[Weekender] Netflix series about abuse in military emboldens calls for change

A hit Netflix series exploring the culture of abuse among South Korea’s enlisted soldiers is fueling calls for the military to get tougher on rights violations, just as a military task force in charge of reform is set to wrap up its work. “D.P.,” short for Deserter Pursuit, aired Aug. 27 and is one of the top shows in Korea. It looks at the country’s mandatory conscription system, and physical and mental abuse in the military take center stage. Most of this abuse takes

Sept. 18, 2021

Military reports 8 coronavirus cases

Four Army soldiers and four airmen have tested positive for the new coronavirus, raising the total caseload reported among the military population to 1,681, the defense ministry said Friday. Three airmen in the eastern coastal city of Gangneung were confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 after a virus case was reported at their base, while an Air Force officer in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul, was found to have been infected after a business trip, according to the ministry. In the west

Sept. 17, 2021

Moon says S. Korea's SLBM development can be deterrent to N. Korean provocation: Cheong Wa Dae

  President Moon Jae-in said Wednesday that South Korea's upgrading of its missile capabilities can help deter North Korean provocation.    He was speaking to officials at the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) following the successful underwater test-launch of an indigenous submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) at a local test site.    Hours earlier, North Korea fired two ballistic missiles into the East Sea. Moon stressed that his country had conducted the SL

Sept. 15, 2021

Korean health care startup commemorates Incheon Landing Operation anniversary

South Korean health care startup U-Medi on Wednesday hosted a commemorative event marking the 71st anniversary of the Incheon Landing Operation in Camp Humphreys at Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. The event, held in Pyeongtaek Ray Duke Memorial Library inside the military post, is the first joint event of the United States Forces Korea and private sector entities, according to U-Medi Chief Executive Officer Ha Won-beom. U-Medi, the Incheon-based startup, said the commemorative event is aimed at

Sept. 15, 2021

3 soldiers test positive for COVID-19

Three Army soldiers have tested positive for the new coronavirus, raising the total caseload reported among the military population to 1,665, the defense ministry said Wednesday. One soldier in Ansan, south of Seoul, and another in the western city of Incheon were confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 after developing symptoms, while one in the central county of Jincheon was found to have been infected after a family member tested positive, according to the ministry. Nationwide, South Korea re

Sept. 15, 2021

Top nuke envoys of S. Korea, US, Japan to hold trilateral talks on N.Korea diplomacy

The top nuclear envoys of South Korea, the United States and Japan were set to hold trilateral talks in Tokyo on Tuesday about efforts to resume dialogue with North Korea, amid renewed tensions over the recalcitrant regime's recent missile launches. The talks between Seoul's nuclear negotiator, Noh Kyu-duk and his US and Japanese counterparts, Sung Kim and Takehiro Funakoshi, respectively, come after the North test-fired a new type of long-range cruise missile over the weekend amid signs of its

Sept. 14, 2021

USFK reports 9 COVID-19 cases from new arrivals

Six American soldiers and three family members have tested positive for the new coronavirus upon their arrival here, US Forces Korea (USFK) said Monday. Four of the service members and a family member arrived at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul, on US government-chartered flights, while the others arrived at Incheon international airport, west of the capital, via commercial flights between Aug. 26 and Sept. 6, according to the US military. The latest cases raised the t

Sept. 13, 2021

Inter-Korean missile race intensifies amid tension

South Korea and North Korea are locked in an expanding arms race to bolster their naval power through submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) with no end to tensions in sight. SLBMs are hard to intercept because they are fired from submarines deep in the sea. Seven countries that have nuclear weapons -- China, France, India, North Korea, Russia, the UK and the US – have developed them. South Korea is the only non-nuclear state to have tested them, recently. Nuclear warheads make No

Sept. 13, 2021

Netflix series shows S. Korean soldiers still face abuse: NK

Enlisted soldiers in South Korea still have to deal with abuse and violent crimes, North Korea’s propaganda outlet, Meari, said Saturday, referring to Netflix’s Korean thriller “D.P.” The Deserter Pursuit team, made up of rank and file soldiers, depicts some of the physical and psychological abuse that take place on the team and within the military in general. All able-bodied South Koreans serve active duty as conscripts for at least 18 months. The military runs a sepa

Sept. 12, 2021

Air Force officer, Army soldier test positive for COVID-19

An Air Force officer and an Army soldier have tested positive for the new coronavirus, raising the total caseload reported among the military population to 1,653, the defense ministry said Friday. The Air Force officer based in Suwon, 45 kilometers south of Seoul, was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 after developing symptoms, while the Army soldier in the border county of Yeoncheon was found to have been infected after a vacation, according to the ministry. Nationwide, South Korea added

