Military reports 6 additional COVID-19 cases

South Korea's military reported six additional COVID-19 cases Tuesday, bringing the total caseload among its personnel to 2,017, the defense ministry said. A Navy officer and a draftee stationed in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul, tested positive after a virus case was reported at their base, according to the ministry. An officer of a unit under the direct wing of the defense ministry in Nonsan, some 200 kilometers south of Seoul, tested positive after a family member was infected.

Oct. 26, 2021

[Newsmaker] Military loosens rules on haircut amid discrimination concerns

The military said Monday that it would ease regulations on conscripts’ hair length and introduce the same standards for both officers and troops, amid calls for a change in discriminatory practices. “We were asked to review our rules on haircuts, and to that end, we instructed each branch of the armed forces to draft revisions. We can’t say when the change will take effect, though,” Defense Ministry spokesperson Boo Seung-chan said, referring to an advisory panel on huma

Oct. 25, 2021

USFK reports 9 additional COVID-19 cases

Nine additional people affiliated with the US Forces Korea (USFK) have tested positive for COVID-19, the US military's infection tally showed Monday. Among the new cases counted from Oct. 15 to 21 were four American troops working at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul. The remaining individuals were four family members and a civilian contract worker, according to the USFK. The latest cases raised the total number of infections reported among the USFK-affiliated populat

Oct. 25, 2021

Military reports 7 additional COVID-19 cases

South Korea's military reported seven additional COVID-19 cases Monday, bringing the total caseload among its personnel to 2,011, the defense ministry said. Four Navy officers and two draftees, as well as a civilian employee, tested positive for the virus, according to military data. Of the cumulative cases in the military, 1,951, or 97 percent, have been fully cured, with 60 still under treatment. (Yonhap)  

Oct. 25, 2021

Military identifies remains of four Korean War soldiers

The military has identified the remains of four South Korean troops killed during the 1950-53 Korean War, about a decade after their excavation from former battle sites, the defense ministry said Monday. The identification and recovery of the remains came as the military has been carrying out a government project since 2000 to return remains of fallen troops to their families and remember their sacrifices. The remains of the four soldiers were excavated in Gangwon and North Gyeongsang Province

Oct. 25, 2021

S. Korean defense firms clinch deals worth $128m at ADEX: organizers

South Korean defense companies have signed business contracts worth $128 million in total during a biennial arms exhibition held south of Seoul last week, its organizers said Sunday. More than 250 local companies joined the five-day Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition (ADEX), which ended Saturday. The event marked a rare opportunity for the companies to explore new opportunities in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the finalized contracts, local companies ha

Oct. 24, 2021

Military reports 6 additional COVID-19 cases

South Korea's military reported six additional COVID-19 cases Friday, bringing the total caseload among its personnel to 1,992, the defense ministry said. Four Army officers and two draftees tested positive for the virus, according to military data. Five of them were fully vaccinated. Of the cumulative cases in the military, 1,923, or 96 percent, have been fully cured, with 69 still under treatment. (Yonhap)

Oct. 22, 2021

S. Korea to hold annual Hoguk defense exercise next week

South Korea will kick off an annual military exercise next week to strengthen defense readiness, officials said Friday, amid lingering tensions over North Korea's recent submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) test. The Hoguk exercise will run from Monday to Nov. 5 across the country, involving the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps., to enhance interservice cooperation, according to the officials at the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The North has often responded angrily to such an exercise,

Oct. 22, 2021

Navy gets upgraded destroyer with stronger anti-sub capabilities

The Navy received an upgraded destroyer on Friday, after more than a year of refurbishment aimed at bolstering anti-submarine and other capabilities, the state arms procurement agency said. The 3,200-ton Gwanggaeto the Great destroyer was handed over to the Navy, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration said, as South Korea seeks to strengthen subsurface operations amid renewed tensions over North Korea's recent test of a new submarine-launched ballistic missile. The destroyer was sent f

Oct. 22, 2021

Defense minister says S. Korea can thwart North’s ‘rudimentary SLBM’

North Korea is still working on improving missiles, but its latest submarine-launched ballistic missile tested Tuesday is still an early-stage weapon that can be intercepted, Defense Minister Suh Wook told the National Defense Committee on Thursday. “We have to look at not just that single missile launch but a whole system that goes with it,” Suh said during an annual National Assembly audit, referring to North Korea’s capability to build a submarine big enough to fire multipl

