New Air Force chief meets bereaved family of late sexual abuse victim

New Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Park In-ho met Monday with the bereaved family of a late noncommissioned officer who took her own life after suffering from sexual abuse, and promised to reform the barracks culture to prevent similar incidents from recurring. Park took office on Friday to succeed Lee Seong-yong, who stepped down last month to take responsibility over the death of the master sergeant, surnamed Lee. Lee was found dead in an apparent suicide on May 22, three months after she was

July 5, 2021

Navy joins US-led four-nation maritime exercise in Pacific

The Navy has joined a US-led multinational maritime exercise in Australian waters to hone cooperative operation skills at sea, officials said Monday. The navies of South Korea, the United States, Japan and Australia kicked off the Pacific Vanguard maritime exercise off Australia's east coast Monday, which is to continue through Saturday, according to the officials. The Korean Navy dispatched the 4,400-ton Wang Geon destroyer, involving 200 crew members to engage in a range of drills, including

July 5, 2021

Discussions under way on upcoming S. Korea-US combined exercise: defense ministry

South Korea and the United States are discussing when and how to stage their annual summertime military exercise, the defense ministry said Monday, amid concerns the maneuvers could affect efforts to resume talks with North Korea. The two sides usually hold the summertime drill in August. Sources said this year's exercise is expected to kick off around Aug. 10 for a three-week run and take the form of a computer-simulated command post exercise (CPX) without outdoor drills. Whether and how to g

July 5, 2021

Defense chief calls for close cooperation with USFK for swift OPCON transfer

Defense Minister Suh Wook called for speeding up South Korea's envisioned takeover of wartime operational control (OPCON) of its forces from the United States after new US Forces Korea Commander Gen. Paul LaCamera took office last week, his office said Monday. During a meeting to check on progress in efforts to retake OPCON, Suh "called for various consultations between top USFK officials, including its new commander, and the defense and military authorities to expedite the OPCON transfer

July 5, 2021

New US general stresses team spirit amid disputes

PYEONGTAEK, Gyeonggi Province -- Gen. Paul LaCamera, the new US military chief in South Korea, said he is looking to work with Seoul as one team and take the Seoul-Washington alliance to new heights in his first public address after taking office on Friday. The change of command ceremony -- which took place at Camp Humphreys, the US military headquarters in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province -- comes as the two allies seek to resolve disputes involving South Korea’s plan to retake wa

July 2, 2021

Army officer tests positive for COVID-19

An Army officer has tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Friday. The officer based in Yongin, 49 kilometers south of Seoul, was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 after a support mission at a local coronavirus treatment center, according to the ministry. The latest case raised the total number of infections reported among the military population to 1,026. Nationwide, South Korea added 826 new infections Friday, marking a near six-month high as infections in t

July 2, 2021

South’s key defense firms hacked by N. Korea: lawmaker

North Korea hacked key South Korean defense firms, including Korea Aerospace Industries, which is building the country’s first homegrown fighter jet, Rep. Ha Tae-keung of the main opposition People Power Party said Thursday. “The arms procurement agency essentially said that there had been cyberattacks on more defense companies,” he said, adding the agency had told him it could not reveal the names of companies breached because of privacy concerns. The previous day, the lawm

July 1, 2021

Army to test-run advanced armored vehicle Redback for possible deployment

The Army plans to test-run a prototype of the newly developed Redback armored vehicle next year to check its performance for a possible deployment in the future, officials said Thursday. The new model, developed by Hanwha Defense Co., a South Korean defense manufacturer, is now under review by Australia after being shortlisted for Canberra's $4.6 billion project to buy new infantry fighting vehicles. Australia will select the successful bidder by next year. According to Hanwha, it plans to len

July 1, 2021

[Herald Interview] Clumsy probe bred conspiracy theories, Cheonan captain says

Conspiracy theories over the 2010 sinking of the warship Cheonan still hold sway over many South Koreans because Seoul bungled the initial probe, the ship’s former captain says. A joint investigation by South Korea, the US, the UK, Australia and Sweden in May 2010, two months after the sinking, found that the North attacked the South’s corvette, leaving 46 seamen dead. North Korea has denied any involvement. Some in South Korea believe there could be another explanation. “Th

June 30, 2021

Probe under way into hacking attempts against aircraft manufacturer KAI

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), South Korea's sole aircraft manufacturer, suffered hacking attempts, and many documents are believed to have been leaked, possibly including sensitive data on major projects, sources said Wednesday. KAI's system appeared to have been hacked twice this year by unidentified entities, and "a large quantity of documents" seems to have been leaked, according to the sources. Some say that the breached data might include sensitive information about major d

