[Newsmaker] Air Force police under probe for leaving sexual abuse case out of report on soldier's death

Military prosecutors have launched an investigation into why the Air Force police left out a sexual abuse case suffered by a female noncommissioned officer when reporting her suicide to the defense ministry, officials said Thursday. The female master sergeant was found dead in May, around three months after being sexually abused by a colleague of the same rank. Her death sparked a public uproar after her family alleged that military authorities attempted to cover up the sexual abuse case rather

June 24, 2021

Military trivialized sexual assault complaint, despite evidence

Military police did little in response to a sexual assault complaint from an Air Force master sergeant who later took her life, the Criminal Investigation Command said Wednesday. The victim’s family believes the military police neglected to carry out a thorough investigation when she filed the complaint at her base March 2, when it happened. She was found dead May 22. “Police initially found the perpetrator, Jang, who texted her twice after the incident, which they thought was an

June 23, 2021

‘Smaller drills won’t earn lasting inter-Korean detente’

As South Korea mulls reducing or skipping joint military drills with the US in August, experts warn that suspending the biannual exercises would do little to bring about a lasting detente with North Korea. Seoul and Washington have held the drills since the 1953 Korean War armistice to ensure readiness against Pyongyang’s aggression. But since 2019, some drills have been skipped while others were scaled down because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This time, the Moon Jae-in government wants to

June 22, 2021

[Contribution] Standing out in the crowd? The CV-X from a European perspective

With its February 2021 decision to start work on building a light aircraft carrier, the CV-X, South Korea is set to join an exclusive club of countries that operate such vessels. The decision has proved controversial. Opponents argue that given the threats the country faces, a costly carrier is not what South Korea needs. Proponents counter that a light aircraft carrier is not only useful for countering the threat from North Korea, but also important for the ability of South Korea to protect its

June 22, 2021

80% of troops aged under 30 receive 1st doses of Pfizer's vaccine

About 80 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 Tuesday. A total of 332,384 troops in their 20s, or 80 percent of the age group, had received their first doses as of Monday, 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

June 22, 2021

Military deploys anti-drone jamming system for pilot operation

The military on Tuesday began a pilot operation of a drone detection and jamming system to better respond to growing threats by small unmanned aerial vehicles, the arms procurement agency said. For the next six months, the Army, the Navy and the Air Force will operate the radar system capable of detecting drones as small as the size of a baseball within 8 kilometers of distance and incapacitating them with jammers when identified as an unauthorized vehicle, according to the Defense Acquisition

June 22, 2021

[Newsmaker] Most victims of military sexual violence are low-ranking personnel

Most female victims of sexual violence in the military were soldiers and civilian workers of less than five years in service, government data showed. A majority of the perpetrators were non-commissioned officers senior to their victims, and field officers, showing how sexual violence that involves taking advantage of one’s superior status at work was prevalent. A total of 771 sexual offenses, ranging from harassment to rape, were committed against women in the military last year, accordi

June 21, 2021

Probe under way into hacking attempts against Daewoo Shipbuilding: govt.

Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., a major South Korean shipbuilder specializing in submarine and other naval vessels, has suffered hacking attempts by unidentified entities, prompting the authorities to launch a probe, the arms procurement agency said Monday. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) confirmed hacking attempts against the Daewoo database recently but declined to say if those attempts were successful and who appeared to be behind the attack. "Th

June 21, 2021

Defense minister vows to beef up space tech after lifting of curbs on missiles

Defense Minister Suh Wook said Monday that South Korea will enhance its space defense capabilities and establish a system for combined operations to deal with growing space threats following the recent lifting of US curbs on the country's missile development. The minister made the remarks in a pre-released message for a forum in Seoul, also describing the lifting as having "great significance" that has opened a new horizon for the country's defense industry. After a summit with US Pr

June 21, 2021

Sex crime rekindles push to overhaul military justice system

The military is facing the biggest change in its justice system in years, with lawmakers pushing for reforms that could remove the military judiciary and commanders from the process of handling sex crimes. An Air Force master sergeant who took her life in late May after being sexually assaulted by a superior sparked public outrage, prompting lawmakers to seek changes in how the military handles sexual violence. The victim’s family believes a systematic cover-up led to her death. The cas

