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S. Korea approves purchase of bunker-busting missiles from Europe

South Korea decided Wednesday to buy German bunker-busting air-to-ground long-range missiles to strengthen its air force in light of North Korean threats, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration said. The plan to purchase Taurus KEPD 350s for South Korea's F-15K strike fighters was approved in a meeting presided over by Defense Minister Kim Kwan Jin. The GPS-guided missile, manufactured by German company Taurus Systems, has a 500-kilometer range and is used by Germany and Spain.

In talks with Obama, Park opposes 'talks for the sake of talks' with N. Korea

SEOUL, June 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Park Geun-hye told U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday that holding talks with North Korea for the sake of talks would only give the communist nation more time to advance its nuclear programs, an official said. Park made the remark during a 20-minute phone conversation with Obama, the official said, a day after North Korea proposed to hold high-level talks with the U.S. saying it wants to have broad and in-depth discussions on defusing military tensions and other issues.

Park opposed to 'talks for the sake of talks' with N. Korea: official

SEOUL, June 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Park Geun-hye told U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday that holding talks with North Korea for the sake of talks would only give the communist nation more time to advance its nuclear programs, an official said. Park made the remark during a 20-minute phone conversation with Obama, the official said, a day after North Korea proposed to hold high-level talks with the U.S. saying it wants to have broad and in-depth discussions on defusing military tensions and other issues.

N. Korea slams U.S. for stirring nuclear arms race

SEOUL, June 17 (Yonhap) -- Just one day after North Korea proposed high-level talks with the United States, the communist country on Monday criticized U.S. efforts to develop its own nuclear arsenal, saying it is triggering an international arms race. U.S. President Barack Obama has declared international efforts to reduce arms, but the country is still seeking to modernize its own nuclear weapons, the North's main newspaper Rodong Sinmun said in an article.

U.S. not enthusiastic yet about N. Korea's dialogue offer

Lee Chi-dong WASHINGTON, June 16 (Yonhap) -- The White House said Sunday North Korea should first prove its seriousness about dialogue through actions, "not nice words," effectively turning down the communist nation's offer of bilateral negotiations without "preconditions" attached. "Those talks have to be real. They have to be based on them living up to their obligations, to include on proliferation, on nuclear weapons, on smuggling and other things," said Denis McDonough, President Barack Obama's chief of staff.

U.S. not enthusiastic yet about N. Korea's dialogue offer

Lee Chi-dong WASHINGTON, June 16 (Yonhap) -- The White House said Sunday North Korea should prove its seriousness about dialogue through actions, "not nice words," effectively turning down the communist nation's offer of immediate bilateral negotiations. "Those talks have to be real. They have to be based on them living up to their obligations, to include on proliferation, on nuclear weapons, on smuggling and other things," Denis McDonough, President Barack Obama's chief of staff said.

US says N. Korea talks must be 'real'

The United States will only engage in "real" talks with North Korea and will judge actions, not Pyongyang's "nice words" about wanting high-level negotiations, a senior US official said Sunday. Any talks "have to be based on them living up to their obligations" on proliferation, nuclear weapons, smuggling and other issues, White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough told CBS News's "Face the Nation."

Park asks China to persuade N. Korea to hold talks with S. Korea

South Korean President Park Geun Hye told a former veteran Chinese diplomat Friday that South Korea wants China to persuade North Korea to hold talks with it "with sincerity," according to a statement issued by South Korea's presidential press office. At a meeting with former Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan, Park said South Korea "doesn't want talks for the sake of talks with North Korea, but talks with sincerity."

Japan, U.S., S. Korea to curb N. Korean nuclear, missile development

Japan, the United States and South Korea agreed Saturday to cooperate in curbing North Korea's nuclear and missile development, as well as its provocative actions. Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan Jin shared the view North Korea's de-facto long-range missile test in December and its third nuclear test in February pose a "serious threat" to security in Northeast Asia and the world, the three ministers said in a joint statement issued after a meeting in Singapore.

S. Korean defense chief to discuss N. Korea at Singapore forum

SINGAPORE, May 31 (Yonhap) -- South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin arrived in Singapore Friday to attend a security forum where he will focus on coordinating efforts on North Korea as hope grows for talks to reduce tension following months of bellicose rhetoric from the communist country. The Asia Security Summit, also called the Shangri-La Dialogue, was to open Friday evening for a three-day run, with the defense chiefs and security experts from 27 nations in attendance.
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