The US Department of Defense has lifted travel restrictions on six military bases in South Korea following a review of COVID-19 trends in the country. According to a Thursday press release, the six bases met the criteria for lifting travel restrictions as of June 29. The installations are Camp Casey, Camp Henry and Camp Humphreys, as well as the bases in Yongsan, Gunsan and Osan. In total, restrictions have been lifted for 70 of 231 installations in the US and worldwide with more than 1,000 D

F Five US citizens affiliated with the US Forces Korea (USFK), including two service members, tested positive for the new coronavirus, the US military said Saturday. The latest COVID-19 cases brought the total number of infections among the USFK population to 47. Two dependents of a USFK service member arrived at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, from Europe on June 21 and were moved to Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, some 70 kilometers south of Seoul, where they tested negative for

South Korea and the United States are considering calling off their joint military exercises in August, held twice annually in March and August, due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, a local report said Friday citing Seoul officials. The two sides were reportedly mulling three options: canceling the drills, scaling them back or forging ahead. The officials said the government at the moment was taking preparations on the assumption that the Combined Forces Command between Seoul and Wa

A helicopter operated by the US Forces Korea made a precautionary landing shortly after take-off from central Seoul on Thursday due to suspected engine problems, officials said. The UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter with five people aboard lifted off from Seoul's Yongsan Garrison and was heading toward the large American base in Pyeongtaek, some 70 kilometers south of the capital city, when unusual signs were detected at around 3:50 p.m., according to local police. Confirming the incident, USFK sai

Two American service members had been briefly released from quarantine even though they tested positive for the new coronavirus because their test results were recorded as negative due to an administrative error, the US Forces Korea said Thursday. The two service members arrived at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, just south of Seoul, on a US government-chartered flight on June 17, and they were moved to separate places in Osan, as they tested negative for the first test and entered quarantine.

The United States remains dedicated to a successful handover of the wartime operational control to South Korea, said Gen. Robert Abrams, who holds dual roles of commander of the US military here and the Combined Forces Command between Seoul and Washington. “The United States is firmly committed to the successful execution of this alliance plan that will ultimately result in a Republic of Korea four-star leading the Combined Forces Command,” the four-star general said at a defense f

South Korea’s military on Tuesday opened applications for alternative military service to conscientious objectors. The move is in line with the Constitutional Court’s landmark ruling in June 2018 that objectors be given noncombat ways to fulfill their mandatory national service. Applicants who pass a series of fitness tests organized by the Defense Ministry and other expert groups will start their active duty as early as October as workers in correctional centers carrying out day-

The state-run arms procurement agency has signed a deal to procure 20 new homegrown trainer jets for the Air Force, officials said Monday. Under the 688.3 billion-won ($573.34 million) deal, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) will supply 20 TA-50 Block-2 aircraft, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said. They will be deployed by 2024, the agency added. TA-50 Block-2 is an upgraded version of KAI's T-50 trainer jet, which is now in service. The new planes will replace KF-16 fi

South Korea’s Defense Ministry convened the first of this year’s two meetings on preparations for the transfer of its wartime operational control from the United States, scheduled to be completed by 2022, the ministry said Monday. “The transfer of the wartime operational control will bolster our defense readiness,” Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo said, urging the military to be fully prepared for a successful handover. The meeting, attended by the defense minister, t

South Korea and the United States are closely coordinating for the planned transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) of South Korean forces from Washington to Seoul, the defense ministry said Monday. After holding a meeting presided over by Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo to review this year's progress regarding the OPCON transfer, the ministry said the two countries have continued preparations to assess Seoul's capabilities to retake OPCON and to maintain a firm readiness posture desp

The Army's command and control system has been upgraded to improve commanders' ability to make decisions in real time in combat situations, the arms procurement agency said Monday. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration said it has completed the second improvement project on the Army's C4I -- command, control, communication, computer and intelligence -- system and deployed the new version to some front-line corps and military educational institutions. The upgraded system has new anal

The defense ministry said Monday it will eliminate asbestos from all military facilities by 2025 to ensure the health and safety of service members.     Around 11,600 military structures, including accommodations and sentry posts, were found to contain the carcinogenic material, according to an inspection last year. Of them, 5,450 buildings linked directly to everyday lives, such as barracks and restaurants inside bases, will first be rid of asbestos by 2022, and the rema

South Korea plans to mass-produce a newly developed wheeled air defense cannon system for use by its military starting next year in a project to replace the aging Vulcan in operation, the nation's arms agency said Saturday. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said it has signed a 250 billion-won ($200 million) contract with Hanwha Defense Co. on the 30-mm anti-aircraft gun wheeled vehicle system (AAGW). It would be a substitute for the Vulcan Air Defense System (VADS) that h

Rank-and-file soldiers will officially be allowed to use their mobile phones after work starting next month, the defense ministry said Friday. Since April 2019, the ministry has allowed all draftees to use mobile phones, which had previously been banned for security reasons, on a trial basis. "The trial implementation found that the measure has many positive effects. It has helped troops better adapt to military life and became a useful means of their self-improvement," a ministry o

South Korea approved a plan Friday to purchase more airborne early warning and control aircraft (AEW&C) from overseas as part of efforts to beef up its aerial surveillance capabilities, the arms procurement agency said. Under the plan approved by the defense project promotion committee meeting, the country will launch the project next year to introduce more aircraft from overseas by 2027, rather than developing one at home, with a budget of 1.59 trillion won ($1.32 billion), according to t