June 16, 2021

[Newsmaker] Air Force legal offices raided over death of sexually abused soldier

Defense ministry investigators raided the offices of the Air Force's legal affairs department Wednesday over the suicide of a sexually harassed noncommissioned officer as part of a sprawling investigation into what led the victim to take her own life. The raid took place one day after the prosecutors grilled a military public defender accused of failing to provide adequate help to the master sergeant, surnamed Lee, who allegedly suffered groping and other abuse by her colleague during a car rid

June 16, 2021

Over half of troops under 30 receive first doses of Pfizer's vaccine

Over half of the service members aged under 30 have been administered with their first doses of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine since the vaccination campaign for younger soldiers began last week, the defense ministry said Wednesday. A total of 223,614 troops in their 20s, or 54 percent of the age group, had received their first doses as of Tuesday, according to the ministry. Soldiers aged 30 and older were given AstraZeneca's vaccine, with about 88 percent, or 116,900 members agreeing to take th

June 16, 2021

Interim report on sex crime probe expected soon: official

An interim report on the suicide of an Air Force master sergeant who took her life after being sexually assaulted is coming out as early as next week, a senior official at the Ministry of National Defense said Tuesday. The master sergeant died by suicide in late May after a complaint she filed in early March went unanswered. The Defense Ministry is leading a full investigation into her death and the alleged cover-ups. “Given everything going on, we could release an interim report on th

June 15, 2021

S. Korea to deploy mobile robots, AI-based surveillance system in border areas

South Korea plans to deploy moving robots on guard missions and establish an artificial intelligence (AI)-based surveillance system in border areas to beef up border security, the arms procurement agency said Tuesday. Under the "rapid acquisition" project worth 2.8 billion won ($2.5 million), the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) decided to introduce the two items this year that employ state-of-the-art technologies. The robot is designed to move along a rail at a spee

June 15, 2021

7 soldiers from same Army base test positive for COVID-19

Seven soldiers from the same Army base in the central city of Nonsan tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Tuesday. They were confirmed to have been infected while being in isolation after coming into contact with a colleague who earlier tested positive, according to the ministry. "All of them tested negative in a test carried out upon their enlistment and have been quarantined at the same space. But one of them tested positive in a second test last week, and

June 15, 2021

[Newsmaker] 10 Air Force members questioned over suicide of sexually harassed soldier

Military prosecutors questioned 10 Air Force service members and officials in connection with the suicide of a sexually harassed noncommissioned officer amid suspicions they mishandled the sexual abuse case or attempted to hush it up, the defense ministry said Tuesday. The ministry also said that about 100 people at the two Air Force units, where the victim had worked, went through internal probes last week in an indication that more people would be formally called in for questioning. The fema

June 15, 2021

S. Korea, US hold combined naval salvage exercise

South Korea and the United States have staged a weeklong naval exercise focusing on combined diving and salvage operations, the Navy said Tuesday. The Salvage Exercise (SALVEX) Korea 2021 kicked off Wednesday last week in waters off Jinhae on the south coast and was to end Tuesday, bringing together 16 Korean sailors and 17 members of the US Mobile Diving & Salvage Unit, according to the Navy.  The exercise involves a range of underwater and ground missions such as search and recove

June 15, 2021

S. Korea to conduct Dokdo defense drill

South Korea was to stage an annual military exercise around its easternmost islets of Dokdo on Tuesday after Japan protested the planned drill and called off an agreed-upon summit between the two countries. The drill, named the East Sea Territory Protection Exercise, will involve the Navy, the Air Force and the Coast Guard, and be staged in a way that minimizes in-person contact given the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Navy. "As a regular joint exercise, the upcoming drill is aimed a

June 15, 2021

Army soldier dies 6 days after receiving Pfizer vaccine

An Army soldier in his 20s has died six days after receiving his first dose of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine, officials said Monday. The soldier, based in Seoul, was found unconscious in his barracks the previous day and transferred to a nearby hospital but died. It wasn't immediately clear if the death was directly related to the vaccine. An autopsy is planned to look into the exact cause of the death, officials said. It is the second death of a service member following COVID-19 vaccination.

June 14, 2021

S. Korea to conduct Dokdo defense drill this week

South Korea plans to stage an annual military exercise on and around its easternmost islets of Dokdo this week to beef up the country's defense capabilities, sources said Monday. The drill, named the East Sea Territory Protection Exercise, is scheduled to take place Tuesday, and will involve the Navy, the Air Force and the Coast Guard, according to the government and military sources. The Marine Corps will not join this year's program, as no landing drill will take place, the sources said, add

June 14, 2021