But he is frightened that the enormous military base will close in the wake of the summit between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump. More than 28,000 U.S. troops are stationed in the South to guard against nuclear-armed North Korea, part of a Seoul-Washington security alliance in place since the Korean war ended with an armistice instead of a peace treaty. But with talks between the North Korean and U.S. leaders in Hanoi just days away, speculation is building that the pair could agree to a treaty in return for denuclearisation measures from Pyongyang -- and that the withdrawal of U.S. troops might follow. For South Koreans dependent on U.S. troops to make a living -- like Kim Chang-bae -- that is a worrisome prospect. "Without the presence of U.S. soldiers, many business, including mine, will lose their main source of income," said Kim, who sells bolts and screwdrivers to Americans stationed at Camp Humphreys, 60 kilometres south of Seoul. "It's a nightmare scenario" Camp Humphreys, in the … [Read more...] about South Koreans fearful of ‘nightmare’ US troop withdrawal
South korean soldiers
North Korean soldier defects across border: South’s military
By AFP  December 1, 2018 | 11:39 am GMT+7 Defections along the closely guarded inter-Korean border are rare. Photo by AFP/Ed Jones A North Korean soldier defected to South Korea across the eastern land border on Saturday, the South's military said. Defections across the closely guarded inter-Korean frontier are rare, and this one comes as the neighbours pursue a delicate reconciliation process. "A North Korean soldier was detected crossing the military demarcation line" by South Korean troops using surveillance equipment, the military Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement. "The soldier is safely in our custody," it said. "Related agencies plan to investigate him regarding the details of how he came to the South." Even as talks on denuclearisation between Washington and Pyongyang have stalled, the two Koreas are pushing ahead with a reconciliation process, taking steps to ease tensions along their heavily fortified border. They have begun work to … [Read more...] about North Korean soldier defects across border: South’s military
South Koreans apologise to Ha My massacre victims
South Koreans have come to apologise to locals in Quang Nam Province on March 11 for a massacre by the South Korean army 50 years ago. The Ha My Massacre was a massacre conducted by the South Korean Marines on 25 February 1968 in Ha My Village, Quang Nam Province. The victims were 135 women, children and elders from thirty local households. 41 members of the Korea-Vietnam Peace Foundation came from every walk of life including doctors, teachers, farmers and the families of the South Korean soldiers who participated in the Vietnam War. They all came to Vietnam to attend a ceremony held on Sunday to apologise and burn incense to the victims. Chairman of Dien Duong Ward People's Committee Dinh Hung Lien said, "The commemoration is to soothe the souls of the victims and people from South Korea also want to extend their sincere apologies and start a new page in history." With support from the Korea Veterans' Association, the local authorities put up a memorial stele for the victims in … [Read more...] about South Koreans apologise to Ha My massacre victims
South Korean found six days after Australia mountain fall
A South Korean tourist was found safe and "in good spirits" six days after falling into a deep ravine while taking photos from a mountaintop in northeastern Australia, officials said. Joohee Han. (Photo: Queensland Police Service) Rescuers said the chances of survival for 25-year-old Joohee Han had been "near zero" after spending nearly a week without food in the remote area. Han disappeared on Jun 1 after telling friends she was going to climb Mount Tyson, a peak in bushland south of Cairns in northern Queensland state, police said. She was not reported missing until Wednesday, when police, soldiers and emergency crews launched a search, finally locating her Thursday stuck in a deep ravine near a waterfall. She was winched to safety by helicopter and taken to a local hospital suffering only minor injuries. Han told rescuers she slipped while taking photos from a rocky outlook and was knocked unconscious for around five hours from the fall. She tried crawling out through … [Read more...] about South Korean found six days after Australia mountain fall
Vietnam, South Korea to strengthen military ties
Strengthening military ties between Vietnam and South Korea will advance the interests of both countries and help realize a shared vision, the defense ministers of both countries said on Monday. Towards this, Vietnamese defense minister Ngo Xuan Lich and visiting counterpart Song Young-moo signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Hanoi. Among other things, the MoU will boost humanitarian assistance and disaster relief activities between the two defense ministries in the coming time. Meeting with Young-moo following a welcome ceremony, Lich lauded the visit as a strong breakthrough for bilateral military ties, especially the effective implementation of the Joint Vision Statement on Defense Cooperation with a vision towards 2030 that the defense ministries signed in April 2018. Both sides exchanged views on global security issues and agreed to implement projects to strengthen bilateral military cooperation, human resources training, search for missing soldiers and post-war bomb and … [Read more...] about Vietnam, South Korea to strengthen military ties