One more soldier tests positive for coronavirus, total at 38

An Army soldier tested positive for the new coronavirus after his mother working at a virus-plagued call center in Seoul was confirmed to have been infected, the defense ministry said Wednesday. The new case brought the total number of confirmed cases in the military to 38. The private first class, who commutes to his unit in Seoul rather than living at barracks, is the first service member in the capital city to have the virus. Of the total military coronavirus cases, 21 were in the Army, 1

March 11, 2020

S. Korea forced to postpone joint trainings with foreign troops

A series of planned combined trainings between South Korean and foreign troops will be postponed due to the continued worldwide spread of the new coronavirus, officials said Tuesday. Around 50 service members of the Army were supposed to visit the US' Fort Irwin National Training Center later this month to observe trainings there, but the deployment has been put off at the request of the US military, according to the officials. "Other similar training sessions are scheduled for later t

March 10, 2020

Another USFK employee in Daegu tests positive for virus, total at 9

A South Korean employee of US Forces Korea (USFK) stationed in the southeastern city of Daegu has tested positive for the new coronavirus, bringing the total number of USFK-related infection cases to nine, the military said Tuesday. The patient, who works at Camp Walker, is now in isolation at her off-base residence, USFK said, adding that authorities are "actively conducting contact tracing to determine whether anyone else may have been exposed." Daegu, about 300 kilometers southe

March 10, 2020

One more service member tests positive for coronavirus, total at 37

One Air Force officer stationed in the southeastern city of Daegu tested positive for the new coronavirus, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the military to 37 on Tuesday, the defense ministry said. Of the total, 20 were in the Army, 13 in the Air Force, two in the Marine Corps and one each in the Navy and a unit under the direct control of the ministry, according to the ministry. Thirty-two COVID-19 patients are active-duty service members and the remaining five are civilians w

March 10, 2020

USFK employee in Daegu tests positive for coronavirus, total at 8

A South Korean employee of U.S. Forces Korea stationed in the southeastern city of Daegu has tested positive for the new coronavirus, bringing the total number of USFK-related infection cases to eight, the military said Monday. The patient, who works at Camp Walker, is quarantined at his off-base residence, USFK said, adding health officials have been conducting contact tracing to determine whether anyone else may have been exposed. "USFK remains at risk level 'high' peninsula-wide and is

March 9, 2020

S. Korea identifies 4 Korean War soldiers from remains found in DMZ

South Korea has identified four soldiers who fought in the 1950-53 Korean War from the remains found during an excavation project carried out near the border with North Korea last year, the defense ministry said Monday. The remains were found during excavation work on Arrowhead Ridge, a former battlefield inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, according to the ministry. The excavation project began in April in line with an inter-Korean military accord signed in Septemb

March 9, 2020

No. of coronavirus cases in military remains unchanged at 36

The military reported no additional cases of the new coronavirus among its population Monday, with the total number of infections standing at 36. Of the total COVID-19 cases, 20 were in the Army, 12 in the Air Force, two in the Marine Corps, and one each in the Navy and a unit under the direct control of the ministry, according to the defense ministry. As preventive steps, around 2,580 service members are quarantined at their bases. Of them, around 340 have either shown symptoms or had direct

March 9, 2020

US Army restricts travel to, from S. Korea over new coronavirus

The US Department of the Army has ordered its soldiers and their families to stop movement to and from South Korea amid concerns over the new coronavirus, according to US Forces Korea (USFK). The order, which will be in effect until May 6 or until further notice, currently applies only to 8th Army soldiers currently on permanent change of station orders or attending professional military education scheduled in the United States, USFK said in a statement. "USFK is analyzing the impacts th

March 9, 2020

[Feature] From mask factories to hospitals, military wages virus war

From mask factories to hospitals, South Korea’s 600,000-strong military is making its presence felt on every battle front of the country’s war against the coronavirus. Soldiers, officers, and military doctors and nurses have joined the government’s efforts to suppress COVID-19, which has sickened over 7,000 people and killed 50 here, upending everyday life and dealing a blow to the local economy. “Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province are the front lines. The situation is

March 8, 2020

1 more coronavirus case reported in military, total now at 36

One more service personnel was confirmed to have been infected with the new coronavirus, with the total infection cases in the military rising to 36, the defense ministry said on Sunday. The new COVID-19 patient is an Army soldier in Pocheon, north of Seoul, according to the ministry. Of the total infections, 20 were in the Army, 12 in the Air Force, two in the Marine Corps and one each in the Navy and a defense ministry unit. Around 3,120 service members are quarantined at their bases as pa

