S. Korea to resume war remains excavation project in DMZ this week

South Korea will resume an independent project of excavating remains of soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) this week, the defense ministry said Sunday, as Pyongyang remains unresponsive to calls to work together as agreed. Under the bilateral military accord signed on Sept. 19, 2018, Seoul and Pyongyang had planned to carry out the excavation project together on Arrowhead Ridge, one of the fiercest battlefields during the war. But South Korea carried

April 19, 2020

One Air Force trainee tests positive for coronavirus

An Air Force trainee has tested positive for the coronavirus, bringing to 40 the total number of virus-infected patients in the military, military officials said Sunday. The trainee from an Air Force unit in Jinju, about 430 km south of Seoul, had already been under isolation since he entered the service early this month because he had contracted the virus before and had been treated. He tested negative in the first test he took right after he entered the service early this month, but the A

April 19, 2020

Army conscripts released after testing positive for COVID-19

Two Army conscripts from Daegu who are followers of the Shincheonji Church are to be released from military training after testing positive for COVID-19, the Army said Saturday. Two days earlier, another conscript who lived in South Gyeongsang Province near Daegu, also a follower of the sect, tested positive for the virus and was sent to a hospital for treatment. The three men enlisted Monday at a boot camp in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province. About 130 trainees believed to have come into c

April 18, 2020

Govt. vows continued push for reform for 'smaller yet stronger military'

The defense ministry vowed Friday to expedite ongoing reform projects to make the military smaller and stronger and to better deal with nontraditional security threats, such as terrorism and viruses. During a meeting presided over by Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo, military leaders and arms experts assessed the progress of a total of 42 ongoing projects under its Defense Reform 2.0 initiative launched by the Moon Jae-in administration in 2018. The ministry vowed to complete the three-month reducti

April 17, 2020

USFK contractor barred from access to bases for 2 years for quarantine violations

An American contractor working at US Forces Korea's Camp Humphreys was barred from all USFK installations for two years for visiting the base in violation of a self-isolation order imposed after coming into contact with a coronavirus patient. It is the first disciplinary action by USFK against a non-uniformed individual, as the US military has been on high alert to stem the COVID-19 virus. The contractor at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, some 70 kilometers south of Seoul, was instructed to qua

April 17, 2020

Marine Corps to help guard naval bases in wake of security breaches

The defense ministry announced a series of measures to beef up the security of military bases in the wake of embarrassing civilian intrusions, including improving CCTVs and other surveillance systems and mobilizing Marine Corps troops to help guard naval bases. The ministry unveiled these measures after Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo held a videoconference with around 30 top military commanders to discuss how to prevent any recurrence of such security breaches. The Marine Corps will be mobilized t

April 17, 2020

US congressmen call for finalizing defense deal with S. Korea

US Congressmen urged the Trump administration Wednesday to conclude the drawn-out defense cost-sharing deal with South Korea to protect US security interests and the readiness of both countries’ forces in Korea. On April 1, Korean national employees working for United States Forces Korea here were put on unpaid, indefinite leave due to a lapse in the bilateral cost-sharing deal for the upkeep of 28,500 US troops in Korea. Two countries had failed to finalize the agreement due to differenc

April 17, 2020

W900b of defense budget to be cut for emergency relief funds

About 900 billion won ($733 million) will be cut from this year's defense budget as the government pushes to fund an extra budget in the wake of the coronavirus crisis without issuing bonds, officials said Thursday. Earlier in the day, the finance ministry unveiled a second extra budget of 7.6 trillion won to cushion the economic fallout from COVID-19, saying it will readjust this year's annual budget to fund the plan, rather than issuing bonds. The defense budget was among the most sharply c

April 16, 2020

USFK removes travel restrictions for Daegu after decline in coronavirus cases

US Forces Korea (USFK) said Thursday it has removed travel restrictions for South Korea's southeastern city of Daegu as new coronavirus cases in the area have been on the decline recently. In February, USFK designated Daegu as a coronavirus "hot spot" and banned all service members from making nonessential travel to, from and around the city, as the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases there began to surge sharply. "Due to the hard work of the city of Daegu, USAG Daegu, and 19th

April 16, 2020

Esper: S. Korea can and should pay more for US troops

US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Tuesday that he continues to believe South Korea can and should pay more for the stationing of American troops on the peninsula. Speaking at a Pentagon press briefing, he did not directly address a question about a recent Reuters report that President Donald Trump rejected South Korea's offer to increase its contribution by at least 13 percent from last year. "I defer to the State Department on that," he said. "They're leading the negotiatio

April 15, 2020

Four Army noncommissioned officers caught for alleged sexual harassment of senior officer

