‘Agent Orange sprayed over DMZ in 1968-69’

South Korean and U.S. troops sprayed toxic defoliant Agent Orange and other herbicides over 6,840 hectares of the Demilitarized Zone between 1968 and 1969, in an effort to thwart North Korean infiltrations, a report said Friday.The estimated size of the areas on which Agent Orange was sprayed was about 14 percent of the southern side of the DMZ, the 4-kilometer-wide, 249-kilometer-long buffer zone

June 3, 2011

Apparent N. Korean spam e-mail sent to S. Korean officers: military

North Korean hackers have apparently sent spam e-mail messages to South Korean military officers, carrying viruses and malicious computer code, military officials here said Monday.According to an official, senders who claim to be graduates of the Korea Military Academy in Seoul have written to about 60 current South Koran officers who graduated from the academy. Messages mostly included a benign g

May 30, 2011

Two Marine Corps generals face arrest over false accusations

Military prosecutors sought warrants on Friday to arrest two Marine Corps major generals on charges of making false accusations about their top commander, defense ministry officials said. The two major generals, identified only by their initials P and H, have been under an investigation since early this month for allegedly spreading false rumors about the Marine commander, Lt. Gen. Yoo Nak-joon. A

May 30, 2011

Soldiers under probe for posting pro-Pyongyang messages on Web

South Korean military intelligence officials are investigating seven officers and soldiers for posting pro-Pyongyang messages on an online community that praises North Korea, military officials said Monday.About 70 military personnel were registered as members of the online community, called the “Cyber Command for Defense of Fellow Countrymen,” and seven of them posted pro-North Korea messages the

May 30, 2011

N.K. naval base near tense sea border soon to be completed

North Korea is in the completion stage of building a sprawling naval base near the tense sea border with South Korea, a high-level government source said Sunday, a facility capable of housing about 60 air-cushioned vessels that can be used for infiltration attacks.South Korea spotted air-cushioned vessels and hangar-shaped buildings at the naval base that has been under construction in Goampo in t

May 29, 2011

Marine captain booked for sexually harassing soldiers

Military prosecutors have booked a Marine Corps captain without detention for sexually harassing his soldiers, military officials said Tuesday.The captain at the 6th Marine Brigade, identified only by his surname Kim, is accused of sexually harassing five soldiers between late last year and early this year, according to officials at the Marine Corps.The Marine Corps launched its own probe into the

May 24, 2011

Korea, U.S. launch air defense exercise

A full-scale military air drill took flight over southwest Korea to improve the efficiency of joint operations by South Korean and U.S. air forces, according to military officials in Seoul on Monday.Some 59 aircrafts from both countries are to take part in the five-day Max Thunder drill, including Korea’s F-15K and KF-16 jets and HH-60P choppers, and U.S. F-16 jets as well as an airborne early war

May 23, 2011

Retired female officers allowed into reserves

South Korea has amended a conscription law to allow retired female officers to serve in the Reserve Forces, in line with a move to give women more opportunities in the military, officials said Thursday.Unlike men, retired women officers had been banned from being automatically admitted to the Reserve Forces because their military service is not mandatory by law. The revised law means that female o

May 19, 2011

New subs suspended last year due to weak bolts

The Navy decided to suspend the operation of the three newest 1,800-ton submarines early last year due to problems with their component parts, according to a lawmaker.Rep. Song Young-sun of the minority Future Hope Alliance party told media that weak bolts used to fixate their upper bridges and decks were broken or loosened during their maritime operations on a number of occasions.For the first 1,

May 18, 2011

‘N.K. has 30,000 electronic warfare agents’

The North Korean military has around 30,000 electronic warfare specialists with capabilities rivaling those of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, Fox News reported Tuesday, citing defectors and other sources.The U.S. broadcaster’s report titled “North Korea’s cyber army gets increasingly sophisticated,” came after a series of cyber attacks on key government and corporate websites in South Korea

May 18, 2011

Remote-control craft expand U.S. military capability

The U.S. Navy is operating remote-control surveillance helicopters on missions over the Middle East, including Afghanistan, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. The multipurpose Fire Scouts that spy on targets and mark them for attack are expanding the U.S. offensive capabilities without risking American casualties.“Whether pinpointing enemies, hunting pirates or tracking drug smugglers, the

May 18, 2011

Rocket explodes near S. Korean base in Afghanistan

A rocket-propelled grenade exploded in the air near a base for South Korea's aid workers and troops in Afghanistan on Sunday, but no casualties were reported, Seoul's foreign ministry said Monday.The grenade exploded outside the base in the city of Charika in northern Afghanistan at 10:40 p.m., the ministry said. The base has come under rocket attack eight times this year, raising concerns about t

May 16, 2011

Rocket lands near S. Korea’s Afghan base

A rocket fell early Saturday just outside an Afghanistan base where South Korean aid workers and troops are stationed, but there were no reports of injuries, Foreign Ministry officials said. The rocket landed about 200 meters away from the wall surrounding the base in Charikar City in the northern Afghan province of Parwan at around 12:45 a.m., according to them. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said tha

May 15, 2011

Military duty employment plan under fire

Women, disabled people oppose what they call ‘discriminatory’ systemControversy is growing over a system the Defense Ministry seeks to revive to give extra points in recruitment exams to those who have fulfilled their military duty, as women’s groups and disabled people continue their opposition.The ministry has been working to gain parliamentary approval for the system, contending that soldiers s

May 15, 2011

Sexually abused ex-soldier ruled as patriot: official

A former soldier who was sexually assaulted by his superior before being discharged has been acknowledged as a patriot of national merit due to lifetime compensation from the state. The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs said on Friday that the 23-year-old, surnamed Lee, discharged after being sexually abused by the chief of staff in his unit surnamed Oh, suffers post-traumatic stress disor

May 13, 2011