An international defense exhibition opened in a city just northwest of Seoul on Wednesday to showcase cutting-edge military hardware and technologies, including drones and robots, organizers said.
Korea has been expanding its presence in the global defense industry on the back of its recent massive arms deal with Poland, worth an estimated 20 trillion won ($14.3 billion), an achievement bringing more attention to Korean-made military hardware. The recent agreement encouraged President Yoon Suk-yeol last month to unveil a plan to make Korea one of the world s top four weapons suppliers.
Curtis Scaparrotti
Part of the U.S. Forces Korea needs to remain north of Seoul near the frontline after headquarters relocates south of the capital, USFK commander Curtis Scaparrotti said Monday. In terms of the residual in what we call Area I, there may be a need operationally to leave some residual in those areas just for proper defense and response, Scaparrotti told the Defense Ministry press corps. It was his first meeting with the reporters after he was inaugurated as the new USFK commander last month.
The plan so far has been for the entire USFK to retreat to a new base in Pyeongtaek in southwestern Gyeonggi Province by 2016.