The Korea Herald

S. Korean, U.S. air forces to hold aerial refueling drills

South Korean and U.S. Air Forces have recently reached an agreement to stage an aerial refueling exercise on a regular basis here, using a U.S. in-flight tanker, a military source said Monday.The first joint refueling exercise in which the U.S. is to mobilize its KC-135 tanker currently based in Okinawa, Japan, is expected to take place in the latter half of this year, the source said.“Although ou

Defense July 11, 2011

Another marine dies in apparent suicide

Criticism over management of troops deepens in wake of Ganghwa shootingAnother marine was found dead at his unit in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, in an apparent suicide on Sunday night, further escalating public concerns over purportedly prevalent abuses in the military.The death of the 19-year-old lance corporal, identified only by his surname Jeong, came after a marine committed suicide and

Defense July 11, 2011

Abuse at barracks cause of escalating concern in Korea

Defense minister orders full-scale inspection of all military unitsAlthough his son will not join the military for another 10 years, Moon Young-sook is already apprehensive that his boy could suffer the “appalling” human rights abuses said to be widespread there.“I feel more worried than before as it is said that such abuses are still taking place in many units, not in just a few. When we heard of

Defense July 10, 2011

11 people charged with forming anti-state entity

Prosecutors are investigating 11 people on charges of establishing an anti-state organization under a directive from North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party, officials said Sunday.Among them was a member of the Korea Higher Education Research Institute, which spearheaded a nationwide campaign to halve college tuitions, triggering criticism that the probe aims to stifle voices against a government poli

Social Affairs July 10, 2011

Education still main route out of poverty

S. Korea has highest percentage of ‘resilient students’ in the OECDLim Won-tae, a 16-year-old student in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, has lived with his grandparents since his parents left about two years ago to stop creditors harassing their family.After his father’s financial business went bust, Lim began to believe that education was the only sure way to reestablish his family. Even without the p

Social Affairs July 10, 2011

Education still main route out of poverty

Defense budget focuses on combat training

The Ministry of National Defense has drawn up a 33.48 trillion won ($32.43 billion) budget plan for next year with a focus on making the military “truly combat-ready.”The ministry submitted its budget proposal to the Finance Ministry on June 30. The planned budget is 6.6 percent higher than the 2011 budget of 31.4 trillion won.“In broad terms, we can say that we have significantly increased the bu

Defense July 7, 2011

Marine held for help in shooting

Top military officers salute during the funeral at a military hospital in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday for the four Marines killed in Monday’s shooting rampage. (Park Hae-mook/The Korea Herald)Bodies of four soldiers laid to rest at Daejeon National CemeteryMilitary investigators on Wednesday morning arrested a Marine private first class on charges of complicity in Monday’s shooting ra

Social Affairs July 6, 2011

Bullying could have led to shooting

Poor ammunitions management partly blamed for death of 4 marinesThe Marine who went on a shooting rampage Monday, killing four fellow soldiers, had been treated like an outcast on his base on Ganghwa Island, military officials said Tuesday.The 19-year-old corporal, identified only by his surname Kim, said in writing, “I feel a lot of pain. I want to die. The practices of beating and ostracizing a

Defense July 5, 2011

4 killed in Marine shooting rampage

A shooting spree by a 19-year-old Marine corporal on Monday has left four soldiers dead, the Marine Corps said.The incident took place inside a barrack of the Marine Second Division on Ganghwa Island off the west coast at around 11:50 a.m., officials said. The corporal, identified only by his surname Kim, opened fire with a K-2 rifle. Kim was captured after the incident. A grenade also exploded at

Defense July 4, 2011

Cheonghae repels vessels in piracy attempt

A South Korean antipiracy unit operating off the coast of Somalia on Sunday morning repelled three ships suspected of trying to seize a Panamanian-registered chemical freight vessel, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday.The Cheonghae Unit received an emergency satellite call from the 17,000-ton Azalea belonging to South Korea’s major shipping firm STX POS at around 1 a.m., JCS officials said.The

Defense July 4, 2011

Mass production of K-11 rifles to begin in October

South Korea will begin mass-producing the Korean-made K-11 airburst assault rifle in November after having addressed problems associated with its fire control, the state weapons acquisition agency said Monday.“We have addressed the issues that have been raised in the process of its mass production. We will produce just small amounts and test them to check whether they are suitable for field operat

Defense July 4, 2011

Mass production of K-11 rifles to begin in October

KAFS marks anniversary, thanks U.S. service members

Korea America Friendship Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the Korea-U.S. relationship, held its annual dinner party in Seoul on Thursday to celebrate its 20th anniversary and appreciate the service of U.S. troops here.The Korea America Friendship Night was attended by some 800 people including U.S. Ambassador Kathleen Stephens, 8th U.S. Army Commander Lieut. Gen. John D. Jo

Defense July 1, 2011

KAFS marks anniversary, thanks U.S. service members

All textbooks to go digital by 2015

Ministry seeks to hold nationwide academic tests onlineThick textbooks weighing on students’ shoulders may disappear in four years. The government seeks to convert all paper textbooks into digital versions by 2015, the Education Ministry said Wednesday.Using smartphones, tablet PCs and smart televisions, school students of all ages will be able to view the content of existing textbooks, ministry o

Social Affairs June 29, 2011

15,000 military duty deferrers must retake physical exam

Some 15,000 men who have delayed their mandatory military service for the last several years will be notified to take another physical checkup next year under a 2007 law, the military recruitment agency said Wednesday. Under the military draft law, young men are to go through another checkup five years after taking the first one. Before the law was enacted in January 2007, men had taken only one c

Defense June 29, 2011

S. Korea marks 9 years since West Sea clash

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs on Wednesday held a ceremony marking the ninth anniversary of a naval skirmish between the two Koreas, which resulted in several casualties on both sides.Some 2,000 people, including top military officials and members of the bereaved families, attended the ceremony at the Navy’s Second Fleet Command in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. Prime Minister Kim

Defense June 29, 2011

S. Korea marks 9 years since West Sea clash

Articles by Song Sangho