Navy chief stresses need to secure light aircraft carrier for national interest

The chief of South Korea's Navy on Thursday called for securing a light aircraft carrier to boost the country's defense capabilities, saying it will be a key strategic asset to protect maritime sovereignty and national interest. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Boo Suk-jong made the remark at a webinar as the Navy seeks to build a 30,000-ton-class light aircraft carrier under a 3 trillion-won ($1.8 billion) project with a plan to put the ship into operation by 2033. "The light aircraft carr

Feb. 4, 2021

Defense industry promotion law to take effect this week

A newly legislated defense industry promotion law will go into effect this week, requiring the government to give priority to locally developed parts in the country's weapons systems, the arms procurement agency said Thursday. Under the new law that will take effect Friday, the government will expand support to local companies' weapons parts development and help them be used more in broader weapons system development projects, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. To inc

Feb. 4, 2021

Seoul says it can't accept Japan's 'unjust complaint' over defense white paper

The defense ministry said Wednesday it cannot accept Japan's "unjust complaint" over Seoul's latest white paper blaming Tokyo for straining relations between the two countries with a claim to South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo. On Tuesday, Japan's defense ministry called in South Korea's military attache in Tokyo to complain about the 2020 white paper's statement that military cooperation between the two countries has been hampered due to Japan's continued claim to Dokdo and a

Feb. 3, 2021

Three South Korean service members on missions overseas test positive for COVID-19

Two South Korean Army officers on a peacekeeping mission in Lebanon and one Navy officer dispatched to Bahrain have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Wednesday. It is the first time that the country reported COVID-19 cases among its service members stationed overseas. The two Army officers affiliated with the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNFIL) underwent tests after one local worker on their base tested positive, and they were confirmed to have been

Feb. 3, 2021

Seoul again refrains from declaring North ‘the enemy’

South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense did not single out North Korea as “the enemy” in this year’s white paper, revealed Tuesday. That is the second time since 2019, when it removed the designation amid a flurry of diplomatic activity to build an inter-Korean detente. The Moon Jae-in government is seen as trying not to upset North Korea while working to repair inter-Korean ties frayed over disagreement on denuclearization and sanctions relief. In the paper, an enem

Feb. 2, 2021

‘Pause in joint field drills hurts Seoul’s defense against North’

A prolonged pause in South Korea-US joint military exercises involving full-scale field training will diminish Seoul’s capability to mount a defense against North Korea, military experts said ahead of March drills. They are expected to be conducted indoors through computer-based war games. Last week, Defense Minister Suh Wook confirmed that the March drills will not involve troops on the ground. Seoul and Washington, which have held drills annually to deter aggression from Pyongyang sinc

Feb. 2, 2021

USFK: No furlough notices issued amid talks for 'new, comprehensive' defense cost deal

US Forces Korea (USFK) said Tuesday that it has not issued advance furlough notices to its South Korean employees as the two countries are working on a "new, comprehensive" defense cost-sharing deal. The US military was expected to begin sending thousands of South Korean workers a 60-day notice that they could be put on unpaid leave in April if Seoul and Washington fail to reach an agreement on a new Special Measures Agreement (SMA) that stipulates how much Seoul will pay for the upke

Feb. 2, 2021

2 Air Force officers, Army soldier test positive for virus

Two Air Force officers and an Army soldier have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Tuesday. The officers, based in the southern city of Sacheon, were confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 after coming into contact with a person at their base who tested positive earlier, according to the ministry. They have been in isolation following the earlier virus case and were confirmed infected in a test required to exit quarantine. The Army soldier tested positive while

Feb. 2, 2021

Military chiefs of S. Korea, US agree to make 'visible progress' on OPCON transition

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Won In-choul held video talks with his US counterpart Gen. Mark Milley on Tuesday and agreed to continue efforts to make "visible progress" on the envisioned transition of wartime operational control (OPCON) of South Korean troops from Washington to Seoul, the military said. During their first talks since the launch of the President Joe Biden administration, the two military leaders also vowed to develop their combined defense posture based on the &

Feb. 2, 2021

13 USFK-affiliated people test positive for COVID-19

Thirteen people affiliated with the US Forces Korea (USFK), including 11 service members, have tested positive for the new coronavirus upon their arrival here in the past two weeks, the US military said Monday. One of the service members and a dependent arrived at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, some 70 kilometers south of Seoul, on a US government-chartered flight, while the others, including a civilian worker, arrived here on commercial flights via Incheon International Airport, west of the capi

