help ensure the success of the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games if you could express an intention to delay joint South Korea-U.S. military exercises during the Olympics in case the North does not make any more provocations,” Moon was quoted as telling Trump.

The U.S. president agreed, saying Moon may tell North Korea that there will be no military exercises during the Olympics, according to Cheong Wa Dae.

In a press release, the White House confirmed the leaders agreed to “de-conflict the Olympics and our military exercises so that United States and Republic of Korea forces can focus on ensuring the security of the Games.”

The call between Moon and Trump came one day after the divided Koreas reopened their dialogue channel at the joint security area of Panmunjeom in a prelude to resuming government-level talks for the first time since December 2015.

In a tweet, Donald Trump took credit for renewed dialogue between North Korea and South Korea:

 

S. Korean military: No signs of N. Korea’s imminent missile launch

Photo: North Korea state-run media issued this photo of their most recent Hwasong missile launch.

SEOUL, Jan. 4 (Yonhap) — South Korea’s defense authorities said Thursday there has been no indication of an imminent missile test by North Korea, responding to U.S. news reports that the secretive nation appears to be preparing to fire another intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

“There is no activity that would lead to an assessment that a missile provocation by North Korea is imminent,” Army Col. Roh Jae-cheon, spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a press briefing.

He pointed out, however, that it’s possible for the North to press ahead with a missile provocation anytime, adding South Korea and the United States are closely monitoring related situations.

Earlier this week, CBS News reported that the North has resumed its missile activity at the same site it shot an ICBM in November.

Newsweek also quoted U.S. officials as saying a new missile test may come as soon as later this week or next week.

The reports came amid renewed hopes of eased military tensions on the peninsula. The two Koreas are moving to resume high-level talks on the North’s possible participation at the Winter Olympics to open in the South’s town of PyeongChang next month.

Marines Drill in Subfreezing Temperatures in South Korea

SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Yonhap) — Hundreds of South Korean and U.S. marines have teamed up for a winter training in the eastern mountainous region of PyeongChang, South Korea’s Marine Corps said Tuesday.

The three-week exercise began Dec. 4 at the Mount Hwangbyeong training camp as part of the Korea Marine Exercise Program.

It involves more than 220 South Korean Marines and some 220 U.S. Marines stationed in Okinawa, Japan. The two sides have staged such a combined winter drill since 2013, aiming to sharpen their combat skills in subfreezing temperatures.

South Korean and U.S. marines train at a snow-covered mountain training site in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, in this photo provided by South Korea's Marine Corps. (Yonhap)

South Korean and U.S. marines train at a snow-covered mountain training site in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, in this photo provided by South Korea’s Marine Corps. (Yonhap)

“This exercise has been held with a focus on enhancing the combined combat capabilities of the South Korean and U.S. Marine Corps in winter war conditions under which temperatures drop down to about minus 20 C,” the unit said.

South Korea’s Marines have also staged a training to support security measures for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games, which will open in the town in February.

South Korean Marine Corps Commandant Lt. Gen. Jun Jin-goo plans to visit the training site later in the day to give the troops pep talks.

Hwasong-15 ICBM: An Analysis of North Korea’s Photos by South Korean Experts

2017/11/30

SEOUL, Nov. 30 (Yonhap) — North Korea released photos of its new long-range ballistic missile Thursday, which features a different warhead shape from the previous version.

The front part of the Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is round and relatively blunt, while that of the Hwasong-14 ICBM is sharp, according to a photograph published by the Rodong Sinmun, a newspaper of the Workers’ Party of Korea, and monitored online here. It was shown on a transporter erector launcher (TEL) with nine wheels on each side, indicating the new one is longer than the Hwasong-14, which is carried by a 16-wheel TEL.

The newspaper also made public dozens of other photos of the new ICBM launch early Wednesday morning, including those of leader Kim Jong-un giving a “field guidance” at the launch site north of Pyongyang.

He pumped his fist, monitoring flight data on a screen and celebrating the successful launch with his aides. The missile reportedly flew 950 kilometers at an apogee of 4,475 km to splash into the East Sea.

The North announced that it has completed its “nuclear force” and claimed the ICBM is capable of hitting all areas of the United States and delivering a “super-sized heavy” nuclear warhead.

The newspaper used four front pages to hype up the communist nation’s first ballistic missile firing in 2 1/2 months.

Experts said the round warhead tip may reflect the North’s pursuit of a multiple reentry vehicle.

“North Korea seems to have designed the protection cover of the reentry vehicle in consideration of a possible multiple warhead system,” said Chang Young-keun, a missile expert at Korea Aerospace University in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.

He added it appears to have replaced the engine system for the second-stage rocket.

“There’s a possibility that it has a bigger fuel tank and more vernier thrusters,” Chang said. “But it remains unconfirmed whether it’s a solid-fuel engine.”

Shin Jong Woo, a senior analyst at the Korea Defense Security Forum (KODEF) based in Seoul, said the North seems to have used a cluster engine for the first stage of the Hwasong-15 as well.

“The Hwasong-14 type was equipped with one Paektusan rocket engine but the Hwasong-15 appears to have two,” he said.

Pyongyang fired two Hwasong-14 ICBMs in July.

It remains uncertain whether the isolated communist nation has developed a brand-new ICBM in just a few months.

President Donald J. Trump’s Upcoming Travel to Asia: Statement from the Press Secretary

President Donald Trump delivers the Address to Congress on Tuesday, February 28, 2017, at the U.S. Capitol. This is the President’s first Address to Congress of his presidency. Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead

Statement from the Press Secretary on President Donald J. Trump’s Upcoming Travel to Asia

As was announced on September 29, 2017, President Donald J. Trump will travel to Japan, the Republic of Korea, China, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Hawaii, from November 3-14, 2017. This update provides further details about the President’s itinerary.

The President’s travel will underscore his commitment to longstanding United States alliances and partnerships, and reaffirm United States leadership in promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

On November 3, the President will visit Hawaii and receive a briefing from the U.S. Pacific Command. He will visit Pearl Harbor and the USS ARIZONA Memorial.

The President will commence his visit to Asia beginning with Japan on November 5. While in Japan, President Trump will meet with American and Japanese service members, and participate in bilateral meetings with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who will also host the President for a meeting with the families of Japanese citizens abducted by the North Korean regime.

During his visit to the Republic of Korea on November 7, the President will participate in a bilateral meeting with President Moon Jae-in and visit American and South Korean service members. The President will speak at the National Assembly, where he will celebrate the enduring alliance and friendship between the United States and the Republic of Korea, and call on the international community to join together in maximizing pressure on North Korea.

On November 8, President Trump will arrive in Beijing, China for a series of bilateral, commercial, and cultural events, including meetings with President Xi Jinping.

The President will travel to Danang, Vietnam, on November 10. There, he will participate in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting and deliver a speech at the APEC CEO Summit. In the speech, the President will present the United States’ vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific region and underscore the important role the region plays in advancing America’s economic prosperity. On November 11, the President will travel to Hanoi, Vietnam for an official visit and bilateral engagements with President Tran Dai Quang and other senior Vietnamese leaders.

President Trump will arrive in Manila, Philippines, on November 12 to participate in the Special Gala Celebration Dinner for the 50th Anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). On November 13, the President will celebrate the 40th anniversary of U.S.-ASEAN relations at the U.S.-ASEAN Summit and participate in bilateral meetings with President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines and other leaders.