Oct. 21, 2021

N. Korea's SLBM in early development stage, likely can be intercepted: defense minister

North Korea's recently tested submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) appears to be in an early stage of development and can be intercepted, South Korea's defense minister said Thursday. Suh Wook made the remarks during a parliamentary audit session, as his ministry vowed to deploy more missile detection assets and reinforce cooperation with the United States to deal with the North's continued missile research activities. Tensions flared up anew Tuesday, when Pyongyang launched a new type

Oct. 21, 2021

Army hosts military logistics forum with Southeast Asian countries

South Korea's Army on Wednesday hosted a forum on military logistics cooperation with Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and other countries, the armed service said, in an effort to help support Seoul's policy toward Southeast Asia. The Korea-ASEAN+India Forum on Logistics took place on the margins of a biennial defense exhibition at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, south of Seoul. The forum brought together six partner countries of Seoul's signature New Southern Policy, as well as Australia and the Mald

Oct. 20, 2021

N. Korean threat won't change even after end-of-war declaration: ex-USFK chief

North Korean security threats won't change even if a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War is declared, a former US Forces Korea (USFK) chief said Wednesday, as Seoul pushes for the political declaration to help revive nuclear diplomacy with Pyongyang. During a meeting with security experts in Seoul, Curtis Scaparrotti, who led the USFK from 2013-2016, stressed the "complex" issue of the declaration should be discussed in a "careful" way, as tensions flared anew with the Nort

Oct. 20, 2021

Military reports 8 additional COVID-19 cases

South Korea's military reported eight additional COVID-19 cases Wednesday, bringing the total caseload among its personnel to 1,981, the defense ministry said. Six Army soldiers, an Air Force member, and a civilian worker tested positive for the virus, according to military data. Of the cumulative cases in the military, 1,904, or 96 percent, have been fully cured, with 77 still under treatment. (Yonhap)

Oct. 20, 2021

USFK reports 32 additional COVID-19 cases

Thirty-two people affiliated with the US Forces Korea (USFK) have tested positive for COVID-19, the US military's infection tally showed Wednesday. Among the new cases counted from Oct. 9 to 16 were 18 American troops, including those working at Camp Humphreys and Osan Air Base, both in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul. The remaining individuals were four Department of Defense civilian employees, five contract workers, and five family members. The latest cases raised the total number

Oct. 20, 2021

[Newsmaker] Military wary of lifting transgender ban despite court ruling

Despite a court ruling in favor of a soldier who was forcibly discharged after she received gender reassignment surgery, the military is still cautious about crafting a transgender policy because it is not ready to deal with the issue, military officials said Tuesday. In January 2020, Byun Hee-soo, who was the country’s first openly transgender soldier, was dismissed from the Army, which found her mentally and physical unfit to serve after she had her male genitals removed. Byun filed a l

Oct. 19, 2021

Military reports 8 additional coronavirus cases

Eight Army soldiers have tested positive for COVID-19, raising the total caseload reported among the military population to 1,973, the defense ministry said Tuesday. Six trainees at a boot camp in Yeoncheon, 62 kilometers north of Seoul, were found to have contracted the virus while in quarantine following the coronavirus outbreak in their unit. They were not fully vaccinated. An Army officer based in Yangju, north of Seoul, and an enlisted soldier stationed in Paju, 30 km north of the capital

Oct. 19, 2021

International defense exhibition kicks off, cutting-edge weapons on display

A biennial defense exhibition kicked off in Seongnam, south of Seoul, on Tuesday, offering an in-depth look at state-of-the-art military hardware like stealth jets, advanced missile interceptors and hydrogen-powered drones. The five-day Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition (ADEX) at Seoul Air Base comes amid lingering regional tensions from North Korea's evolving threats and an intensifying Sino-US rivalry. This year's edition is expected to provide a rare chance for defense

Oct. 19, 2021

USFK reports 23 additional COVID-19 cases among new arrivals

Twenty-three people affiliated with the US Forces Korea (USFK) who have recently arrived here have tested positive for COVID-19, the US military's infection tally showed Monday. Among arrivals from Sept. 22 to Oct. 14, seven service members and eight family members who landed at Osan Air Base on US government-chartered flights tested positive, according to the USFK. Another group of six service members and a Department of Defense employee, and a family member also tested positive upon arrival

Oct. 18, 2021

S. Korea to kick off large-scale defense exhibition

SEONGNAM -- South Korea will kick off a biennial defense exhibition this week to showcase cutting-edge military hardware and technologies, including stealth fighters, hydrogen-fuel drones and laser weapons, organizers said Monday. The Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition (ADEX) will begin its five-day run on Tuesday at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, as the security landscape in Northeast Asia is fraught with uncertainties stemming from a muscle-flexing China

Oct. 18, 2021