US House overrides Trump's veto of annual defense bill including keeping USFK troop level

The US House Of Representatives on Monday overrode President Donald Trump's recent veto of a defense budget bill for the 2021 fiscal year, which included a provision against reducing the number of American troops in South Korea. In an overwhelming 322-87 vote, the House overturned Trump's exercise last Wednesday of his authority to veto the $740 billion National Defense Authorization Act that passed both houses of the Congress earlier this month, according to media reports. The bill states, &q

Dec. 29, 2020

S. Korea deploys indigenous unmanned underwater mine disposal vehicle

A new underwater mine disposal vehicle has been deployed to the Navy in a move expected to boost safety and operational capabilities, the arms procurement agency said Tuesday. The vehicle, developed by local firm Daeyang Electric Co., was first delivered to the military in 2018, and around 10 units were put into operation, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). The vehicle, which adopts key features of a marine robot, is designed to perform mine-clearance missions

Dec. 29, 2020

KAI wins W1.05tr helicopter deal from Korean arms agency

Korea Aerospace Industries Co. (KAI), South Korea's sole aircraft manufacturer, said Monday it has won a 1.05 trillion-won ($958 million) helicopter deal from the state defense procurement agency. Under the deal with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), KAI will supply the Surion (KUH-1) transport utility helicopter to the Army by 2024, the company said in a statement. On the same day, KAI also signed a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) contract worth 112 billion won wit

Dec. 28, 2020

[Newsmaker] USFK to begin COVID-19 vaccination Tuesday

US Forces Korea (USFK) will start administering its initial doses of a COVID-19 vaccine this week, beginning with health care workers, officials said Monday. USFK received the first shipment of Moderna's vaccine on Friday as Camp Humphreys was chosen by the US government as one of four sites outside the continental US that will receive the initial vaccination. "USFK has received its initial shipment of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine and will begin inoculations tomorrow at US Army Garrison Camp

Dec. 28, 2020

Indian Army chief embarks on visit to Korea

India’s Army chief, Gen. Manoj Mukund Naravane began a four-day trip to South Korea on Sunday, marking the first such visit here by the country’s army head.   　 The visit by Naravane, army chief of staff, signifies the “enhancement in the strategic and defense cooperation between the two countries,” the Indian Embassy in Seoul said in a statement Sunday.   　 During his visit through Wednesday, the top general is set to meet with South Korean Defense Minister

Dec. 27, 2020

Military to launch vegan diet for vegetarians, Muslims next year

The military will provide vegetarian and Muslim enlistees with a vegan diet excluding any meat and ham starting next year, the defense ministry said Sunday. From February, prospective draftees will be asked to mark if they are a vegetarian when they take physical examinations, the ministry said. Two columns marked as "vegetarian" in both Korean and English will be available on the form. Such personal information will be sent to the unit that the enlistees will serve in, allowing for

Dec. 27, 2020

Authorities in talks about KATUSA troops getting USFK's COVID-19 vaccine: official

The defense ministry is in talks with related authorities to see if South Korean Army troops assigned to the US Forces Korea (USFK) can get the COVID-19 vaccine shipped from America for its soldiers here, officials said Saturday. A cargo plane carrying Moderna's vaccine arrived in South Korea on Friday from Memphis, in the first shipment of vaccines to be administered to American troops and citizens here. The shipment was delivered to Allgood Army Community Hospital inside Camp Humphreys, the

Dec. 26, 2020

S. Korea conducted Dokdo defense drill earlier this month

South Korea staged an annual military exercise on and around its easternmost islets of Dokdo earlier this month, sources said Friday. The drill, which took place on Dec. 4, involved the Navy and the Coast Guard and was held on a smaller scale than previous drills, given the coronavirus pandemic and other factors, according to the military and government sources. The Air Force and the Marines did not take part in the drill this time, they added. The defense ministry and the Navy refused to of

Dec. 25, 2020

11 draftees, one Navy officer test positive for new coronavirus

Eleven new draftees and a Navy officer have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Thursday. The draftees entered the Army boot camp in the central city of Nonsan earlier this week but were transferred to civilian hospitals after testing positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, according to the ministry. Contact tracing is under way, it added. All new enlistees are required to take COVID-19 tests. The latest cases are not included in the military's own statistics of vi

Dec. 24, 2020

4 S. Koreans working at Camp Humphreys test positive for COVID-19

Four South Koreans working at a US military base in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul, have tested positive for the new coronavirus, US Forces Korea (USFK) said Thursday. Two of them last visited Camp Humphreys on Friday and tested positive Tuesday, while the two others were last on the installation Tuesday and were confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 the following day, according to the USFK. Of the four, three were contractors working together. One of them first tested positive and was transferred

