Three Army soldiers and two airmen have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Friday. The Army officers based in Hongcheon, some 100 kilometers east of Seoul, were confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 after one of them first developed symptoms, according to the ministry. On follow-up tests at the unit, 156 people have tested negative, while 16 are waiting for their results. In Osan, 55 km south of Seoul, two Air Force officers have tested positive while in quaran

Joint military drills are a key measure to ensure the readiness of South Korean and US forces, a Pentagon spokesman said Wednesday, even as the pandemic has thrown the timetable out the window. The spokesman noted the scope and timing of future exercises will be determined through close consultation between the two allies. "Military readiness is a top priority of the Secretary of Defense. Our combined military training events are a principal method of ensuring our combined Alliance readin

Three more Army soldiers have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Thursday. Two soldiers, based in Goyang, northwest of Seoul, and the border county of Cheorwon, respectively, were confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 after virus cases were reported at their units, according to the ministry. An officer in the northeastern county of Inje tested positive upon return from a vacation. The latest cases raised the total number of infections reported among the militar

As the military scrambles to improve meals amid continued reports of underfed conscripts in quarantine, overworked military cooks may be overlooked. Army cooks work nonstop from 5 a.m. through 8 p.m., according to an account from a person who claims her son is an Army cook at a base near Seoul. The day-to-day tasks include offloading food from trucks, managing ingredients, cleaning up after meals and taking photos of the meals given to soldiers under quarantine. “Army cooks are burnt out

Veterans Affairs Minister Hwang Ki-chul held talks with Colombian President Ivan Duque during a visit to the Latin American country aimed at expressing thanks to the country's Korean War veterans, his office said Wednesday. During the talks on Tuesday, Hwang expressed thanks for Colombia's participation in the 1950-53 conflict and explained South Korea's efforts to support Colombian veterans and their descendants, according to the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs. The meeting was also

Five Army members and an Air Force officer tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Wednesday. Two Army officers from the same unit in the county of Gapyeong were confirmed to have been infected following their recent vacation, the ministry said, adding 150 base members who came into contact with them tested negative. The other Army officer and two enlisted soldiers also tested positive following their vacation, and the airman contracted the virus after one of his co

Three Marines and three Army members tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Tuesday, the latest in a series of confirmed cases at barracks across the country. The Marines from the same unit in the southeastern city of Pohang were confirmed to have been infected in tests required to exit quarantine. They have been in isolation after their base reported COVID-19 cases earlier, according to the ministry. Two soldiers and an Army officer tested positive following thei

The veterans affairs minister is on a visit to Colombia this week to pay tribute to the country's 1950-53 Korean War veterans, his office said Tuesday. Minister Hwang Ki-chul arrived in the Latin American country on Monday (Colombia time) for a three-day visit to strengthen the bilateral friendship and expand cooperation in veterans affairs, according to the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs. Later Monday, Hwang visited a rehab center for Korean War veterans and the Navy headquarters w

The Ministry of National Defense said Monday that it will consult with health authorities as it prepares to receive new coronavirus jabs from the US to vaccinate 550,000 Korean soldiers. The supply could cover the entire armed forces. The aid comes as part of a comprehensive COVID-19 partnership that President Moon Jae-in and US President Joe Biden reached at their in-person meeting in the US last week. The Korean military, which has yet to find out when it is receiving the vaccines or which

Senior officials from the Ministry of National Defense met on Monday with villagers protesting the military’s decision to host a US anti-missile system near their homes. It was their first in-person gathering to work out the yearslong disagreement. The government delegation, led by Vice Defense Minister Park Jae-min and municipal leaders, sat down with community members and civic groups in Seongju County, North Gyeongsang Province, which houses the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense syst

The defense ministry on Monday extended the current social distancing rules for the military for another three weeks, which allow service members to take vacations in a limited manner. The Level 2 scheme, which was supposed to expire Sunday, will be in place until June 13 in line with the government's COVID-19 guidance, according to the ministry. It is the third-highest level in the five-tier alert system. Under the scheme, troops are allowed to go on vacation while strictly adhering to antivi

Defense ministry officials were to hold a meeting with residents around a US THAAD missile defense base Monday in an effort to address their concerns, the ministry said, as protests against the base have shown no signs of letting up. Residents in the central county of Seongju have long opposed the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) base in their town, resulting in clashes with police every time the government brings construction equipment and other items to the base. Monday's meeting

South Korea's military announced four additional COVID-19 cases Sunday, including two Army soldiers. A ranking Army officer based in Pocheon, north of Seoul, was diagnosed with the coronavirus after returning from leave, according to the Ministry of National Defense. A rank-and-file solider serving in Inje, Gangwon Province, tested positive, having contacted an infected civilian during his stay in Gimje, North Jeolla Province, on leave, it added. Two civilian employees at Army bases in Jangse

Four Army officers and five soldiers tested positive for the new coronavirus, the latest in a series of infections at barracks, the defense ministry said Friday. Of them, four soldiers were from the same unit in Hongcheon, about 100 kilometers east of Seoul, which reported nine COVID-19 cases earlier, according to the ministry. Three officers from another unit in the country also tested positive, prompting the military and health authorities to conduct contact tracing. The remaining officer a

The Navy, the Coast Guard and police were to stage joint helicopter landing drills on an amphibious assault ship Friday in an effort to enhance their disaster relief capabilities, officials said. The training will take place in waters near the southern island of Geoje, involving the 14,500-ton Dokdo ship and two helicopters from the Coast Guard and the police, according to the Navy. The event is in part to help the chopper pilots earn qualifications for deck landing necessary to operate on la