SEOUL, Jan. 3 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea will mandate drug tests for all soon-to-be conscripts to disqualify drug addicts and ensure safety in the military, the military manpower agency said Wednesday. Until now, prospective enlistees have undergone drug testing only if they have disclosed past drug use or a medical officer deems it necessary, [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Korea Bizwire) — RM and V of K-pop supergroup BTS will begin their mandatory military service Monday. When two more members — Jimin and Jungkook — enlist Tuesday, all seven members of the band will be carrying out their military duty. Three older band members are already in service, with Jin, the [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 10 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea plans to raise the annual salaries of entry-level military officers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs) at border units by up to 30 percent by 2027 from this year, the defense ministry said Sunday, amid a push to improve working conditions of troops. The salary for a new staff [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 5 (Korea Bizwire) — The agency of K-pop megastar BTS on Tuesday asked fans to refrain from visiting boot camps to see off their favorite stars as the last four members of the group are set to join the Army as active-duty soldiers early next week. Last week, industry sources said RM and [...]
GYEONGJU, Dec. 5 (Korea Bizwire) – In the early hours of November 30, a magnitude 4.0 earthquake struck Gyeongju, South Korea, leaving military personnel with an unexpected aftermath – widespread confiscation of mobile phones. Reports have emerged of soldiers surreptitiously using phones during prohibited hours, only to be caught off guard by disaster alert sounds. According [...]
SEOUL, Nov. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — BTS’ RM, Jimin, V and Jungkook are taking steps to begin their mandatory military service, the group’s agency said Wednesday, following in the footsteps of their three bandmates who are already serving their duties. “We announce that RM, Jimin, V and Jungkook have begun taking the steps necessary to [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 16 (Korea Bizwire) – According to a recent report, over the last five years, more than 20,000 men have relinquished their South Korean citizenship. This information is based on data provided by the Military Manpower Administration to the National Assembly, which is currently conducting a national security audit. The data reveals that between 2019 and [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 11 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s Air Force chief will visit the United States and Canada this week to meet senior military officials and hold bilateral talks on security and arms industry cooperation, officials said Monday. Gen. Jung Sang-hwa, the Air Force’s chief of staff, will embark on the weeklong trip later in [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea launched a joint military command overseeing drone operations Friday, officials said, amid efforts to step up the use of the unmanned assets to respond to evolving military threats from Pyongyang. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) held a ceremony marking the establishment of the Drone Operations Command [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 31 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea has staged a large-scale Army exercise this week, mobilizing hundreds of armored vehicles, to reinforce its readiness against North Korean military threats, officials said Thursday. The Army’s VII Maneuver Corps mobilized some 550 tracked vehicles, including tanks and self-propelled howitzers, as well as over 3,000 troops for [...]