South Korea is expected to carry out underwater tests of a home-grown submarine-launched ballistic missile this year, having concluded ground tests, a source said Wednesday. South Korea is developing an SLBM based on the home-grown ground-to-ground Hyunmoo-2B ballistic missile with a flight range of around 500 kilometers. It will be used with envisioned 3,000-ton-class or larger submarines, according to defense officials. "Related agencies wrapped up ejection tests of the missile on the

US Forces Korea decided Tuesday to maintain its antivirus alert at the current level for all areas of South Korea amid the continued spread of the virus in the country. In early December, USFK enforced the Health Protection Condition (HPCON) Charlie, or HPCON C, the third-highest warning level in its five-tier system and extended the scheme twice to Jan. 12. "Based on the continued high numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Korea, USFK will remain in HPCON Charlie and will make an

An American service member stationed in South Korea died earlier this week in a car accident during a military training, the US military said Friday. Staff Sgt. James Wento, 34, was pronounced dead at the scene Tuesday, as the military vehicle he was driving overturned during the training event of his unit at the Rodriguez Live Fire Complex in Pocheon, northeast of Seoul, according to the 2nd Infantry Division. "The circumstances surrounding the accident are under investigation," the

A civilian worker for the US Forces Korea (USFK) has tested positive for the new coronavirus, the US military said Friday. The contractor, who works at USFK's Yongsan Garrison in central Seoul, was confirmed to have been infected the previous day and is now in isolation at his residence in Seoul before being transported to a facility designated for COVID-19 patients at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, according to USFK. He last visited the Yongsan base on Dec. 31, it added. "KDCA and USFK h

Defense Minister Suh Wook held phone talks with his British counterpart Ben Wallace on Wednesday to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation and exchanges, the defense ministry said. Suh congratulated Britain on its recent agreement with the European Union for cooperation in future relations, the ministry said in a press release. Suh added that Seoul hopes to continue bilateral cooperation even after Brexit, pointing out that Britain participated in the 1950-53 Korean War and maintain

A US Department of Defense employee working in Seoul has tested positive for the new coronavirus, the US Forces Korea (USFK) said Wednesday. The employee who works at US Army Garrison Yongsan in central Seoul was confirmed to have contracted the virus Tuesday, according to the US military. He last visited the base last Wednesday and is currently at a facility designated for COVID-19 patients at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, some 70 kilometers south of Seoul. The employee has been staying at h

South Korea and the United States conducted their wintertime combined exercise last month amid concerns over the new coronavirus pandemic, a military source said Wednesday. The allies held a scaled-back version of their original wintertime drills, codenamed Vigilant Ace, from Dec. 7-11, involving fighters, such as F-15K and KF-16 jets from South Korea and F-16s from the US, according to the source. The annual Vigilant Ace exercise was replaced with a smaller training starting in 2018 to suppor

Seventeen American service members and six others affiliated with the US Forces Korea (USFK) tested positive for the new coronavirus upon arrival in South Korea from the United States, the US military said Monday. The latest cases among the USFK-affiliated population rose to 509, most of whom have tested positive upon arrival in South Korea from the US. Of the newly reported cases, eight service members and one dependent arrived at Osan Air Base in the city of Pyeongtaek, some 70 kilometers so

South Korea is in talks with the United States to cover the wages of Korean employees at the US Forces Korea (USFK), an official said Monday, in an apparent move to avoid another furlough amid the stalled defense cost-sharing negotiations. The prolonged deadlock in the talks determining Seoul's share of the costs to keep American troops here potentially puts thousands of Korean workers at USFK at risk of being forced to take unpaid leave again this year. About 4,000 of them were furloughed for

The defense ministry said Monday it has extended a toughened social distancing scheme for two weeks, banning troops from vacationing and taking off-installation trips, to stem the spread of the new coronavirus. Since November, the ministry has enforced Level 2.5 social distancing rules, the second highest in its five-tier alert system, following a series of COVID-19 cluster infections at barracks across the country. "We've decided to extend the Level 2.5 scheme for all units from today u

The chief of South Korea's Navy has vowed to make every effort to secure a light aircraft carrier and diverse military assets to boost defense capabilities. The Navy has sought to build a 30,000-ton-class light aircraft carrier, and the military authorities finalized a plan last week to push for the project in earnest starting this year. "We should expedite moves to secure diverse future military assets, including a light aircraft carrier, in a timely manner to be fully prepared for futur

President Moon Jae-in flew on a Peace Eye military aircraft early Friday and inspected South Korea's combat readiness in a show of commitment to national defense on New Year's Day, the presidential office said. It is the first time that a South Korean president has flown on the airborne early warning and control aircraft regarded as a core part of the South Korean Air Force, according to Cheong Wa Dae. The E-737 Peace Eye took off with Moon aboard at around 6:30 a.m. from the military airfield

South Korean civilian workers and troops affiliated with the US Forces Korea (USFK) began getting COVID-19 vaccinations Thursday, the US military said, becoming the country's first citizens to get inoculated against the virus. The first shipment of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for USFK members arrived in South Korea last week, and the command began administering its initial doses to front-line health care workers, first responders and its command team. Korean nationals affiliated with USFK, in

The defense ministry decided Wednesday to allow South Korean soldiers and civilian workers affiliated with the US Forces Korea (USFK) to get COVID-19 vaccinations with doses shipped from the US for its service members stationed here, officials said. The South Korean troops affiliated with the Korean Augmentation to the US Army, known as KATUSA, as well as civilians working for USFK, are eligible for the inoculation according to the US government's vaccination plan, and USFK and Seoul's def

The military decided Wednesday to push for a project to acquire a light aircraft carrier in earnest in an effort to boost its defense capabilities, officials said, despite controversy over its effectiveness. During the closed-door meeting presided over by Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Gen. Won In-choul, military leaders also discussed the need to introduce vertical landing jets, according to the officials. The Navy has sought to build a 3,000 ton-class light aircraft carrier, stressing