Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, denounced the South Korean government for its “grave concerns” over the North’s recent rocket launches, saying they were part of routine self-defense exercises. It was the first time she had publicly addressed the South. She called Cheong Wa Dae “mentally challenged” and likened it to a “frightened dog” in a statement carried by the North’s Korean Central News Agency on Tuesday. Cheong Wa Dae

North Korea March 4, 2020

The two short-range projectiles North Korea fired into the East Sea on Monday were super-large-caliber rockets, a test Kim Jong-un oversaw with “great satisfaction,” the North’s Korean Central News Agency said Tuesday, releasing the launch photos. In Monday’s launch, the North revealed improved rockets in its fifth run since an initial test in September the previous year. The two projectiles were fired some 20 seconds apart, as compared with 17 minutes in September. 

North Korea March 3, 2020

A batch of newly commissioned nursing officers headed to Daegu on Tuesday, the southeastern city hit hardest by the novel coronavirus, to help treat a skyrocketing number of infected patients. Commissioned as lieutenants a week earlier than scheduled, the 75 officers will work at the military’s hospital in Daegu, one of several national centers treating COVID-19. “Patients come before me,” Lt. Kim Seul-gi said. She was one of the officers attending the graduation ceremony for

Defense March 3, 2020

Public opinion on the introduction of a comprehensive entry ban on travelers from China appears divided along partisan lines, with a slight majority viewing it as necessary to South Korea’s fight against the novel coronavirus. According to the latest survey by local pollster Realmeter, released Monday, 55.6 percent of the respondents supported a wider ban, while 40.9 percent said existing measures were strong enough. Currently, Korea denies entry to foreign nationals traveling from Chi

Social Affairs March 2, 2020

North Korea fired two short-range projectiles into the East Sea between South Korea and Japan on Monday afternoon, the Ministry of National Defense said. They flew approximately 240 kilometers at a maximum altitude of 35 kilometers from Wonsan, along the North’s eastern coast. Pending further analysis, the projectiles could be ballistic missiles. The launches were an extension of the annual strike drills Pyongyang conducted Friday, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. “We

North Korea March 2, 2020

Twenty-seven members of the South Korean military tested positive for COVID-19 as of Sunday, as 8,880 service members have been quarantined. Infected personnel included soldiers, officers and civilian workers; Fifteen of them were in the Army and 10 were in the Air Force, with one each in the Navy and Marine Corps. The military has taken the precaution of an expanded quarantine to curb COVID-19 since it identified the first patient on Feb. 20. The total number of infected patients from Unite

Defense March 1, 2020

A newborn, just 45 days from birth near the virus-hit city of Daegu, tested positive for COVID-19, becoming the youngest patient in the country, health authorities said Sunday. In the baby’s family, the father was the first to be diagnosed with COVID-19 on Thursday. The baby and mother tested positive Saturday. The baby, born on Jan. 15, had been staying with the mother at the grandparents’ house. The mother was recovering from giving birth there. The baby and mother were placed i

Social Affairs March 1, 2020

South Korea hopes to address first the issue of the upkeep of Korean employees for United States Forces Korea, as negotiations on defense cost sharing between the two allies drag on, Seoul’s chief negotiator said Friday.  “We offered the US a side deal to sign to cover the costs for Korean national employees at USFK, just in case we don’t wrap up a new Special Measures Agreement on time,” Jeong Eun-bo said, referring to the cost-sharing deal. The final agreement wo

Defense Feb. 28, 2020

Provided the COVID-19 outbreak is under control by October, North Korea could stage a military provocation, such as a satellite launch, to mark the founding anniversary of its Workers’ Party, said Ankit Panda, a senior editor at The Diplomat. Speaking on Radio Free Asia on Thursday, Panda said October would be a critical moment for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who appears eager to insert himself onto the US political agenda ahead of the 2020 US presidential election in November. Pan

North Korea Feb. 28, 2020

A total of 27 military personnel had tested positive for COVID-19 as of Friday, and 10,400 service members had been quarantined, the Ministry of National Defense said. Infected personnel included soldiers, officers and civilian workers; Fifteen of the patients were in the Army, and ten were in the Air Force, with one each in the Navy and Marine Corps. The military had taken the precaution of an expanded quarantine to curb COVID-19. The total number of infected patients from United States Forc

Defense Feb. 28, 2020

The conservative opposition on Thursday slammed the Moon Jae-in administration for gross “incompetence and negligence” in tackling the coronavirus outbreak. “Running away from the responsibility and turning a blind eye to what experts have to say about COVID-19 is evidence the Moon government is just unfit to govern,” said Shim Jae-cheol, floor leader of the United Future Party. Shim urged Health Minister Park Neung-hoo to step down over his remarks that Koreans, not

Politics Feb. 27, 2020

South Korea and the US postponed their annual joint military exercises Thursday, following a coronavirus outbreak that has sickened about 1,800 and killed 13 people in Korea, as of Thursday afternoon. The drills scheduled for March were put off until further notice for the safety of all service members, according to the joint statement from Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff and United States Forces Korea on Thursday. It was the first time the annual war game was postponed over an infectious d

Defense Feb. 27, 2020

South Korea and the US decided to scale back the annual joint military drills scheduled to begin within the next several days, as the COVID-19 outbreak in Korea affected their military operations, CNN reported, quoting three US officials. The two allies were set to take part in the command post exercises that begins March 9. The exercises test the combat readiness of top commanders and senior staff of both sides in computer-based war games against North Korea. Seoul and Washington have held the

Defense Feb. 26, 2020

United States Forces Korea said Tuesday that the widow of one of its service members tested positive for COVID-19 after she had visited a military base in Daegu. The patient, 61, is the first individual linked to USFK to test positive for the virus. Two weeks ago, she visited twice the post exchange at Camp Walker, one of three American installations in Daegu, where infections recently skyrocketed because of mass gatherings at a Shincheonji church. USFK raised the risk level to “high&rd

Defense Feb. 25, 2020

A total of 13 military personnel tested positive for COVID-19, and 7,500 service members were under quarantine as of Monday, the Ministry of National Defense said. Infected personnel included soldiers, officers and civilian workers; Ten of the patients were in the Army, while the Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps had one each. The military was notified of its first patient Thursday, when a Navy sailor stationed on Jeju Island contracted the virus after visiting Daegu, one of two COVID-19 clus

Defense Feb. 24, 2020