S. Korea, US to discuss security amid new NK policy

Senior defense officials of South Korea and the US will hold a two-day dialogue on Korean Peninsula issues as the Biden administration seeks to engage North Korea with a new policy it recently revealed after a monthslong review. The biannual talks, which began Wednesday US time in Washington, are expected to address ways the two allies can coordinate their approach to Pyongyang. Biden’s policy on North Korea, which many see as striking a middle ground between Trump’s “grand b

May 12, 2021

4 Marines, 3 Army soldiers test positive for virus

Four Marines and three Army soldiers have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Wednesday. The Marines, based in the southeastern city of Pohang, were confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 upon returning from vacation while under a cohort isolation, according to the ministry. The other three soldiers, each based in Seoul, the northeastern county of Inje and the southeastern city of Ulsan, were found to be infected after coming into contact with virus patients. The

May 12, 2021

S. Korea, US to hold regular defense talks on N. Korea, OPCON transfer

South Korea and the United States were to hold biannual defense talks in Washington on Wednesday to discuss regional security situations and major bilateral issues, such as the transition of the wartime operational control (OPCON), the defense ministry said. During the 19th Korea-US Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) set to run through Thursday, the two sides will discuss "major pending security issues, such as the assessment of the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and the policy

May 12, 2021

Military to complete first dose vaccination of troops over 30s this week

The military is expected to wrap up giving the first jabs of coronavirus vaccines to service members aged 30 and older this week, the defense ministry said Tuesday. As of Monday, 93 percent of about 114,000 service members, who are eligible for the first round of vaccination and agreed to take it, have had their first jabs of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine since the campaign began late last month, according to the ministry. "The vaccine administration will be completed this week,"

May 11, 2021

S. Korea develops autonomous technology for UAVs

A state-run defense development agency said Tuesday it has developed a new technology for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to autonomously steer clear of threats and dangers. The technology allows UAVs to automatically seek flight paths to avoid threats at close distances and decide the sequence to complete their tasks, according to the Agency for Defense Development. The agency said it will continue research to upgrade the technology to meet high-level capabilities required in actual battlefie

May 11, 2021

Gen Z call for fairness puts military in focus

South Korea’s military is looking to revamp living conditions for conscripts as soldiers of Generation Z – those born between mid-1990s to early 2010s – have hit out at the military over subpar living environments amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Two weeks ago, Korea’s National Human Rights Commission said it will launch an investigation into allegations that the military violated rights of conscripts in quarantine. The soldiers posted on Facebook that they had been fed poorl

May 10, 2021

Defense ministry to look into 21 officials over suspected real estate speculation

The defense ministry said Monday it will look into 21 officials over suspected real estate speculation amid public fury in the wake of massive speculation cases involving employees of the state land developing firm. The ministry has been looking into thousands of employees since late March after some of its officials were suspected of exploiting undisclosed information related to the relocation or development plans of military bases for their personal real estate transactions. After looking i

May 10, 2021

S. Korea seeks to develop advanced robot for ground surveillance

South Korea is seeking to develop an advanced robot to conduct surveillance missions in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and other risky regions, the arms procurement agency said Monday. The Defense Acquisition Administration (DAPA) began receiving applications from companies and research institutes for advanced technologies and ideas to build a small surveillance robot, agency officials said. The new platform will be designed to be capable of conducting surveillance missions in areas where troops

May 10, 2021

Military reports 2 more virus cases

Two more Army soldiers have tested positive for the new coronavirus, raising the total caseload reported among the military population to 837, the defense ministry said Monday. A soldier based in the central city of Sejong was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 after virus cases were reported at his unit, while another soldier in Dongducheon, north of Seoul, was found to be infected after coming into contact with a civilian patient while away from his base, according to the ministry. As of

May 10, 2021

[Newsmaker] Chinese rocket debris falls into Indian Ocean

Debris from a Chinese space rocket fell into the Indian Ocean on Sunday, the science ministry said. Remnants of the Long March 5B rocket landed in waters southeast of India around 11:30 a.m., the ministry said, citing data from the US-based Combined Space Operations Center. The rocket was launched last week carrying a module of China's first permanent space station into orbit. But a large piece of debris plunged back in an uncontrolled reentry. (Yonhap)

