South Korea and the United States agreed to pursue an early conclusion of their defense cost-sharing talks to help strengthen their alliance and defense posture during their video talks Friday, the foreign ministry said. Seoul's top negotiator, Jeong Eun-bo, and his US counterpart, Donna Welton, led their first such meeting since last month's launch of the Joe Biden administration to advance their negotiations to determine Seoul's share of the cost for stationing the 28,500-strong US Forces Ko

An Army officer has tested positive for the new coronavirus, raising the total caseload among the military population to 554, the defense ministry said Friday. The officer, based in Pyeongtaek, some 70 kilometers south of Seoul, was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 after an infection was reported at the base, according to the ministry. The soldier was in quarantine and confirmed to be infected in a virus test conducted prior to release. Nationwide, South Korea's total COVID-19 caseload b

The Army said Friday that more than 100 troops have completed its recently launched mine-removal training program and will be deployed next month. The trainees -- 110 Army personnel, six airmen and four Marines -- completed the armed service's first specialized education curriculum that meets the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS). The two-week program was launched last month to train troops on explosive ordnance disposal, first aid and mine clearance. Previously, the military's mine

South Korea and the United States are in talks over how to hold their annual springtime combined exercise in consideration of the coronavirus situation, the defense ministry said Thursday. The planned exercise has drawn keen attention amid concern that the North could use the exercise as a pretext for provocations in the early months of the administration of US President Joe Biden. Pyongyang has long denounced such drills as a rehearsal for invasion. The defense ministry has said the exercise

The chief of South Korea's Navy on Thursday called for securing a light aircraft carrier to boost the country's defense capabilities, saying it will be a key strategic asset to protect maritime sovereignty and national interest. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Boo Suk-jong made the remark at a webinar as the Navy seeks to build a 30,000-ton-class light aircraft carrier under a 3 trillion-won ($1.8 billion) project with a plan to put the ship into operation by 2033. "The light aircraft carr

A newly legislated defense industry promotion law will go into effect this week, requiring the government to give priority to locally developed parts in the country's weapons systems, the arms procurement agency said Thursday. Under the new law that will take effect Friday, the government will expand support to local companies' weapons parts development and help them be used more in broader weapons system development projects, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. To inc

The defense ministry said Wednesday it cannot accept Japan's "unjust complaint" over Seoul's latest white paper blaming Tokyo for straining relations between the two countries with a claim to South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo. On Tuesday, Japan's defense ministry called in South Korea's military attache in Tokyo to complain about the 2020 white paper's statement that military cooperation between the two countries has been hampered due to Japan's continued claim to Dokdo and a

Two South Korean Army officers on a peacekeeping mission in Lebanon and one Navy officer dispatched to Bahrain have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Wednesday. It is the first time that the country reported COVID-19 cases among its service members stationed overseas. The two Army officers affiliated with the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNFIL) underwent tests after one local worker on their base tested positive, and they were confirmed to have been

South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense did not single out North Korea as “the enemy” in this year’s white paper, revealed Tuesday. That is the second time since 2019, when it removed the designation amid a flurry of diplomatic activity to build an inter-Korean detente. The Moon Jae-in government is seen as trying not to upset North Korea while working to repair inter-Korean ties frayed over disagreement on denuclearization and sanctions relief. In the paper, an enem

A prolonged pause in South Korea-US joint military exercises involving full-scale field training will diminish Seoul’s capability to mount a defense against North Korea, military experts said ahead of March drills. They are expected to be conducted indoors through computer-based war games. Last week, Defense Minister Suh Wook confirmed that the March drills will not involve troops on the ground. Seoul and Washington, which have held drills annually to deter aggression from Pyongyang sinc

US Forces Korea (USFK) said Tuesday that it has not issued advance furlough notices to its South Korean employees as the two countries are working on a "new, comprehensive" defense cost-sharing deal. The US military was expected to begin sending thousands of South Korean workers a 60-day notice that they could be put on unpaid leave in April if Seoul and Washington fail to reach an agreement on a new Special Measures Agreement (SMA) that stipulates how much Seoul will pay for the upke

Two Air Force officers and an Army soldier have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Tuesday. The officers, based in the southern city of Sacheon, were confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 after coming into contact with a person at their base who tested positive earlier, according to the ministry. They have been in isolation following the earlier virus case and were confirmed infected in a test required to exit quarantine. The Army soldier tested positive while

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Won In-choul held video talks with his US counterpart Gen. Mark Milley on Tuesday and agreed to continue efforts to make "visible progress" on the envisioned transition of wartime operational control (OPCON) of South Korean troops from Washington to Seoul, the military said. During their first talks since the launch of the President Joe Biden administration, the two military leaders also vowed to develop their combined defense posture based on the &

Thirteen people affiliated with the US Forces Korea (USFK), including 11 service members, have tested positive for the new coronavirus upon their arrival here in the past two weeks, the US military said Monday. One of the service members and a dependent arrived at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, some 70 kilometers south of Seoul, on a US government-chartered flight, while the others, including a civilian worker, arrived here on commercial flights via Incheon International Airport, west of the capi

The defense ministry refused Monday to confirm if it has proposed a military meeting with North Korea, which it pledged to push for to ease cross-border tensions. Last month, the ministry vowed efforts to hold military talks with the North on a regular basis by launching an inter-Korean military committee to discuss "any issues" to ease tensions and promote peace, setting it as a key policy goal for this year. The plan has drawn keen attention as President Moon Jae-in said earlier th