South Korea - The Korea Times

South Korea to cut 17% of generals, merge Army commands in military reform

South Korea will reduce the number of general-grade officers by about 17 percent over the next four years, in line with the overall troop drawdown scheme, as part of a new defense reform initiative aimed at creating a slimmer yet stronger military.The initiative also calls for launching the Ground Operation Command by merging the First and Third Army commands, an integration based on technological advancements that have reduced operational redundancies and allowed greater efficiency.The military will retain an aggressive program to counter North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, contrary to speculation that it will be diluted amid Seoul's push for inter-Korean reconciliation and North Korea's denuclearization.Following its briefing to President Moon Jae-in, the defense ministry announced the Defense Reform 2.0. blueprint that was forged in light of "uncertainties" in the peninsula's security landscape, regional arms competition, and evolving transnational and nonmilitary threats."Our military has established Defense Reform 2.0. based on the recognition that reform is an order from

Jul 27, 2018

South Korea to cut 17% of generals, merge Army commands in military reform

South Korea seeks to withdraw guard post forces from DMZ

South Korea's defense ministry said Tuesday that it is pushing for a plan to withdraw forces and their equipment from border guard posts "on a trial basis" in line with the April inter-Korean summit agreement to halt all hostile acts and reduce tensions.In a policy briefing to the National Assembly's defense committee, the ministry also said that it would consider the "full-scale pullout" in sync with a cross-border survey of historical remains and ecological features within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas.After their summit at the truce village of Panmunjom on April 27, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un agreed to transform the DMZ into a "peace zone in a genuine sense.""To realize the transformation of the DMZ into a peace zone, as stated in the Panmunjom Declaration, (the ministry) is seeking a plan to expand the (withdrawal) program in stages after pulling out troops and equipment from the guard posts within the DMZ," the ministry said.The ministry, in addition, said it would seek a joint program with the United States an

Jul 24, 2018

South Korea seeks to withdraw guard post forces from DMZ

Military reform faces setback amid mounting scandal

Defense Minister Song Young-moo listens to a lawmaker’s remarks while attending a plenary session at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Friday. Song pledged to stop political interference by the military amid an escalating scandal over the Defense Security Command planning to mobilize troops to control protestors last year. / YonhapBack-scratching alliance between Cheong Wa Dae and DSC should be severedBy Lee Min-hyungDefense Minister Song Young-moo's pledge to stamp out deeply-rooted military corruption is rapidly losing steam amid a mounting scandal over the Defense Security Command's (DSC) plan to declare martial law last year. Song's ambitious drive, better known as “Defense Reform 2.0,” outlines drastic reforms in five areas, including structure, management, culture and the defense industryBut the snowballing controversy is casting a gloomy outlook for him to turn into reality the grand blueprint which he thinks will make the nation's armed forces more transparent and efficient.Starting this month, the defense ministry is facing its worst-ever crisis for

Jul 23, 2018

Military reform faces setback amid mounting scandal

Marine Corps vows to conduct 'neutral, objective' probe

The Marine Corps vowed Friday to conduct a "neutral and objective" probe into this week's deadly chopper crash during its belated press briefing on the accident that killed five service members.The armed service said that it is considering including civilian aviation experts, whom the victims' families recommend, in the probe team that currently consists of military and public officials.It also said that the officials have conducted the on-site investigation and secured witness statements and video footage of the crash, and that they are seeking to restore a flight recorder retrieved from the wrecked helicopter.The MUH-1 Marineon, the Marine variant of the KUH-1 Surion helicopter, crashed at a military airport in the southeastern city of Pohang on Tuesday, killing five of the six Marines aboard and injuring the other."With various possibilities in mind and based on scientific grounds, the investigation team will ascertain the cause of the accident in a neutral and objective manner to make sure that there will not be any suspicion left," the Marines said in a statement."Upon the compl

Jul 20, 2018

Marine Corps vows to conduct 'neutral, objective' probe

New Navy chief takes office, vows to build strong force

Adm. Sim Seung-seob, left, and President Moon Jae-in / YonhapAdm. Sim Seung-seob took office as South Korea's new chief of naval operations Thursday, vowing to build a "strong Navy to buttress national security and prosperity."His inauguration ceremony was held hours after President Moon Jae-in appointed him to the top post at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae. He replaced Um Hyun-seong, who had served in the top post of the Navy since 2016."Now, the Korean Peninsula is at a great turning point that will lead us into a new era of peace and prosperity," Sim said during his speech at the Gyeryongdae military headquarters, some 160 kilometers south of Seoul."Even if there was a situational change, the values of national defense and security do not change. ... The military can garner love and trust from citizens by propping up the government's policy with strong power," he added.His swearing-in came amid a flurry of diplomacy aimed at denuclearizing the North, reducing cross-border tensions and establishing a permanent peace regime on the peninsula.Sim is noted for his expertise in j

