SEOUL, April 26 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea has notified the United States of its plan to pay wages in advance for its citizens who work for the U.S. Forces Korea but have been furloughed amid a deadlock in their defense cost-sharing negotiations, a government source said Sunday. Around 4,000 employees were furloughed indefinitely starting [...]
SEOUL, April 16 (Korea Bizwire) — U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said Thursday it has removed travel restrictions for South Korea’s southeastern city of Daegu as new coronavirus cases in the area have been on the decline recently. In February, USFK designated Daegu as a coronavirus “hot spot” and banned all service members from making nonessential [...]
SEOUL, April 7 (Korea Bizwire) — An American citizen working at a U.S. air base in the city of Pyeongtaek tested positive for the coronavirus Tuesday, bringing the total number of USFK-related infections to 20, the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said. The civilian worker has been in quarantine at his off-installation residence since Thursday, when [...]
SEOUL, April 6 (Korea Bizwire) — U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) is randomly conducting vinegar smell tests at entrances of its bases to screen people possibly infected with the new coronavirus, the military said, following reports that losing the sense of smell or taste could be an indication of virus infection. “We are now performing random [...]
SEOUL, April 3 (Korea Bizwire) — U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Robert Abrams has drawn criticism over a tweet that appeared to mock South Korea for hastily expecting a deal in defense cost-sharing negotiations between the two countries. On Thursday evening, Abrams retweeted a dictionary explanation of the traditional Korean idiom “to drink kimchi [...]
SEOUL, March 17 (Korea Bizwire) — U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Robert Abrams has praised South Korea’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, commending local health authorities as “extraordinary partners” for their professionalism, transparency and coordination efforts. “Cannot underscore enough how great KCDC has been for us to work with. Open, transparent, collaborative and extremely [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 25 (Korea Bizwire) — U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) has limited all service members’ off-installation travel and implemented a tougher process for accessing garrisons following the first coronavirus case among its members. On Monday, a 61-year-old USFK widowed dependent residing in the southeastern city of Daegu tested positive for COVID-19, prompting the U.S. military [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 20 (Korea Bizwire) — U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) has banned “non-essential” travel to and from South Korea’s southeastern city of Daegu and shut down all of its children-related facilities there in the wake of a surge in new coronavirus cases in the region. Since Wednesday, South Korea has confirmed more than 70 additional [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 28 (Korea Bizwire) — The U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) has issued guidelines on the prevention of an outbreak of Wuhan coronavirus amid deepening concerns over the spread of the pneumonia-like illness following four confirmed cases reported in South Korea. The deadly virus appears to have put the U.S. military on alert, particularly as [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 23 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea decided Monday to expand the boundary of an envisioned national park in Yongsan, central Seoul, as the U.S. forces stationed here have kicked off the return process for a major military base. South Korea is pushing to establish a sprawling park in Yongsan as the United States [...]