June 30, 2021

3 Air Force members indicted in relation to sexually abused soldier's death

Two Air Force warrant officers and one senior master sergeant were indicted in an investigation into the suicide death of a sexually harassed noncommissioned officer on charges of pressuring the victim to drop her complaint or sexually abusing her previously, officials said Wednesday. One of the warrant officers and the senior master sergeant, both surnamed Noh, were charged with inflicting "secondary harm" on the victim by pressuring her to forgive a colleague of the same rank accuse

June 30, 2021

Soldier tests positive for COVID-19 after receiving 1st dose of vaccine

An Army soldier tested positive for the new coronavirus though he received his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine two weeks ago, the defense ministry said Wednesday. The soldier stationed at an Army base in the southeastern city of Daegu was confirmed to have been infected after coming into contact with a civilian who earlier tested positive, according to the ministry. He received Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine two weeks ago under the ministry's inoculation plan, officials said. So far, the militar

June 30, 2021

11 USFK-affiliated individuals test positive for COVID-19

Nine American service members, a civilian worker for the US Forces Korea (USFK) and a family member tested positive for the new coronavirus, the US military said Wednesday. Seven service members stationed at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, around 70 kilometers south of Seoul, and two service members stationed at Camp Casey in Dongducheon, north of Seoul, tested positive over the past week, according to USFK. A USFK contractor, who works at the K-16 Air Base in Seongnam, south of Seoul, tested pos

June 30, 2021

Outgoing USFK commander vows to continue support for alliance

Outgoing US Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Robert Abrams on Tuesday vowed to continue supporting the "ironclad" alliance between South Korea and the United States, describing his time here as a "personal honor and privilege." Abrams made the remarks during an honor guard ceremony hosted by the Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Won In-choul ahead of USFK's change of command slated for Friday, according to the military. Expressing gratitude to "28,500 men and wome

June 29, 2021

Military general tests positive for COVID-19 in 1st such case

A military general has tested positive for the new coronavirus, marking the first such case among the ranks, officials said Tuesday. The general, based in Seongnam, south of Seoul, was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 after developing symptoms, according to the defense ministry. On the same day, another soldier, based in the border county of Cheorwon, was found to be infected while away from his base during a vacation before discharge. The latest cases raised the total number of infecti

June 29, 2021

Moon taps new Air Force chief amid sex crime probe

The Ministry of National Defense said Monday a three-star Air Force general overseeing strategy planning at the Joint Chiefs of Staff was tapped to head the Air Force, which has recently been rocked by sexual abuse allegations in which the victim died by suicide, prompting the previous chief to step down on June 4. Lt. Gen. Park In-ho will assume the command on Tuesday, when President Moon will make his appointment official after a Cabinet meeting. Park, an expert on military policy, was the

June 28, 2021

Sex crime victim’s family calls for fresh inquiry

SEONGNAM, Gyeonggi Province – On Monday, the family of the Air Force master sergeant who took her life after claiming she had been sexually assaulted by a colleague called on the National Assembly to take over the sex crime investigation from the Ministry of National Defense. The family, who believes the Air Force neglected to carry out an exhaustive investigation when she filed a complaint on March 2, the day of the incident, said they were still skeptical of a thorough probe by the Defe

June 28, 2021

Military begins providing 2nd COVID-19 vaccine shots to troops under 30

The military on Monday began administering the second doses of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine to troops aged under 30, the defense ministry said. A total of 395,677 troops, or 95.4 percent of the age group who have received their first shots, are subject to the inoculation, according to the ministry. Soldiers aged 30 and older were given AstraZeneca's vaccine, with 88 percent, or 116,900 members, agreeing to take their first shots. The second jabs for the age group are expected to begin next mon

June 28, 2021

S. Korea's new amphibious assault ship to be put into operation in October

South Korea's new 14,500-ton amphibious assault ship will be deployed in October with improved combat capabilities developed with the country's own technologies, the military said Monday. Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Boo Suk-jong presided over a commissioning ceremony for the landing platform helicopter (LPH) ship Marado at the southern port of Jinhae ahead of the planned deployment, according to the military. Named after the country's southernmost island, the Marado is South Korea's second large

June 28, 2021

Nearly 90% of troops aged under 30 receive first doses of COVID-19 vaccine

Nearly 90 percent of service members aged under 30 have received their first doses of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine since the vaccination campaign for younger soldiers began earlier this month, the defense ministry said Thursday. A total of 365,277 troops in their 20s, or 88.1 percent of the age group, had been vaccinated as of Wednesday, according to the ministry. The defense ministry began their inoculation campaign in March and has been implementing it in phases. Soldiers aged 30 and older w

June 24, 2021