Dec. 24, 2020

S. Korea to expand transfer of defense technology for commercial purposes

The government will significantly expand the transfer of defense technologies to the private sector to help companies take advantage of them to develop new non-military products, the arms procurement agency said Thursday. The budget set aside for technology transfer purposes rose nearly ninefold to 8.7 billion won ($7.9 million) next year from 1 billion won allocated this year, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. The agency plans to spend the increased budget in suppor

Dec. 24, 2020

USFK to receive first shipment of Moderna vaccine as early as this week: source

The US Forces Korea (USFK) will start administering the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to its members this week, Gen. Robert Abrams said Wednesday. According to the US Department of Defense's plan, Allgood Army Community Hospital inside Camp Humphreys in South Korea will be one of four sites outside the continental US that will receive the initial vaccination. "Over the next few days, USFK will begin to receive and administer the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to combat the COVID-19 virus to further

Dec. 23, 2020

S. Korea begins second round of production for Army's new command and control system

South Korea has launched a second round of production for the Army's newly upgraded command and control system designed to improve commanders' real-time decision-making ability in combat situations, the arms procurement agency said Wednesday. The production for the Army's upgraded C4I -- command, control, communication, computer and intelligence -- system will by completed by October 2023 with a 150 billion-won ($135 million) investment, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administrati

Dec. 23, 2020

S. Korea flies jets over air defense zone to warn Chinese, Russian warplanes

South Korea scrambled fighter jets Tuesday to warn Chinese and Russian warplanes that had entered its air defense zone. But the warplanes did not fly into South Korea’s territorial airspace. The Air Defense Identification Zone, which surrounds the territorial airspace of each country, is recognized so countries may demand foreign aircraft take steps to identify themselves to avoid misunderstandings. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said four Chinese military aircraft flew in the morning near Ie

Dec. 22, 2020

BTS to get opportunity to defer mandatory enlistment

The government proclaimed a revision Tuesday that will allow distinguished pop artists, such as the bandmates of K-pop boy band BTS, to delay their mandatory military service until the age of 30. Under the revision of the Military Service Act proclaimed by the Ministry of National Defense, those excelling in popular culture and the arts will be allowed to put off their enlistment until the age of 30 -- if recommended by the culture minister -- for elevating the country’s global reputatio

Dec. 22, 2020

S. Korean, Australian defense chiefs vow to boost cooperation

The defense chiefs of South Korea and Australia held telephone talks Monday and discussed ways to boost exchanges and cooperation in defense and related industry fields, Seoul's defense ministry said. During the dialogue with Australian Defense Minister Linda Reynolds, South Korea's Defense Minister Suh Wook expressed gratitude to Australian veterans who fought in the 1950-53 Korean War. He also voiced hope for the further development of the bilateral ties, as next year marks the 60th annivers

Dec. 21, 2020

Ex-US Defense Secretary Mattis to receive Korea-US alliance award

Former US Defense Secretary James Mattis was chosen as the recipient of a South Korean government award for his contribution to the security of the Korean Peninsula and the bilateral alliance, the defense ministry said Monday. Mattis, who served as the top US defense official between 2017 and 2019, will receive this year's Paik Sun-yup Award, which was named after the best-known South Korean hero of the 1950-53 Korean War. He is the eighth recipient. "He played a pivotal role in managing

Dec. 21, 2020

3 more military members test positive for new coronavirus

Two Navy officers and a soldier tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Saturday. The Navy officers stationed in the southeastern city of Jinhae underwent COVID-19 tests after their colleague was confirmed to have been infected earlier, according to the ministry. The soldier in the border city of Paju also tested positive while in isolation after coming in contact with other patients at his barracks, it added. The latest cases brought the total number of COVID-19 in

Dec. 19, 2020

USFK commander calls for 'immediate, aggressive' antivirus scheme

US Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Robert Abrams on Friday called for "immediate and aggressive" measures against the new coronavirus, as the US military was set to raise its antivirus scheme by one notch. Effective 12:01 a.m. Saturday, USFK will heighten the Health Protection Condition (HPCON) by one notch to Charlie, or HPCON C, for all areas in the country due to the resurgence of COVID-19 nationwide. The decision on the tighter guidance was announced earlier this week. The cou

Dec. 18, 2020

Watchdog says forced discharge of transgender soldier violates human rights

South Korea's human rights watchdog said on Friday that the Army's forced discharge of a sergeant who underwent a sex reassignment surgery while serving in the military was an infringement of human rights by a public authority. The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) said its plenary meeting held Monday concluded the Army's decision in January not to allow Byun Hee-soo, then a staff sergeant, to continue to serve in the military as a female soldier had no legal grounds. The NHRCK

Dec. 18, 2020