The Ministry of Justice said Wednesday it will begin a program that allows replacing mandatory military service for other public services due to religious or personal beliefs. Under the program, 64 "conscientious objectors" will begin their 36 months of alternative service Monday at three correctional facilities, including one in Mokpo, 410 kilometers south of Seoul, according to the ministry. A second group of 42 men is set to go into service next month. After three weeks of job tra

Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Gen. Won In-choul held a video call with his Australian counterpart, Gen. Angus Campbell, on Wednesday and vowed to strengthen defense cooperation between the two countries, the JCS said. During the talks held at the request of Campbell, the chief of Australia's Defense Force, the two military leaders discussed regional security issues, the coronavirus pandemic and ways to improve their bilateral relations, according to the JCS.  Won said Australia is

The Navy has received the military's first vessel designed for training, the arms procurement agency said Wednesday, as the country pushes to enhance naval combat capabilities. The 4,500-ton Hansando is equipped with stealth functions and a computer-based training system to allow trainees to take part in simulated combat exercises, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. Previously, the Navy had to use warships temporarily for the education and training of its troops. The

A total of 24 F-35A next-generation fighter jets have arrived in South Korea from the United States so far, the arms procurement agency said Tuesday, as Seoul pushes to enhance its operational capabilities against outside threats. South Korea began bringing in the advanced stealth fighters from March last year to beef up reconnaissance capabilities under a plan to deploy 40 units through next year. "We experienced some delay in the delivery due to the COVID-19 situation, but through Sout

Senior defense officials of South Korea and the Philippines met via video conference Monday and vowed to strengthen cooperation despite the new coronavirus situation, the defense ministry said. During the inaugural session of the Joint Defense Cooperation Committee between the two countries, Vice Defense Minister Park Jae-min and his Filipino counterpart Ricardo David discussed various security issues, including the COVID-19 pandemic and peace efforts on the Korean Peninsula, according to the m

South Korea plans to acquire a dozen types of advanced military hardware, such as suicide unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and gun-shooting drones, by next year to better brace for evolving future battle environments, the arms procurement agency said Monday. Under the second round of the "rapid acquisition" project worth 26 billion won ($22.75 million), the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) decided to buy 12 military items that employ state-of-the-art technologies, suc

US Forces Korea (USFK) said Friday that it will ease anti-coronavirus restrictions for its personnel in the greater Seoul area in step with the South Korean government's recent lowering of its social distancing level following drops in new cases.  Last month, the US military lowered the Health Protection Condition (HPCON) level by one notch to the second-lowest level of "Bravo" from "Charlie," except for Area II defined as the greater Seoul area, including the western c

Activities by Chinese warships in waters near the Korean Peninsula have increased in recent years, military data showed Friday. According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff data released by Rep. Kim Min-ki of the ruling Democratic Party, Chinese war vessels crossed the tentative median line in South Korea's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) around 290 times last year. An EEZ is a sea zone that a country has special rights over regarding the exploration and use of marine resources. It stretches out to 2

The Army said Friday it will observe an annual US-led multinational exercise focused on space operations as part of efforts to boost its space defense capabilities. In a parliamentary audit report, the Army said it will join the Global Thunder exercise expected to be held next month as an observer. Global Thunder, led by the US Strategic Command, is an annual command and control exercise that provides training opportunities to assess the command's mission areas with a specific focus on nuclear

US Forces Korea (USFK) said Friday it has informed its South Korean employees of a potential furlough amid little progress in negotiations between Seoul and Washington over how to share the burden for the upkeep of American troops stationed here. On Oct. 5, USFK sent the notice to its Korean Employees Union and Seoul's labor ministry about a furlough that could possibly occur in April next year in case the two allies fail to reach an agreement on their defense cost-sharing deal, it said. The n

Soldiers and equipment of a US armored brigade combat team have started to arrive in South Korea for a rotational deployment, the US military said Thursday. Tracked vehicles and other equipment of the Raider Brigade, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 3rd Infantry Division, began arriving in the southeastern city of Busan from Fort Stewart, Georgia, according to the Eighth Army. The arriving brigade is replacing the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Infantry Division on a nine-mon

South Korea and the US appeared to differ over whether Seoul is ready to take over wartime operational control from Washington, casting a shadow over President Moon Jae-in’s push to regain military sovereignty by 2022. 　 The defense chiefs of the two allies held the Security Consultative Meeting in Washington on Wednesday (local time), discussing a range of issues, including the handover of wartime control, the stalled talks on defense cost-sharing and the North Korea situation. 　 At th

Almost 60 percent of South Koreans are in support of allowing distinguished pop culture artists to postpone their mandatory military service, a poll showed Thursday. According to the poll conducted on 500 people aged 18 or above by Realmeter, 58.8 percent of the respondents said they favor the government efforts to revise a relevant law. The survey was carried out on Wednesday and commissioned by the radio channel TBS. Another 31.4 percent said they object to the plan, while the remaining 9.8

The United States has reaffirmed its commitment to South Korea's security, including providing "extended deterrence," during annual talks between the military chiefs of the two countries, both sides said Wednesday. US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman (JCS) Gen. Mark Milley made the remark Tuesday during the 45th Military Committee Meeting (MCM) via videoconference with his South Korean counterpart, Gen. Won In-choul, days after North Korea unveiled a massive new intercontinental missile

South Korea's military is expected to run short of troops from around 2032 due to a shrinking population amid low birthrates, the military recruitment agency chief said Tuesday. The Military Manpower Administration chief, Mo Jong-hwa, made the remark during a parliamentary audit session, saying detailed discussions should begin to come up with measures to cope with the expected shortage. From 2032, Mo said, the country will have only about 180,000 people joining the military a year when at le