hankyoreh

Ulchi Freedom Guardian, or UFG, the South Korea-United States combined forces command exercises began on Tuesday at various command posts in Korea and in the US.
The significance of this year’s UFG annual military exercises, involving more than 530-thousand troops from the two countries, is the participation of the South Korean Army’s Chief of Staff as well as its Chief of Naval Operations as part of the chain of command.
Since 1990 the service chiefs of the South Korean military did not have operational control, therefore they did not take part in the UFG as commanders. But under the government’s most recent military reform plan, dubbed the “3-0-7 Plan,” which is set to take effect in about four years, each service’s top generals, or an admiral, will hold the command, as well as the current administrative authorities. And the militaries from South Korea and the US are to examine the new operational command structure during this year’s UFG, ahead of the wartime operational control transfer scheduled for 2015.
The exercises are directed by the Combined Forces Command, and are to run for the next ten days.
But, responding to the start of the annual joint military drill between South Korean and US troops North Korea has reacted furiously once again.
The North’s official Korean Central News Agency said Tuesday that inter-Korean relations “are getting tenser as the days go by” and the joint exercises “would further aggravate the already-strained situation on the peninsula.”
(Arirang News)
　
Samsung chief stresses software after Google-Motorola deal
Lee Kun-hee, chairman of Samsung Electronics Co., urged his company Wednesday to step up efforts to develop its software competitiveness, even through mergers and acquisitions if necessary.
The call came one day after Google Inc. announced plans to purchase Motorola Mobility, a hardware company that makes many phones based on Google’s Android operating system.
“(The company) must strengthen the competitiveness of its information technology (IT), secure more human resources and also more actively seek mergers and acquisitions (M&A),” Lee was quoted as saying at an emergency meeting with company executives.
The meeting apparently came as Google, with its acquisition of Motorola Mobility, is expected to become one of Samsung’s largest competitors. The Korean electronics giant is currently the world’s second-largest cellular phone maker.
Lee forecast power shifts in the global IT industry, according to Samsung officials.
“We must pay attention to the fact that IT power is moving away from hardware companies such as Samsung to software companies,” he said in the meeting, according to the officials.
An official, however, said the company had no immediate plans to acquire any software company, saying Lee had always stressed the importance of software.
(Yonhap News)