Sept. 10, 2021

S. Korea signs deal with Daewoo Shipbuilding to build new SLBM submarine

The arms procurement agency said Friday it has signed a 985.7 billion won ($853 million) deal with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. to build a new 3,600-ton-class submarine capable of firing submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs). The Defense Acquisition Program Administration signed the contract Thursday for the second unit of three Changbogo-III Batch-II class submarines that South Korea plans to build by 2029. Construction of the first unit began just last month. C

Sept. 10, 2021

NSC officials stress US has no hostile intent toward N. Korea

South Korea's top security officials stressed the United States has no hostile intent toward North Korea, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday, as Seoul steps up diplomacy to resume dialogue with Pyongyang. The officials discussed efforts to reengage with the North during a standing committee session of the National Security Council led by National Security Office Director Suh Hoon, amid worrisome signs of the reclusive regime restarting a plutonium-producing nuclear reactor.

Sept. 8, 2021

Navy suicide fuels calls for civilian oversight of military

Calls are growing for increased civilian oversight of the military after a recent Navy suicide, with a military human rights group saying an independent commissioner is needed to look into recurring rights violations in the military. The Center for Military Human Rights Korea, an advocacy group, said Tuesday a seaman took his life after he had been bullied by soldiers senior to him, and accused the Navy of having done little to punish his abusers. The latest allegation comes as the military

Sept. 8, 2021

S. Korea opens annual int'l security forum

An annual international security forum hosted by the defense ministry kicked off in Seoul on Wednesday for discussions on situations on the Korean Peninsula and the surrounding region. The vice-ministerial 2021 Seoul Defense Dialogue (SDD), set to run until Friday, will bring together senior officials from countries including the United States, Japan, China and Russia, as well as experts on issues including the pandemic, according to the ministry. Under the theme of "Borderless Security

Sept. 8, 2021

Military reports 4 new COVID-19 cases

Four service members tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Wednesday, the latest in a series of infections at barracks amid the prolonged fourth wave of the pandemic across the nation. An Army soldier in the central city of Daejeon, an airman stationed in the southeastern city of Daegu and a soldier of a unit under the direct wing of the defense ministry tested positive following their recent vacation, and one officer in Seoul was confirmed to have been infected aft

Sept. 8, 2021

Navy launches new frigate equipped with anti-submarine torpedo

The Navy was to hold a launching ceremony Wednesday for a new 2,800-ton frigate with improved anti-submarine capabilities. The new warship Pohang is the sixth of the country's FFX Batch II frigates to replace the Navy's 1,500-ton frigates and 1,000-ton patrol combat corvettes, according to the military. The ceremony was to be held at its manufacturer Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co.'s Okpo shipyard on the southern island of Geoje, with the attendance of Joint Chiefs of Staff C

Sept. 8, 2021

South Korea tests first SLBM

South Korea has become the first non-nuclear state to develop a submarine-launched ballistic missile, having run a test-firing from a newly built submarine, sources said Tuesday. SLBMs have been developed by seven countries -- China, France, India, North Korea, Russia, the UK and the US -- all of which have nuclear weapons. A Dosan Ahn Chang-ho submarine, the country’s first 3,000-ton underwater vessel revealed last month, carried out the underwater ejection tests last week after similar

Sept. 7, 2021

Military reports 3 COVID-19 cases

An Air Force officer and two Army soldiers have tested positive for the new coronavirus, raising the total caseload reported among the military population to 1,644, the defense ministry said Tuesday. An Air Force officer in the central city of Cheonan was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 after coming into contact with a person who tested positive earlier, while an Army officer in Yangju, north of Seoul, was found to have been infected after a family member tested positive, according to th

Sept. 7, 2021

Military eases antivirus rules amid high vaccination rate

The defense ministry on Monday eased monthslong restrictions on service members' vacation and off-installation activities as the military has a high COVID-19 vaccination rate of about 94 percent, officials said. Under the fresh regulations effective on Monday, up to 20 percent of service members can go on vacation at the same time per unit, and fully vaccinated troops are allowed to meet visitors who have also received vaccines, according to the ministry. Previous regulations had banned soldie

Sept. 6, 2021

Arms procurement agency seeks W1.5tr for defense R&D next year

The arms procurement agency has allocated 1.485 trillion won ($1.3 billion) for defense technology research and development (R&D) next year in a budget request submitted to the parliament, it said Monday. Last week, the defense ministry requested a defense budget of 55.23 trillion won for 2022, up from this year's 52.84 trillion won. Of the total, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration's R&D budget rose 76 percent on-year to surpass the 1 trillion won mark for the first time, i

Sept. 6, 2021