Anti-piracy unit salvages drifting Iranian boat

The Ministry of National Defense said Sunday that its anti-piracy Cheonghae Unit salvaged an Iranian boat drifting near Oman’s Muscat Port on Saturday. The 50-ton small oil vessel named Alsohail departed from Iran two weeks ago on Jan. 18. It was low on fuel and had been drifting, when the Cheonghae Unit spotted six crew members signaling for rescue on the deck. The unit, which has recently seen its operational range extended to cover the Strait of Hormuz near Iran, provided the Iranian

Feb. 2, 2020

Air Force sets up Global Hawk reconnaissance squadron

The Air Force set up a reconnaissance squadron in charge of operating the advanced unmanned aircraft of Global Hawk, the defense ministry said Friday. The new military unit was established in December as South Korea brought in its first RQ-4 Block 30 Global Hawk Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) that month. Under a 2011 deal with the United States, South Korea purchased four units, with the remaining three to arrive here in the first half of this year, according to officials. As one of the m

Jan. 31, 2020

Air Force reconsidering planned participation in int'l airshow amid virus outbreak

The South Korean Air Force is reconsidering whether to participate in an upcoming international airshow in Singapore as the new coronavirus continues to spread, officials said Thursday. The Air Force's Black Eagles had planned to head for Singapore on Friday to take part in the biennial Singapore Airshow 2020 from Feb. 11 to 16 but decided to delay their departure. "A ceremony scheduled for Thursday to mark the Black Eagles' departure was delayed in consideration of the situation regardi

Jan. 30, 2020

Moon bestows symbolic swords to new military generals

President Moon Jae-in conferred "samjeonggeom" swords on a total of 77 newly appointed brigadier generals Wednesday, ordering them to do their best to ensure South Korea's firm defense posture. "Security is very important in our society. Therefore, assuming the post of generals, who command troops, means becoming a member of leading our society," Moon told them, according to Cheong Wa Dae's deputy spokesperson Han Jung-woo. Speaking after the sword ceremony at his office

Jan. 29, 2020

US ups ante, sends furlough notice to S. Korean workers

The US military said it has started notifying nearly 9,000 South Koreans working for United States Forces Korea that they could be put on unpaid leave if Seoul and Washington fail to agree on cost-sharing for the upkeep of 28,500 American troops here. “USFK began providing Korean national employees today with a 60-day notice of a potential administrative furlough that could occur on April 1, 2020,” USFK said Wednesday. It noted that the military was bound by US law to deliver the no

Jan. 29, 2020

Defense minister meets with US army secretary

South Korea's Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo met with visiting US Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy and US Army Pacific Commander Gen. Paul LaCamera on Wednesday and discussed ways to boost cooperation between the two countries, the defense ministry said. During the meeting in Seoul, Jeong highlighted the importance of an "ironclad combined defense posture" to support the diplomatic efforts for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and asked for continued support from the United St

Jan. 29, 2020

USFK sends 60-day notice of potential furlough to Korean employees amid tough SMA talks

US Forces Korea has begun sending a 60-day notice of potential furloughs to its nearly 9,000 South Korean employees, officials said Wednesday, in an apparent move to further pressure Seoul to pay more for stationing American troops here. The notice came as South Korea and the United States have engaged in grueling negotiations over how much Seoul should pay this year and beyond for the upkeep of the 28.500-strong USFK under the cost-sharing deal, called the Special Measures Agreement. The pre

Jan. 29, 2020

Some 90 soldiers quarantined over Wuhan coronavirus: defense ministry

The military authorities have isolated around 90 soldiers who recently visited China as part of efforts to prevent the spread of a new type of coronavirus to the barracks, the defense ministry said Tuesday. The move came amid growing concerns over the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus across the globe that began in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Four cases have been confirmed in South Korea. Of around 150 soldiers who visited China in recent weeks, 92 service personnel, including 38 conscripts,

Jan. 28, 2020

USFK on alert against Wuhan coronavirus

The US Forces Korea has issued guidelines on the prevention of an outbreak of Wuhan coronavirus amid deepening concerns over the spread of the pneumonia-like illness following four confirmed cases reported in South Korea. The deadly virus appears to have put the US military on alert, particularly as one of the four patients was known to reside in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, where its garrison Camp Humphreys is located. "Be advised that this is cold and flu season, and the Coronavirus

Jan. 28, 2020

Military doctors, nurses, soldiers to be mobilized for coronavirus quarantine efforts

About 100 military doctors, nurses and ordinary soldiers will be mobilized for quarantine operations aimed at preventing the spread of the new type of coronavirus, the defense ministry said Monday. The military personnel have been assigned to 21 checkpoints set up at seaports and airports across the country and will help with body temperature checks and other quarantine efforts, the ministry said. After the government raised its infectious disease alert level by one notch to "orange,&quo

