The captured sergeant apologized to his family and the families of the five soldiers who were killed in a shooting rampage last Saturday in a note he wrote right before he attempted suicide on Monday, the Defense Ministry said.The 22-year-old sergeant, only identified by his surname Lim, underwent surgery for a self-inflicted gunshot wound between his chest and left shoulder, and was recovering at a hospital in Gangneung, Gangwon Province. Medical staff injected him with sedatives and put him to

June 24, 2014

Korean-Japanese veterans who fought as student soldiers during the Korean War pay tribute at the Seoul National Cemetery on Tuesday. The veterans joined the United Nations forces shortly after war broke out on June 25, 1950. (Yonhap)

June 24, 2014

Outmoded military culture is facing growing criticism as bullying is being cited as a possible cause of last week’s shooting spree that killed five soldiers and wounded seven others in an eastern border unit.Despite the Army’s efforts to stamp out bullying and other abuses in the barracks, observers say that such wrongful acts are still taking place in the military, particularly in border units where a strictly hierarchical culture prevails.“There are still those who we can call outcasts in the

June 24, 2014

Saturday’s deadly shooting incident has prompted calls for the military to enhance its management of “draftees requiring special observation.”The 22-year-old sergeant, who killed five soldiers and wounded seven in a shooting spree, turned out to have once been rated as a Grade-A soldier ― the class of draftees most in need of special observation.Although the sergeant, identified only by his surname Lim, was later rated as a Grade-B soldier who still needed extra care but was able to carry out fr

June 23, 2014

A heavily armed fugitive sergeant was captured alive after he attempted suicide Monday, two days after he killed five soldiers and wounded seven others in a shooting rampage in an eastern border unit.At around 2:55 p.m., the 22-year-old sergeant, identified only by his surname Lim, fired at the left side of his upper body between his chest and shoulder with his rifle amid a standoff with special commandos trying to capture him in a frontline area close to the Demilitarized Zone.He was immediatel

June 23, 2014

Five soldiers were killed and seven others wounded Saturday after a sergeant went on a shooting rampage in his unit near the inter-Korean border, the Defense Ministry said Sunday.As of 6 p.m. Sunday, the 22-year-old sergeant, identified only by his surname Lim, opened fire at troops trying to capture him north of the Civilian Access Control Line near the border. A platoon leader suffered gunshot wounds during the firefight.Lim ran away with a K-2 rifle and about 60 bullets after the shooting spr

June 22, 2014

Five soldiers were killed and seven others wounded on Saturday evening after a sergeant went on a shooting rampage in his unit near the eastern inter-Korean border, the Defense Ministry said Sunday.The 22-year-old sergeant, who is identified only by his surname Lim, ran away with a K-2 rifle with some 60 bullets after the shooting in the unit of the 22nd Army Division in Goseong, Gangwon Province.  A wounded soldier is transported to a hospital in Gangneung, Gangwon Province on Saturday night af

June 22, 2014

The South Korean Navy carried out a firing exercise off the country’s east coast Friday to strengthen its capability against a possible invasion by North Korean submarines, officers here said.Flatly rejecting Japan’s call a day earlier to cancel the drill, the Navy held the one-day exercise in the East Sea, some 50 kilometers away from the port of Jukbyeon, North Gyeongsang Province, as scheduled.On Wednesday, Tokyo urged Seoul to cancel the exercise, claiming that the venue includes part of its

June 20, 2014

Lt. Gen. Jan-Marc Jouas, the commander of the 7th Air Force, stressed “readiness to fight tonight” in the face of an unpredictable North Korea during an interview with The Korea Herald this week. Talking about his military career of nearly four decades, he said that South Korea was the “best assignment,” citing his affection for Korean people, culture and food.The following are excerpts from the interview:Korea Herald: You’ve been leading the 7th Air Force since 2012. How has it been so far and

June 19, 2014

The U.S. military is applying a new war-fighting concept to Korea in line with its efforts to enhance cooperation among armed services and more effectively handle security challenges, U.S. 7th Air Force commander Lt. Gen. Jan-Marc Jouas said.The application of the concept, called AirSea Battle, comes as North Korea continues to pose nuclear and missile threats, and China becomes increasingly assertive over a series of territorial disputes in the East and South China Seas.“It (the concept) comes

June 19, 2014

The world has seen a steady decrease in the number of nuclear warheads over the last five years due in large part to the U.S. and Russia reducing their inventories of nuclear arms under their bilateral arms reduction and limitation treaty, according to a Swedish security think tank. In its Yearbook 2014, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute also said that there was an emerging consensus among experts that North Korea has produced a small number of nuclear weapons. It put the numb

June 17, 2014

June 17, 2014

South Korea’s modernity, technological advancement and vibrant democracy are sources of pride for retired Army Col. Raymond Padilla, who fought fiercely against invading North Korean and Chinese troops during the 1950-53 Korean War.But those features also remind him of the devastation of the war, bringing back dreadful memories of life-threatening moments on the battlefields, where he struggled for survival with his fellow U.S. and South Korean soldiers. “This country was raped, ravaged and dest

June 15, 2014

The Defense Ministry is pushing to allow conscripts to acquire academic credit through their military activities, triggering opposition from those who do not seek a university education or are exempt from mandatory military service.The ministry said it sought to implement the plan by late 2017 after finishing coordination with related government agencies and revising a related law. It plans to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Education Ministry to push for the plan this month.“We beli

June 9, 2014