Moon visits front-line unit on border island, encourages Marines

President Moon Jae-in visited a front-line military unit on a western border island on Thursday and hailed Marines there for their hard work, Cheong Wa Dae said. Moon flew by helicopter to Baengnyeong Island near the western sea border with North Korea and began his visit by paying his respects at a memorial dedicated to the 46 sailors killed in the North's sinking of the Cheonan corvette in 2010, his spokeswoman Park Kyung-mee said in a written briefing. Moon then visited the headquarters o

Dec. 23, 2021

S. Korean defense minister emphasizes cooperation with China, Japan

South Korean Defense Minister Suh Wook on Thursday emphasized the need for close defense cooperation with China and Japan to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and the region, the defense ministry said. "While the alliance between South Korea and the United States remains strong, I think (Seoul should) closely cooperate and get along with neighboring China," Suh said during a lecture in Singapore.  China can play a key role in the denuclearization of the Kore

Dec. 23, 2021

Defense chiefs of S. Korea, Singapore discuss security cooperation

South Korea's Defense Minister Suh Wook held talks with his Singaporean counterpart Thursday to discuss regional security cooperation, including joint efforts to fight terrorism, his office said. The talks between Suh and Singaporean Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen came on the second day of his three-day trip to Singapore, a key partner for Seoul's New Southern Policy aimed at deepening ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Suh was on an overseas trip that also took him to Guam a

Dec. 23, 2021

Military reports 26 more COVID-19 cases

South Korea's military on Thursday reported 26 additional COVID-19 cases, including 23 breakthrough infections, raising the total caseload among its personnel to 3,027. Of the new cases, 12 are from the Army, six from the Air Force, five from units under the direct control of the defense ministry, one from the Navy, and one from the Marine Corps, the ministry said. Currently, 289 military personnel are under treatment. Of the total military caseload, 1,243 are breakthrough cases. (Yonhap)

Dec. 23, 2021

Military reports 24 more COVID-19 cases

South Korea's military on Wednesday reported 24 additional COVID-19 cases, including 22 breakthrough infections, raising the total caseload among its personnel to 3,001. Of the new cases, 13 are from the Army, four from the Navy, four from the Air Force, two from the Marine Corps and one from a unit under the direct control of the defense ministry, the ministry said. Currently, 297 military personnel are under treatment. Of the total military caseload, 1,223 are breakthrough cases. (Yonhap) &n

Dec. 22, 2021

Military deploys upgraded chemical, biological reconnaissance vehicles

South Korea has completed the deployment of upgraded reconnaissance vehicles with stronger capabilities to counter chemical and biological security threats, the state arms procurement agency said Wednesday. The chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) reconnaissance vehicle is able to monitor hazardous airborne agents from a long distance and can send a CBRN warning via a military communications line, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration said. The vehicle has been develo

Dec. 22, 2021

Military reports 17 more COVID-19 cases

South Korea's military on Tuesday reported 17 additional COVID-19 cases, with all of them being breakthrough infections, raising the total caseload among its personnel to 2,980. Of the new cases, 10 are from the Army, four from the Marine Corps, two from the Air Force, and one from a unit under the direct control of the defense ministry, the ministry said. Currently, 307 military personnel are under treatment. Of the total military caseload, 1,201 are breakthrough cases. (Yonhap)

Dec. 21, 2021

S. Korea ranks 9th in world arms exports: report

South Korea was the world's 9th-largest arms exporter in the 2016-2020 period, accounting for 2.7 percent of the world's total defense exports, an annual government report showed Monday. According to the Global Defense Market Yearbook 2021 released by the Korea Research Institute for Defense Technology Planning and Advancement (KRIT), South Korea's arms export ranking rose from 10th place in the 2015-2019 period. The Asian country's share in the global arms export market jumped to 2.7 percent

Dec. 20, 2021

S. Korea enshrines remains of 370 Korean War troops excavated this year

South Korea on Monday held an annual ceremony enshrining the remains of 370 fallen troops that its excavation team recovered from key battle sites of the 1950-53 Korean War this year. The defense ministry's team and troops from the Army and the Marine Corps recovered the remains of the troops, including 281 South Koreans, in 41 locations, including border counties of Cherwon and Inje, during their excavation work from March to November While most remains have yet to be identified, 24 of the 37

Dec. 20, 2021

Military reports 30 more COVID-19 cases

South Korea's military on Monday reported 30 additional COVID-19 cases, including 26 breakthrough infections, raising the total caseload among its personnel to 2,963. Of the new cases, 22 are from the Army, two from the Navy, two from the Marine Corps, three from the Air Force and one from a unit under the direct control of the defense ministry, the ministry said. Currently, 348 military personnel are under treatment. Of the total military caseload, 1,184 are breakthrough cases. (Yonhap)

