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

S. Korea holds mock drill to prepare for islanders' vaccination aboard Navy ship

Hundreds of residents on islands off the country's south coast will receive coronavirus vaccines aboard a Navy vessel this month, the military said Friday. The Navy conducted a mock drill with government authorities in the southwestern city of Mokpo ahead of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine inoculation for 638 islanders aged 30 and older slated to kick off Monday. According to the military, the Navy's 4,500-ton Hansando training ship and inflatable boats will be mobilized for the operation. Five

June 11, 2021

[Newsmaker] Panel kicks off to review mishandling of sex crime probe

A committee comprising civilian experts kicked off Friday to advise the military on its handling of a sex crime investigation that is believed to have led to the suicide of a sexually assaulted soldier. An Air Force master sergeant took her life in late May after her complaint had gone unanswered for months because of what her family claims is an “extensive cover-up” by the Air Force. The head of the Air Force has since resigned, taking responsibility for her death. The outside pan

June 11, 2021

Air Force chief retires after resigning over death of sexually abused soldier

President Moon Jae-in approved the retirement of South Korea's Air Force chief Thursday, a week after he offered to resign over the suicide of a female service member sexually assaulted by her male colleague. Moon was quick in accepting the resignation of Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Lee Seong-yong but waited until the end of an inquiry into whether he is involved in any wrongdoing subject to legal punishment to approve his retirement. A review by such organizations as the state prosecution s

June 10, 2021

[Newsmaker] New sex crime claims hit military amid expanding investigation

A commanding Army officer is under investigation over allegations that he sexually assaulted subordinates at his unit in Gangwon Province, the Ministry of National Defense said Thursday. The Army took over the case and is looking at whether there were more victims, it added. “A commander is facing serious charges and we thought it would be more prudent for us to ask our team to pursue the case rather than have the unit run its own probe,” Defense Ministry spokesperson Boo Seung-chan

June 10, 2021

Military reports 2 more coronavirus cases

An Army officer and a Marine tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Thursday. They were confirmed to have been infected while being isolated following their recent vacations, according to the ministry. The latest cases raised the total number of infections reported among the military population to 986, with 33 currently under treatment. Meanwhile, the defense ministry said the vaccination campaign for service members under 30 years old with Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccin

June 10, 2021

Defense minister calls for prompt military judiciary reform

Defense Minister Suh Wook called Thursday for reforming the military's judiciary system to reduce commanders' influence over the investigation and trial process amid intense criticism the Air Force mishandled a sexual abuse case that led to a noncommissioned officer taking her own life. The minister made the appeal during a parliamentary session, apologizing again for last month's death of the master sergeant, surnamed Lee, three months after she was groped and suffered other abuse by a colleag

June 10, 2021

USFK reports 1 local COVID-19 case, 11 cases among new arrivals

An American service member stationed at a US military base near Seoul has tested positive for the new coronavirus while an additional 11 service members were confirmed to have contracted the virus following their arrival here, US Forces Korea (USFK) said Thursday. A soldier at US Army Garrison Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul, was found to be infected with COVID-19 on Wednesday after showing symptoms, according to the US military. The patient last visited the base Tuesda

June 10, 2021

[Newsmaker] Defense chief vows strict punishment in sex crime probe

Defense Minister Suh Wook on Wednesday promised strict punishment of anyone who helped bury a sex crime investigation whose handling is believed to have led to the suicide of an Air Force master sergeant. The Air Force is accused of sitting on the case and engaging in a systematic cover-up. “I express my sincere apologies to the bereaved family and to fellow citizens … the investigation will be thorough and bring everyone involved in the cover-up to justice, regardless of rank,&r

June 9, 2021

Air Force suicide exposes culture of glossing over sex crimes

The suicide of an Air Force master sergeant who said she was a victim of sexual violence will be one of many similar stories to come, as long as the military leaves unchecked a culture prone to glossing over sexual abuse, experts said Tuesday. The sergeant, who reported to the military on March 2 that she had been sexually assaulted by a fellow master sergeant who was senior to her, was found dead May 22. Her family, who petitioned the presidential office to look into the matter, said the milit

June 8, 2021

All Air Force flights suspended after KF-16 jet pilot ejects during takeoff run

  An Air Force pilot on Tuesday made an emergency exit from his KF-16 fighter jet during a takeoff run after detecting unspecified problems with the jet, forcing the Air Force to suspend all flights for aircraft inspection, officials said. The fighter jet was moving on the runway to take off from the 20th Fighter Wing in the western city of Seosan when the pilot spotted problems and ejected, according to the military. He sustained no injuries, but the aircraft was damaged and is currently

June 8, 2021

S. Korea, Britain to discuss cooperation in defense industry

South Korea and Britain were to hold an annual meeting on defense industry cooperation Tuesday to discuss pending issues, including their acquisition plans and joint research development, the arms procurement agency said. The meeting was to be held in the southeastern city of Busan, convened by Seo Hyeung-jin, the vice chief of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, and Mark Goldsack, the director of Britain's Department for International Trade Defence and Security Organisation, on iss

June 8, 2021

[Newsmaker] Late Air Force sexual assault victim suffered multiple abuses over year: lawyer

Colleagues of the late Air Force noncommissioned officer, whose suicide sparked a public uproar over sexual abuse in the military, had abused her for about a year repeatedly after watching her unable to speak up about such cases, a lawyer for the bereaved family said. The claim suggests that additional members of her unit could have abused the victim, identified only as Master Sergeant Lee, besides the lastest case in March in which she was groped and suffered other abuse by a colleague in a ca

June 7, 2021

Military begins vaccination campaign for troops under 30

The military began administering Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine to soldiers under 30 years old Monday, the defense ministry said. Of the around 414,000 eligible service members, about 86.5 percent applied for the inoculation, and the vaccine will be given at 91 military clinics across the nation through July 16, according to the ministry. Soldiers aged 30 and older were already given AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, with about 88 percent, or 116,900 members, of the age group agreeing to take thei

June 7, 2021

Military cooks say too understaffed to provide decent meals

GOYANG, Gyeonggi Province -- On the same day South Korea’s military revealed a bigger budget for meals for soldiers, military cooks said they were still too shorthanded to provide a decent meal and need better ingredients. The military has recently been rocked by social media posts showing the subpar meals given to conscripts under quarantine for the coronavirus. The mounting accusations galvanized the military to revamp the food-rationing system and unveil the latest measure Thursda

June 6, 2021

Air Force chief offers to resign over suicide of sexually abused noncommissioned officer

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Lee Seong-yong offered to step down Friday, holding himself responsible for the suicide of a sexually harassed female noncommissioned officer and the military's mishandling of the case. President Moon Jae-in was quick to accept the resignation, as he ordered a thorough investigation and stern punishment of those responsible a day earlier, saying his heart aches to think of the despair the victim must have felt. Presidential aides said whoever is responsible will b

June 4, 2021

Military reports 4 more coronavirus cases

Two Air Force officers and two Army officers tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Friday. The airmen stationed in Osan, 55 kilometers south of Seoul, were confirmed to have been infected in a test required to exit quarantine. They had been in isolation following COVID-19 cases on their base earlier, according to the ministry. The two Army members tested positive following their recent vacation, it added. One of them also had received the first dose of a COVID-19

June 4, 2021