The Korea Herald

Defense chief nominee vows early setup of missile defense system

Jun 29, 2014

President Park Geun-hye’s nominee for defense minister pledged Sunday to establish the country’s indigenous missile defense system at an early date to counter escalating threats from North Korean nuclear weapons and missiles.South Korea has been speeding up the establishment of the indigenous Korea Air and Missile Defense aimed at low-flying missiles coming from North Korea. A pre-emptive missile destruction system, the so-called Kill Chain, is also under development to detect and strike North K
(Photo News) Welcome home

Jun 27, 2014

A military officer is greeted by his son at a ceremony held in Seoul on Friday to celebrate the return of Korea’s Provincial Reconstruction Team from Afghanistan. (Yonhap)
Defense chief apologizes over draftee's shooting spree

Jun 27, 2014

Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin apologized Friday over last week's shooting spree by an enlisted soldier who killed five of his comrades, and vowed to come up with fundamental preventive measures."I sincerely apologize to the people and the bereaved families for such a regretful incident in the eastern front-line general outpost that killed five and wounded seven," Kim said in a statement to the public.Expressing deep condolences to the fallen soldiers, the defense chief said he will "strive to he
Sergeant refuses to talk about shooting

Jun 26, 2014

The captured sergeant from last weekend’s shoot-out refused to speak about the spree during the first face-to-face talks with investigators at a hospital where he is recovering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, a military source said Thursday.“The Army’s investigative authorities conducted the first round of their investigation into him on Wednesday as he regained consciousness,” the source told media, declining to be named. “He refused to talk about the incident, saying he doesn’t remember w
Military blasted for sleight of hand

Jun 25, 2014

Experts urge greater openness, cooperative approach to media
Six draft-dodgers caught gaining weight, faking illness

Jun 25, 2014

The national military recruitment agency recently caught six draft dodgers including four bodybuilders who gained weight by taking excessive amounts of bodybuilding supplements, officials said Wednesday.The Military Manpower Administration said it sent the six cases to the prosecution, recommending their indictment on draft-dodging charges.The four professional bodybuilders entered their respective universities through special admission programs for athletes. They reportedly found out in high sc
Captured sergeant left suicide note

Jun 24, 2014

The captured sergeant apologized to his family and the families of the five soldiers who were killed in a shooting rampage last Saturday in a note he wrote right before he attempted suicide on Monday, the Defense Ministry said.The 22-year-old sergeant, only identified by his surname Lim, underwent surgery for a self-inflicted gunshot wound between his chest and left shoulder, and was recovering at a hospital in Gangneung, Gangwon Province. Medical staff injected him with sedatives and put him to
(Photo News) Remembering Korean War

Jun 24, 2014

Korean-Japanese veterans who fought as student soldiers during the Korean War pay tribute at the Seoul National Cemetery on Tuesday. The veterans joined the United Nations forces shortly after war broke out on June 25, 1950. (Yonhap)
Military culture under fire

Jun 24, 2014

Bullying appears still rampant in barracks
Killer soldier apologizes to families of victims

Jun 24, 2014

An enlisted soldier who killed five comrades apologized to the families of the victims and his own family in a note written before a suicide attempt, the defense ministry said Tuesday. He was in stable condition after surgery.But the note did not contain any details indicating what prompted him to commit such an act that also wounded seven others at a border outpost, the ministry said.The 22-year-old sergeant assigned to an eastern unit near the inter-Korean border town of Goseong was captured o
[Newsmaker] Trouble of ‘maladjusted’ soldiers

Jun 23, 2014

Saturday’s deadly shooting incident has prompted calls for the military to enhance its management of “draftees requiring special observation.”The 22-year-old sergeant, who killed five soldiers and wounded seven in a shooting spree, turned out to have once been rated as a Grade-A soldier ― the class of draftees most in need of special observation.Although the sergeant, identified only by his surname Lim, was later rated as a Grade-B soldier who still needed extra care but was able to carry out fr
Army captures fugitive sergeant

Jun 23, 2014

Soldier who killed five attempts suicide
5 soldiers killed, 7 injured in border unit shooting rampage

Jun 22, 2014

Deserter and troops caught in firefight
Five soldiers killed, seven injured in a shooting spree

Jun 22, 2014

Deserter and troops caught in firefight
Ferry operator chief denies negligence

Jun 20, 2014

The head of the operator of the sunken ferry Sewol denied at a court hearing Friday that his negligence led to the disaster that left more than 300 people dead.The trial of Kim Han-sik, the chief executive of Chonghaejin Marine Co., and four of the company’s executives began at 2 p.m. at Gwangju District Court in the country’s southern city of the same name. The 72-year-old Kim and other officials were indicted on charges of professional negligence that allegedly caused the April 16 disaster and