Four Army non-commissioned officers are under investigation for alleged sexual harassment of one of their male superior officers, officials said Tuesday. The male suspects, whose identities were withheld, allegedly visited the senior officer's residence Friday, and at least one of them had physical contact with him, according to military officials. The four were drunk at the time, officials said, adding they are also suspected of bullying their lower-ranked colleagues and others. "We la

April 14, 2020

Army soldier tests positive for coronavirus again after full recovery

An Army soldier has tested positive for the new coronavirus after having fully recovered from the disease, the defense ministry said Tuesday. Including the soldier, based in Seoul, two service members are currently in treatment for COVID-19, according to the ministry. The military has so far reported 39 infections in barracks. All of the others have fully recovered. As a preventive measure, around 1,200 service personnel are being quarantined at their bases, the ministry said. South Korea r

April 14, 2020

US soldier stationed in Pyeongtaek dies of 'natural causes': USFK

An American soldier stationed in South Korea died of "natural causes" last week, the US military said Tuesday, noting that his death is unrelated to the coronavirus. Sgt. Timothy J. Pressley of the 2nd Infantry Division died on Friday at St. Mary's Hospital in the city of Pyeongtaek, located near his base, Camp Humphreys, 70 kilometers south of Seoul, US Forces Korea (USFK) said in a release. Pressley, a 54-year-old petroleum supply specialist, joined the US Army in 2007, and this w

April 14, 2020

Army pushing to establish research center for next-generation weapons

The Army is pushing to set up a research institute for next-generation technologies, such as artificial intelligence and drones to expedite the development of "next-generation game changers," officers said Tuesday. The military recently launched a preliminary feasibility test on the establishment of its own research center and has been looking into foreign cases, according to the officers. Stressing a paradigm shift in terms of warfare on future battlefields, the Army has been worki

April 14, 2020

Soldiers allowed to make video calls amid prolonged anti-virus quarantine steps

The defense ministry has temporarily allowed service personnel to have video calls with families and friends as part of efforts to help them reduce stress as they have been banned from leaving their bases or meeting visitors due to the coronavirus pandemic. Soldiers have been banned from off-base traveling, vacationing and meeting with visitors since late February when South Korea began to witness a drastic surge in the number of the COVID-19 virus cases. Starting last Wednesday, service memb

April 13, 2020

Civilian intrudes into education center for military intelligence officers

A man in his 70s was caught but released without being referred to police after intruding into an education center for military intelligence officers earlier this month, officials said Monday, the latest in a series of security breaches at military compounds. The man, whose identity has been withheld, entered the Defense Security Support School in Goyang, north of Seoul, early this month after he got lost while hiking, according to the Defense Security Support Command. A duty officer who foun

April 13, 2020

New uncertainty haunts S. Korea-US defense cost-sharing talks

Renewed uncertainty is hanging over defense cost-sharing talks between South Korea and the United States after President Donald Trump's reported rejection of a tentative deal to end their monthslong impasse feared to erode the alliance. The prolonged tug of war between the allies has fanned concerns that it could undercut their efforts for robust defense, as thousands of Korean workers of US Forces Korea (USFK) have been furloughed in the absence of a deal to fund their wages. Trump has turne

April 13, 2020

USFK contractor tests positive for COVID-19, total infections at 22

An American contractor working at a key US military base south of Seoul has tested positive for the new coronavirus, the US Forces Korea (USFK) said Sunday, bringing the total number of USFK-related infections to 22. The worker at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek underwent the test after his supervisors directed him to self-quarantine due to his direct contact with a COVID-19 patient. He last visited the base on March 26 and has been self-isolating outside the base since March 30. "This conf

April 12, 2020

USFK requires all individuals at bases to wear masks amid coronavirus

US Forces Korea said Friday that all individuals on its installations will be required to wear masks or cloth face coverings in public spaces to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Effective Friday, all people at military installations must wear one if they cannot maintain at least 2 meters of social distance in public areas or work centers, USFK said in a release. The measure will be toughened starting on Saturday, as all individuals on its installations "will be required to wear a clot

April 10, 2020

Army chiefs of S. Korea, US discuss countering COVID-19

The army chiefs of South Korea and the US held a telephone conversation Friday to discuss countering the coronavirus and the readiness of their combined forces. The call between Suh Wook, South Korea’s Army chief of staff, and James C. McConville, his US counterpart, was held at the request of the US. In the call, Gen. Suh highlighted strong measures to track down potential patients and test them while following anti-virus precautions as key to curb the spread of COVID-19. South Korea&r

April 10, 2020