March 8, 2020

USFK reports 1st coronavirus case at Camp Humphreys, total at 7

A South Korean employee of US Forces Korea has tested positive for the new coronavirus, bringing the total number of USFK-related infection cases to seven, the military said Friday. The seventh patient marks the first coronavirus case reported at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul, where the USFK headquarters is located. She is now in isolation at her off-base residence in the central city of Cheonan, according to USFK. She visited a cafe and a post exchange in the base on Feb. 26 a

March 6, 2020

Korean employee of USFK tests positive for new coronavirus

A South Korean employee of US Forces Korea has tested positive for the new coronavirus, bringing the total number of USFK-related infection cases to seven, the military said Friday. The seventh patient is now in isolation at her off-base residence in the central city of Cheonan, according to USFK. "KCDC and USFK health professionals are actively conducting contact tracing to determine whether anyone else may have been exposed," it said. KCDC stands for the Korea Centers for Disease

March 6, 2020

[Newsmaker] No. of coronavirus cases in military remains unchanged at 34

The military reported no additional cases of the new coronavirus among service personnel for the second straight day on Friday, with the total number of infections remaining unchanged at 34, the defense ministry said. Of the total COVID-19 cases, 19 were in the Army, 11 in the Air Force, two in the Marine Corps and one each in the Navy and a unit under the direct control of the ministry, it said. Around 5,020 service members are quarantined at their bases. Of them, around 820 have either show

March 6, 2020

3 additional coronavirus cases reported in military, total at 34

Three more service personnel tested positive for the new coronavirus, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the military to 34 on Wednesday, the defense ministry said. Two of the new COVID-19 cases were from the Army -- a rank-and-file soldier and an officer in Yongin, 50 kilometers south of Seoul -- and the other was an officer at a unit under the direct control of the ministry in the central city of Daejeon, it said. Of the total, 19 were in the Army, 11 in the Air Force, two in

March 4, 2020

Seven sailors wounded in grenade explosion on Navy vessel

A grenade exploded on a Navy vessel during a maritime firing drill off the southern coast on Tuesday, wounding seven sailors, two of them seriously, the Navy said. The explosion occurred for unidentified reasons at around 12:20 p.m. on the 130-ton Chamsuri-class patrol killer boat affiliated with the Third Fleet in waters near Geoje Island, according to the Navy. Two were wounded seriously, though the injuries are not life-threatening, while five others sustained light wounds, the Navy said

March 3, 2020

New nursing officers head to Daegu

A batch of newly commissioned nursing officers headed to Daegu on Tuesday, the southeastern city hit hardest by the novel coronavirus, to help treat a skyrocketing number of infected patients. Commissioned as lieutenants a week earlier than scheduled, the 75 officers will work at the military’s hospital in Daegu, one of several national centers treating COVID-19. “Patients come before me,” Lt. Kim Seul-gi said. She was one of the officers attending the graduation ceremony for

March 3, 2020

Pentagon sends extra medical personnel, gear to US troops in S. Korea

WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon has sent additional medical personnel and equipment to its troops in South Korea to help fight the coronavirus outbreak there, US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley said Monday. Milley said the personnel and supplies were sent at Secretary of Defense Mark Esper's direction and included masks, gloves and gowns. "Priority distribution" is going to South Korea, he said at a joint press briefing with Esper. The general noted that the allies have

March 3, 2020

S. Korea, US military report 31 infections

Twenty-seven members of the South Korean military tested positive for COVID-19 as of Sunday, as 8,880 service members have been quarantined. Infected personnel included soldiers, officers and civilian workers; Fifteen of them were in the Army and 10 were in the Air Force, with one each in the Navy and Marine Corps. The military has taken the precaution of an expanded quarantine to curb COVID-19 since it identified the first patient on Feb. 20. The total number of infected patients from Unite

March 1, 2020

S. Korea urges US to handle USFK employees’ jobs

South Korea hopes to address first the issue of the upkeep of Korean employees for United States Forces Korea, as negotiations on defense cost sharing between the two allies drag on, Seoul’s chief negotiator said Friday.  “We offered the US a side deal to sign to cover the costs for Korean national employees at USFK, just in case we don’t wrap up a new Special Measures Agreement on time,” Jeong Eun-bo said, referring to the cost-sharing deal. The final agreement wo

Feb. 28, 2020

USFK employee in Daegu area tests positive for coronavirus

A South Korean employee at an American military base in the southeastern county of Chilgok has tested positive for the new coronavirus, US Forces Korea said, bringing the total number of USFK-related virus cases to three. The Korean national, who works at Camp Carroll, has been in isolation at a hospital in the neighboring city of Daegu, USFK said in a release updated on its website on Thursday. He had been self-quarantined since his wife tested positive for COVID-19 Saturday, it added. Chilg

Feb. 28, 2020