Military extends antivirus scheme for another three weeks

The defense ministry on Monday extended the current social distancing rules for the military for another three weeks, which allow service members to take vacations in a limited manner. The Level 2 scheme, which was supposed to expire Sunday, will be in place until June 13 in line with the government's COVID-19 guidance, according to the ministry. It is the third-highest level in the five-tier alert system. Under the scheme, troops are allowed to go on vacation while strictly adhering to antivi

May 24, 2021

Defense ministry to hold meeting with residents near THAAD base

Defense ministry officials were to hold a meeting with residents around a US THAAD missile defense base Monday in an effort to address their concerns, the ministry said, as protests against the base have shown no signs of letting up. Residents in the central county of Seongju have long opposed the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) base in their town, resulting in clashes with police every time the government brings construction equipment and other items to the base. Monday's meeting

May 24, 2021

Military reports four more COVID-19 cases, raising total to 929

South Korea's military announced four additional COVID-19 cases Sunday, including two Army soldiers. A ranking Army officer based in Pocheon, north of Seoul, was diagnosed with the coronavirus after returning from leave, according to the Ministry of National Defense. A rank-and-file solider serving in Inje, Gangwon Province, tested positive, having contacted an infected civilian during his stay in Gimje, North Jeolla Province, on leave, it added. Two civilian employees at Army bases in Jangse

May 23, 2021

9 service members test positive for COVID-19

Four Army officers and five soldiers tested positive for the new coronavirus, the latest in a series of infections at barracks, the defense ministry said Friday. Of them, four soldiers were from the same unit in Hongcheon, about 100 kilometers east of Seoul, which reported nine COVID-19 cases earlier, according to the ministry. Three officers from another unit in the country also tested positive, prompting the military and health authorities to conduct contact tracing. The remaining officer a

May 21, 2021

S. Korea to conduct chopper landing drills for better disaster responses

The Navy, the Coast Guard and police were to stage joint helicopter landing drills on an amphibious assault ship Friday in an effort to enhance their disaster relief capabilities, officials said. The training will take place in waters near the southern island of Geoje, involving the 14,500-ton Dokdo ship and two helicopters from the Coast Guard and the police, according to the Navy. The event is in part to help the chopper pilots earn qualifications for deck landing necessary to operate on la

May 21, 2021

[Newsmaker] Soldiers given substandard clothing, berets

South Korean soldiers have been using substandard exercise clothes and berets for years, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration said amid continued reports about poorly fed troops. According to DAPA data released by Rep. Yoon Joo-kyung of the main opposition People Power Party on Thursday, eight of the 18 companies that provide apparel for the military has supplied substandard exercise clothes and berets. The total cost of the faulty products supplied by the eight firms over the past

May 20, 2021

Govt. vows active communication with residents near THAAD base

The defense ministry said Thursday it will communicate more actively with residents around the US THAAD missile defense base as clashes continue to happen every time supplies are brought onto the base. Residents in the central county of Seongju have long opposed the US Forces Korea (USFK) base in their town where the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system is deployed, and they have clashed with police when the ministry brought construction equipment and other items for troops onto t

May 20, 2021

[Newsmaker] Defense minister convenes meeting over soldiers' meal quality

Defense Minister Suh Wook convened a meeting of top military commanders Thursday to discuss troops' living conditions, his office said, amid continued complaints over poor meal quality, especially for those under coronavirus quarantine. Earlier this month, the defense ministry unveiled a set of measures to improve service members' living conditions, including a plan to raise the average daily meal cost, following a series of complaints over the quality of meals. Yet questions were raised over

May 20, 2021

9 soldiers, military civilian employee test positive for COVID-19

Nine Army soldiers and a military civilian employee have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Thursday. Of them, eight soldiers were from a unit in Hongcheon, about 100 kilometers east of Seoul, where a COVID-19 case was reported earlier. Around 390 members of the unit received virus tests after the initial case was reported, and around 70 of them are still waiting for their test results, according to the ministry. Separately, another soldier in the southwestern

May 20, 2021

USFK nominee calls joint US-S. Korea field exercises extremely important

WASHINGTON -- Joint field exercises between South Korean and US troops are extremely important to maintain their readiness, the nominee for commander of US Forces Korea (USFK) said Tuesday, adding he will work for the resumption of field exercises if confirmed. Gen. Paul LaCamera insisted in-person training gives the combined forces an opportunity to work with each other and thus build their trust. "They are extremely important to build readiness, but they are also extremely important to