Jul 19, 2018

New Navy chief takes office, vows to build strong force

DSC head's regular presidential briefings to be halted

A military official enters the temporary office of a special investigation team into the Defense Security Command's alleged plan to declare martial law during anti-government protests, at the Ministry of National Defense compound in Seoul, Monday. / YonhapBy Kim RahnThe head of the Defense Security Command (DSC) will no longer make regular direct presidential briefings bypassing the defense minister, military sources said Wednesday. The reform measure comes amid an ongoing investigation into the DSC's alleged plan for a possible crackdown on anti-government protesters from late 2016 to early 2017 by declaring martial law.According to the sources, a reform committee under the Ministry of National Defense is discussing a new regulation that will prevent the DSC chief from reporting military intelligence directly to the president without making a prior report to the minister.In previous administrations, DSC chiefs regularly had face-to-face presidential briefings about intelligence within the military, and sometimes about unlawful activities such as surveillance of opposition politician

Jul 18, 2018

DSC head's regular presidential briefings to be halted

5 killed, 1 injured in military chopper crash in Pohang

 A Marine Corps helicopter crashed at a military airport in the southeastern city of Pohang on Tuesday, killing five of the six people aboard and injuring the other, officials said.The helicopter was on a test flight after repair when it went down from a height of about 10 meters around 4:46 p.m. and caught fire, Marine Corps officials said.Five of the six aboard were killed, and the other was taken to a hospital, they said.The military will form an investigation committee to determine the cause of the crash, officials said. (Yonhap)

Jul 17, 2018

5 killed, 1 injured in military chopper crash in Pohang

Marine chopper crash expected to affect procurement plan

Conscientious objector released on bail

The Supreme Court said Wednesday it has allowed a man detained for refusing the mandatory military service for religious beliefs to walk free on bail, the first such case following the latest Constitutional Court ruling that partially upheld the right to object to the mandate.The court granted the bail last Friday for the 23-year-old defendant, identified by his surname Kim, it said in a statement. Kim was being held pending an appellate decision on the charge of disobeying the state order to serve around two years in the military, applied to all able-bodied South Korean men.He was sentenced to 18 months in jail by a lower court.Kim's release marks the first decision by the Supreme Court seen as a step in line with the Constitutional Court's June 28 ruling that recognized for the first time the need for alternative service for conscientious objectors.The highest court reaffirmed its previous three rulings that it is not against the Constitution to convict those who refuse mandatory military service.But for the first time, it acknowledged that the state does not have the right to depr

Jul 11, 2018

South Korea suspends annual Ulchi defense drill

Ulchi exercise / YonhapSouth Korea's government said Tuesday that it has decided to cancel this year's Ulchi exercise, an annual defense drill intended to examine the state's war preparedness, in consideration of the "changing security circumstances" on the Korean Peninsula.The decision was reached at a weekly Cabinet meeting early in the day, as the Seoul government has recently refrained from military drills and other moves that might provoke North Korea amid its ongoing denuclearization talks with the United States.Kim Boo-kyum, minister of the interior, announced the decision after the Cabinet meeting, saying, "The government has decided to temporarily suspend the Ulchi exercise slated for later this year, in accordance with the changing security circumstances and earlier decisions to halt joint military drills between South Korea and the U.S."The Ulchi exercise, which was launched in 1969 following a raid of North Korean commandos on the presidential residence in Seoul the previous year, is an annual training meant to comprehensively check the state's crisis management capabilit

Jul 10, 2018

South Korea suspends annual Ulchi defense drill

Army general sacked for sexual misconduct

A South Korean Army division commander was dismissed Monday for allegedly sexually harassing female soldiers.The 56-year-old one-star general was found to have touched a hand of a female subordinate against her wishes for three to four seconds in a car around March, according to Army investigators.He was serving as commander of a division on the outskirts of Seoul. Other personal information was withheld as he's likely to be court-martialed.There are at least two other victims in the military in similar cases involving him, they added.The Army received a related tip-off last week and reported it to Defense Minister Song Young-moo, who immediately ordered the Army's central investigation team to handle the incident.The Army expressed regret over the sexual abuse case and vowed to deal sternly with it.A total of 42 sexual abuse cases were reported in the military in the first half of this year. (Yonhap)

Jul 9, 2018

Defense