May 9, 2021

Military to improve soldier meal quality following criticism

The military will try to raise the average daily meal cost for service members to 10,500 won ($9) next year, the defense ministry said Friday, after coming under criticism that soldiers are poorly fed. Defense Minister Suh Wook discussed the raise and other measures during a meeting with military commanders, according to the ministry. The current cost per meal for troops is 2,930 won, lower than the average for high school students at 3,625 won, it said. The military came under fire after a s

May 7, 2021

Five more Navy sailors from same vessel test positive for COVID-19

Five Navy sailors tested positive for the new coronavirus while on the same naval ship, bringing the total caseload from the vessel to 38, the defense ministry said Friday. Last month, the Navy reported 33 COVID-19 cases among members of the Gojunbong landing ship in the first mass infection on a military vessel. Of 84 sailors aboard the ship, 51 tested negative and have been in isolation, but five of them were found to have contracted the virus in a test required to exit quarantine, the min

May 7, 2021

S. Korea, US discuss joint responses to falling Chinese rocket debris

South Korea and the United States on Friday discussed ways to jointly respond to remnants of a Chinese rocket expected to crash into Earth this weekend, the Air Force said. The Long March 5B rocket was launched last week carrying a module of China's first permanent space station into orbit. But a large piece of debris is expected to plunge back in an uncontrolled reentry on around Saturday (US time), according to the US Space Command. To explore ways to jointly deal with the case, South Korea'

May 7, 2021

10 service members test positive for COVID-19

Six Army members and four Air Force officers tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Thursday, the latest in a series of infections across the nation. Three of the four airmen were confirmed to have been infected after coming into contact with their colleagues who earlier tested positive, according to the ministry. The remaining Air Force officer, an Army officer, and four soldiers contracted the virus following their recent vacation, the ministry said, adding that

May 6, 2021

USFK eases quarantine rules for fully vaccinated new arrivals

US Forces Korea (USFK) has eased its quarantine rules for fully vaccinated, newly arrived members, allowing them access to duty location and other on-post activities during their 14-day mandatory quarantine period upon arrival, the US military said. All USFK-affiliated individuals arriving here are required to undergo a COVID-19 test and quarantine for 14 days. Medical personnel administer a second test prior to their release. Under the revised quarantine policy that took effect Wednesday, th

May 6, 2021

New USFK chief expected to take office in around June: sources

Gen. Paul LaCamera is expected to take office as the new commander of the US Forces Korea (USFK) around next month if his confirmation process goes smoothly, sources said Thursday. LaCamera, who currently serves as Army Pacific Commander, was nominated to succeed Gen. Robert Abrams to lead the 28,500-strong USFK, and his nomination was referred to the Senate Armed Services Committee late last month for a confirmation hearing, according to the sources. "The exact schedule for the hearing i

May 6, 2021

USFK commander to receive Korean name at farewell event

Outgoing US Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Robert Abrams will receive a Korean name as a gift from a South Korea-US friendship group during his farewell event next week, organizers said Thursday. The Republic of Korea-US Alliance Friendship Association will present the name, Woo Byung-soo, to the four-star general for "his contributions to the alliance and defense of South Korea" at the event scheduled for next Thursday, according to the group. The first name, Byung-soo, is made

May 6, 2021

7 soldiers test positive for virus in another cluster infection

Seven soldiers at an Army base in Yangju, just north of Seoul, have tested positive for the new coronavirus in another cluster infection reported in barracks, the defense ministry said Tuesday. One of the soldiers first tested positive upon returning from vacation after a family member was found to have contracted COVID-19, according to the ministry. In subsequent tests conducted on 50 people who had direct contact with the soldier, six tested positive, while 12 are awaiting their results. The

May 4, 2021

Military closely monitoring NK activities, no unusual signs yet: JCS

The military is closely monitoring North Korea but no unusual signs have been detected so far, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Monday, after Pyongyang warned of "crisis beyond control" and "corresponding action" in a series of statements slamming Seoul and Washington. On Sunday, the North denounced US President Joe Biden for making the "big blunder" of calling its nuclear program a serious threat and criticized Seoul for failing to stop defectors from flying

May 3, 2021

S. Korea launches new frigate with improved anti-submarine capabilities

South Korea was to hold a launching ceremony Monday for a new 2,800-ton frigate with improved anti-submarine capabilities, the Navy said. The new warship Daejeon is the fifth of the country's FFX Batch II frigates to replace the Navy's 1,500-ton frigates and 1,000-ton patrol combat corvettes, according to the military. The ceremony was to be held at its manufacturer Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co.'s Okpo shipyard on the southern island of Geoje, with the attendance of Chief o

May 3, 2021