Dec. 20, 2021

Military reports 27 more COVID-19 cases

South Korea's military on Sunday reported 27 additional COVID-19 cases, with all of them being breakthrough infections, raising the total caseload among its personnel to 2,933. Of the new cases, 22 are from the Army, two from units under the direct control of the defense ministry, one from the Navy, one from the Marine Corps and one from the Air Force, officials said. Currently, 343 military personnel are under treatment. Of the total military caseload, 1,158 are breakthrough cases. (Yonhap)

Dec. 19, 2021

Any change to USFK troop levels will be subject to joint decision with S. Korea: Pentagon

Any future changes to US Forces Korea including troop levels will be made under joint decisions with South Korea, a Pentagon spokesman said Friday. "I can assure you that there's no plans, no intentions to change our alliance posture in any way," Department of Defense Press Secretary John Kirby said when asked if there can be any changes to the US troop level in South Korea in the near future. "And any changes at all, not that I'm predicting any ... will always be done as an all

Dec. 18, 2021

Defense minister to visit Thailand, Singapore next week

Defense Minister Suh Wook will visit Thailand and Singapore next week for talks with senior officials there on bilateral defense cooperation, his ministry said Thursday. On Sunday, Suh will visit Thailand for a four-day visit at the invitation of Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who doubles as defense minister. They plan to discuss the security situations on the Korean Peninsula and in the region, and discuss arms industry cooperation between Seoul and Bangkok, according to the ministry.

Dec. 16, 2021

New Navy chief vows to press ahead with light aircraft carrier project

South Korea's new Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Kim Jung-soo vowed Thursday to forge ahead with the Navy's long-cherished project to secure a light aircraft carrier, as he took the helm of the armed service. Kim made the remarks amid expectations that the Navy will embark on the project to acquire the coveted vessel by 2033 next year, as the National Assembly passed a 7.2 billion won ($6.08 million) budget earlier this month to begin a process for its basic design. "Given that a light ai

Dec. 16, 2021

Govt. discloses personal info of 342 men accused of draft dodging

South Korea's military recruitment agency on Thursday disclosed personal information about 342 people accused of dodging mandatory military service. The disclosure of their names, ages, addresses and other details came as part of the efforts by the Manpower Administration to pressure them to fulfill their service and prevent potential draft dodgers, officials said. The list included 92 men who apparently dodged their service as active-duty soldiers and 30 others who attempted to evade their al

Dec. 16, 2021

Military reports 26 more COVID-19 cases

South Korea's military on Thursday reported 26 additional COVID-19 cases, including 22 breakthrough infections, raising the total caseload among its personnel to 2,848. Of the new cases, 18 people are from the Army, two from the Air Force, two from the Navy, one from the Marine Corps, and three from units under the direct control of the defense ministry, officials said. Currently, 328 military personnel are under treatment. Of the total military caseload, 1,079 are breakthrough cases. (Yonhap)

Dec. 16, 2021

S. Korea deploys 30mm wheeled antiaircraft gun

South Korea's military has started deploying a homegrown 30 mm-caliber wheeled antiaircraft gun for field operations under a project to replace decades-old Vulcan cannons, the state arms procurement agency said Wednesday. Developed in 2019, the new gun will supplant the 20mm cannons that the country's Army, Air Force and Marine Corps have operated for over 40 years, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said. The new gun's firing range is 3 kilometers, 1.2 km longer than the ex

Dec. 15, 2021

Military reports 45 more COVID-19 cases

South Korea's military on Wednesday reported 45 additional COVID-19 cases, including 41 breakthrough infections, raising the total caseload among its personnel to 2,822. Of the new cases, 18 people are from the Army, 10 from the Air Force, 11 from units under the direct control of the defense ministry, four from the Marine Corps and one from the Navy, officials said. An officer from the ministry was also infected. Currently, 328 military personnel are under treatment. Of the total military cas

Dec. 15, 2021

Military starts deploying new 7.62mm machine guns

South Korea on Wednesday started deploying new 7.62 mm-caliber machine guns to the Army under a project to replace the existing decades-old equipment and reinforce combat capabilities, the arms procurement agency said. The K-16 machine guns will supplant K-3 and M60 guns as a bedrock asset of the military's fire power, the first such replacement in three decades, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said. The K-16 gun's operational range is 30-percent longer than the K-3 gun a

Dec. 15, 2021

Military reports 40 more COVID-19 cases

South Korea's military on Tuesday reported 40 additional COVID-19 cases, including 35 breakthrough infections, raising the total caseload among its personnel to 2,777. Of the new cases, 15 people are from the Army, 13 from the Air Force, four from the Navy, and seven from units under the direct control of the defense ministry, officials said. An officer from the ministry was also infected. Currently, 308 military personnel are under treatment. Of the total military caseload, 1,016 are breakthr

Dec. 14, 2021