The U.S. Forces Korea commander on Tuesday extended the off-base curfew on military personnel until further notice.

The new curfew begins Jan. 7 at 1 a.m. The hours of the curfew are from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. throughout the week. Previously, the curfew had been enforced from midnight until 5 a.m. on weekdays and from 3 a.m. to 5 a.m. on weekends and public holidays.

The U.S. military introduced a curfew on its members on Oct. 7 following a series of serious crimes, including the rape of a high school student, carried out by service members.

“We must remain focused on our primary mission here, which is to deter against external aggression and if required, defend the Republic of Korea side-by-side with our ROK counterparts,” Gen. James Thurman, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, said in a statement.

“I anticipate and expect that our service members will continue to maintain the highest standards of individual readiness and professionalism while they serve in the Republic of Korea.”

The curfew applies to all U.S. service members stationed here, with the exception of those attached to the U.S. Embassy, Joint U.S. Military Affairs Group-Korea. Families of military personnel, Department of Defense contractors and civilian employs and their families are encouraged to adhere to the curfew, the U.S. Forces Korea said in a statement.

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)