Feb. 1, 2021

Defense ministry refuses to confirm envisioned proposal for inter-Korean talks

The defense ministry refused Monday to confirm if it has proposed a military meeting with North Korea, which it pledged to push for to ease cross-border tensions. Last month, the ministry vowed efforts to hold military talks with the North on a regular basis by launching an inter-Korean military committee to discuss "any issues" to ease tensions and promote peace, setting it as a key policy goal for this year. The plan has drawn keen attention as President Moon Jae-in said earlier th

Feb. 1, 2021

Military to partially allow vacations for new recruits amid extended social distancing

The military decided to partially allow vacations for new recruits as part of efforts to ease the stress of troops amid an extension of toughened social distancing in barracks for another two weeks, the defense ministry said Monday. Since November, the ministry has enforced Level 2.5 social distancing rules, the second highest in its five-tier alert system, following a series of COVID-19 infections across the country. Under the social distancing scheme, troops' vacations and one-day off-instal

Feb. 1, 2021

S. Korea to invest W2.6tr in defense sector's safety management system

South Korea will invest 2.6 trillion won ($2.3 billion) in the next five years to improve the safety management system in the defense sector, the defense ministry said Monday. Under the plan, the government will cultivate more safety specialists and push to establish a big data-based information system to better manage safety issues by 2025, according to the ministry. The plan also includes replacing old military vehicles with new ones, establishing safety tools for facilities and securing mor

Feb. 1, 2021

4 US B-52H bombers deployed to Guam

Four US B-52H long-range bombers have been deployed to the Pacific island of Guam for training missions aimed at reinforcing "the rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific region," the US Pacific Air Forces said. The bombers from the 96th Bomb Squadron at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana "returned to the Indo-Pacific region Jan. 28 for a Bomber Task Force deployment, conducting operations out of Andersen Air Force Base, Guam," it said. They were deployed &quo

Jan. 31, 2021

Defective inverter module blamed for towing of 214-class submarine

A defective inverter module was found to have been the cause of an error message that led to a new 214-class submarine having to be towed in the East Sea earlier this month, Navy officials said Sunday. The Navy decided to inspect all 214-class submarines to ensure that no such problems would happen again, after finding that a defect was reported in the same part of another submarine of the same type two years ago too, officials said. The latest incident happened on Jan. 23 when the submarine w

Jan. 31, 2021

S. Korea in final stage of assembling first prototype of indigenous fighter jet

South Korea is in the final stage of assembling a prototype of what would be the country's first indigenously developed fighter jet, which is expected to be unveiled in April, officials said Sunday. South Korea has been working on the KF-X project since 2015 to develop a homegrown cutting-edge fighter aircraft to replace the Air Force's aging fleet of F-4 and F-5 jets. In September last year, Korea Aerospace Industries Co. (KAI) got down to the final assembly of a prototype jet and is now in t

Jan. 31, 2021

Remains of two Korean War soldiers returned to families after over 70 years

South Korea has identified the remains of two soldiers killed in the 1950-53 Korean War through DNA analysis after they were recovered from former battle sites near the inter-Korean border, the defense ministry said Friday. Pfc. Kim Sung-geun was presumed to have been killed during a battle in 1950 that took place in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, and his remains were excavated in the region in April 2010. The identification was possible as his 73-year-old son registered his DNA sample with the

Jan. 29, 2021

South confident of missile defense against North

South Korea stands fully capable of countering the latest short-range missiles that North Korea has test-fired, South Korean Defense Minister Suh Wook said Wednesday. Speaking at a New Year’s press conference, Suh highlighted Seoul’s missile defense, saying it could bring down even some of Pyongyang’s untested new missiles. The military is seeking a foolproof shield against the remaining missiles, Suh said. “Our defense is airtight and we’re superior. We hav

Jan. 28, 2021

7 US service members, one dependent test positive for COVID-19

Seven American service members and one dependent have tested positive for the new coronavirus upon their arrival in South Korea this month, US Forces Korea (USFK) said Thursday. Six of the service members arrived at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul, on US government-chartered flights while the other service member and the dependent arrived on commercial flights via Incheon International airport, west of the capital, according to the US military. Five of them tested pos

Jan. 28, 2021

Army draftee in Paju tests positive for new coronavirus

An Army draftee in Paju, north of Seoul, has tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Thursday. The soldier was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 in a second virus test conducted after joining the boot camp, according to the ministry. All other conscripts who joined the camp with the soldier tested negative. The latest case raised the total number of infections reported among the military population to 546. Nationwide, South Korea added 497 new virus cases Thurs

Jan. 28, 2021