Jan. 27, 2020

Ex-USFK commander: Annual renewal of defense costs deal causes structural instability

The decision last year to renew the cost-sharing pact between Seoul and Washington each year for the upkeep of 28,500 American troops here will cause structural instability, a former US Forces Korea commander has said. In an interview with the Voice of America on Thursday (US time), former USFK Commander Vincent Brooks said the annual renewal deal does not guarantee its stability as it always takes more than a year when it comes to local hires and the construction of military facilities. He said

Jan. 24, 2020

Furlough threat hangs over US military bases in S. Korea

The US is warning it will send furlough notices within weeks to almost 9,000 South Korean workers at US bases if the two countries don’t reach agreement on President Donald Trump’s demand for Seoul to increase dramatically what it pays for American troops.Trump’s push for South Korea to contribute much more has put the alliance under strain at a time when North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s regime has said it would no longer be bound by its previous promise to halt testing

Jan. 23, 2020

NSC members discuss follow-up measures to Hormuz troop dispatch decision: Cheong Wa Dae

South Korea’s top security officials had internal discussions Thursday on ways to strengthen "communication" with Iran and the United States in connection with its decision to send naval troops to the Strait of Hormuz for contributions to maritime security there, according to Cheong Wa Dae.They reviewed the international community’s responses to the move and discussed "follow-up measures," including the strengthening of "communication" with relevant nati

Jan. 23, 2020

S. Korean unit in Hormuz Strait ready for any circumstances: defense ministry

The South Korean military unit dispatched to the Strait of Hormuz maintains a full readiness posture to deal with any situations in accordance with its operation guidelines, the defense ministry said Thursday.The 300-strong Cheonghae Unit, with a 4,400-ton destroyer, expanded its operational areas from its original sphere of the Gulf of Aden into the Strait of Hormuz this week to protect South Korean citizens and vessels passing through the strategically important waterway amid tensions between

Jan. 23, 2020

Moon stresses military reform, innovation

The military will focus on strengthening its ability to respond to nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in 2020, and on applying cutting-edge technologies to its defense systems, the Ministry of National Defense said Tuesday. The plans were revealed in an annual briefing session for President Moon Jae-in at the Gyeryongdae complex -- an Army, Navy and Air Force headquarters near Daejeon. At the briefing, Moon stressed the importance of defense, pointing to the increased def

Jan. 21, 2020

Cheonghae, Korea’s first overseas anti-piracy unit

The Cheonghae unit, deployed to safeguard a strategic waterway in the Middle East, is South Korea’s first overseas anti-piracy unit, best known for its highly publicized 2011 “Operation Dawn of Gulf of Aden.” 　In a dramatic rescue mission, Cheonghae’s commandos stormed a Korean tanker that had been hijacked by pirates off Somalia. All 21 crew members were rescued, and eight of the 17 pirates were killed. Five more pirates were captured, and four escaped. The tanker’

Jan. 21, 2020

Anti-piracy unit’s mission expanded to include Hormuz Strait near Iran

The Ministry of National Defense said Tuesday that its anti-piracy Cheonghae Unit will expand its operational range to cover the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow body of water between the Persian and Oman Gulf that sees millions of barrels of oil passing through it daily. “Given the heightened tensions in the Middle East, we’ve decided to field the anti-piracy unit to cover those additional areas to protect our people and free passage of our ships,” the ministry said. The unit, whi

Jan. 21, 2020

No. of military deserters falls 80% in 2013-2019: defense ministry

The number of military deserters has decreased more than 80 percent since 2013, the defense ministry said Monday.A total of 105 conscripts attempted to abandon their units in 2019, down 83.7 percent from 643 desertions in 2013, according to the ministry. During the cited period, the number of active-duty soldiers who committed suicide fell 22.7 percent from 79 cases in 2013 to 61 last year, the ministry data showed. Such improvement is, at least in part, attributable to a new military help line,

Jan. 20, 2020

S. Korea, China hold working-level defense talks over peninsula

South Korea and China held working-level defense talks in Seoul on Thursday on ways to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula and enhance bilateral cooperation, Seoul's defense ministry said.During the 18th round of bilateral policy consultations, Lee Won-ik, director general of international policy at the Ministry of National Defense, and his Chinese counterpart, Song Yan Chao, exchanged their assessments of the recent security situation on the peninsula, according to the ministry. They shared t

Jan. 16, 2020

S. Korea, US still have differences on defense cost sharing: ministry

South Korea and the US still have their differences on how to share the costs of stationing American troops in Korea, the Foreign Ministry said Thursday, after the two sides wrapped up their latest round of negotiations in Washington.“The two sides broadened their mutual understanding and consensus but confirmed that there are still differences between them,” the ministry said in a statement Thursday without mentioning what the differences were. “In the latest meeting, our

Jan. 16, 2020