May 19, 2021

S. Korea to join US, Japan for Red Flag Alaska air drills next month

South Korea will take part in an annual US-led multinational air force exercise for the first time in three years next month, joining Japan and other countries in the maneuvers designed to improve interoperability, the Air Force said Tuesday. The Air Force plans to send F-15K fighter jets, cargo planes and dozens of troops to the Red Flag-Alaska 21-2 exercise set to take place in Alaska from June 10-25 involving around 1,500 service members and 100 aircraft. Earlier, the US Seventh Air Force s

May 18, 2021

Military brings construction materials, daily necessaries onto THAAD base

Construction materials and daily necessaries were brought onto the US THAAD missile defense base in South Korea on Tuesday to improve living conditions for service members, the defense ministry said. Earlier in the day, the military moved construction equipment and materials, as well as daily necessaries for service members, such as water onto the US Forces Korea (USFK) base in the central town of Seongju, which hosts the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. Residents opposed to

May 18, 2021

Military investigators raid arms procurement agency over alleged military secrets leak

Investigators from the defense intelligence command raided the arms procurement agency over allegations that an agency official leaked confidential information on major defense projects, officials said Tuesday. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) official is suspected of leaking internal documents on several military technology development projects to private defense firms, including the development of a submarine sonar system, according to the officials. During Monday's raid

May 18, 2021

Vaccinated Army member tests positive for COVID-19

A civilian worker for the military tested positive for the new coronavirus even though he received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, marking the fifth such case among the military population, the defense ministry said Tuesday. The employee working on an Army base in the southern city of Busan was confirmed to have been infected after coming into contact with one of his colleagues who earlier tested positive, according to the ministry. He got the first jab of AstraZeneca's vaccine late la

May 18, 2021

Military reports 4 new coronavirus cases

Three Army soldiers and an airman have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Monday. The three soldiers based in Yangju, just north of Seoul, were confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 while in quarantine after a virus case was reported at their base, according to the ministry. The airman, based in the eastern city of Gangneung, was found to be infected while away from his base on vacation. An Army unit in the border county of Cheorwon where 27 service members hav

May 17, 2021

S. Korea purchases hydrogen powered-drones for pilot operation

The arms procurement agency said Monday it has signed a deal to purchase hydrogen powered-drones for a pilot operation at the Air Force to boost the military's surveillance capabilities. Under the 831 million won ($737,000) contract with Doosan Mobility Innovation Inc., the drones will be delivered to the military by November after six months of production and inspection, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. The hydrogen fuel cell-propelled drones have a greater flight

May 17, 2021

S. Korea, US seek talks with Japan amid new NK policy

Senior South Korean and US defense officials agreed to hold three-way minister-level talks with Japan in the coming days, potentially to discuss security issues involving the Korean Peninsula, at a two-day dialogue that ended Thursday in Washington. The trilateral talks, which last opened at an expanded meeting of ASEAN defense ministers in 2019, are expected to resume at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on June 4-5. The gathering is coming at a critical time for the US seeking to engage

May 14, 2021

Military to wrap up first dose vaccinations of troops over age 30 this week

The military is expected to complete the administration of the first doses of COVID-19 vaccinations to service members aged 30 and older this week, officials said Friday. As of Thursday, 97.5 percent of around 114,000 troops, who are eligible for the inoculation program and agreed to take it, have received their first jabs of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, according to the defense ministry. "We are working to wrap up this round of the vaccination program this week, though there could b

May 14, 2021

Abrams says solid combined defense posture is 'single greatest' deterrent against NK threats

Outgoing US Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Robert Abrams said Thursday that a "rock solid" combined defense posture between South Korea and the United States is the "single greatest deterrent" against any potential adversaries, including North Korea.     Abrams made the remark at a farewell event in Seoul, saying the US will continue to work with its allies "to address the threats posed by North Korea through diplomacy and credible deterrence.&q

May 13, 2021

Military reports 4 new COVID-19 cases

Two Marines and two Army soldiers have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Thursday. The Marines were confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 upon arrival in South Korea after completing their overseas education programs, according to the ministry. One soldier in the border town of Cheorwon also tested positive following his recent vacation and an Army officer in the border city of Paju was believed to have been infected after coming into close contact with a civil

May 13, 2021