South Korea’s military on Wednesday reported three more COVID-19 infections linked to a cluster that recently emerged in the Itaewon neighborhood, Seoul, bringing the tally to 11. The three soldiers apparently contracted the coronavirus from a staff sergeant at the Cyber Command in central Seoul. Of all the cases uncovered so far, four soldiers and five officers worked at the Cyber Command, and the other two officers were stationed at an Army base in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province.

North Koreans under leader Kim Jong-un live in dire human rights conditions, facing execution for watching or circulating South Korean TV dramas, the Korea Institute for National Unification said in its latest white paper on human rights in the North. The extensive application and frequent implementation of the death penalty in the communist regime could be a breach of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, a multilateral treaty the United Nations adopted to safeguard individ

The United States is focused on drawing North Korea back to denuclearization talks and is willing to show flexibility in reaching balanced agreements to reflect the promises the two countries exchanged at the Singapore summit in June 2018, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday. Asked by South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency to respond to President Moon Jae-in’s latest push to resume inter-Korean exchanges, the top US diplomat reiterated that Washington supports inter-Korean coope

US President Donald Trump told a press briefing Thursday that South Korea had agreed to pay “substantial money” to the US for the upkeep of the 28,500 American troops stationed here, repeating what he had told Reuters a week earlier. “It costs us a lot of money. And if we’re going to defend countries, they should also respect us by making a contribution,” Trump said. The Trump administration is reportedly pushing Korea to pay about $1.3 billion, up 49 percent fro

South Korea’s military said Friday that traveling for off-base on assignments will resume, easing the anti-virus restrictions put in place since Feb. 22, a day after it reported its first infection. Decisions on overnight stays outside the base and visits at the installation for active-duty troops, still banned, would be announced later, the military said, adding it would gradually lift the ban as risk diminishes. The relaxing of anti-virus rules was in line with the government’s

A total 1 million masks will be delivered to Korean War veterans globally to recognize their sacrifices for this country, amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Korean War Commemoration Committee said Thursday. Twenty-two nations that provided either ground or medical support will receive the masks. The US, which supplied over 90 percent of overseas troops deployed here, will receive half of the million, while the other 21 countries will share the other half based on the level of their contributi

South Korea’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday that it would develop autonomous robots by 2024 at the earliest to recover the remains of soldiers killed in the 1950-53 Korean War. The artificial intelligence-powered robots will scan underground to detect human remains, lowering the manual workload for the project, which began in April 2000. About 135,000 soldiers are still missing. The ministry also said it would secure more DNA samples from the missing soldiers’ families by compe

Days after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un resurfaced in public, ending an absence that had triggered health rumors, the Wall Street Journal said Monday that Pyongyang’s denuclearization talks are unlikely to see progress, at least not ahead of the US presidential election in November. Kim’s return reaffirmed the status quo, meaning the isolated country would not reorient its uncompromising approach to nuclear talks or change its pattern of sporadic weapons tests, according to the W

Gunfire broke out between North and South Korea early Sunday, when the North fired multiple gunshots toward a South Korean guard post in Cheorwon, inside the demilitarized zone, and South Korea shot back twice, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. “There were no injuries or facility damage and we’re on the communication lines to assess the situation and to prevent further incidents. We’re on readiness,” the military said, adding it had asked Pyo

US Sen. Edward Markey and Rep. Ro Khanna introduced Tuesday legislation that would bar President Donald Trump from waging military action against North Korea, unless Pyongyang delivers a preemptive strike or the US Congress authorizes it in advance. The bill, initially introduced in 2017 but which failed to get past the committee approval, surfaced again amid lingering tensions over recent conflicting reports on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s health and his whereabouts. “While d

Former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon has consolidated his lead among potential presidential candidates, posting an overwhelming lead of 40.2 percent in the latest poll conducted by Realmeter. Lee, who served as prime minister under President Moon Jae-in and won a parliamentary seat in the April 15 general elections, saw his popularity climb by 10.5 percentage points from a month earlier, the local pollster said. He held the lead for the 11th consecutive month and exceeded the 40 percent mark for

A group of former researchers at South Korea's state-run arms development agency are under investigation for allegedly leaking military secrets to private firms and institutions, military authorities said Monday. “We think about 60 workers left the agency with trade secrets. The National Intelligence Service, along with other authorities, are looking into the event,” a military official said, adding that authorities were focusing on some 20 agents suspected of glaring malf

Lawmakers from rival political parties are pushing to enact a special law to support South Korean employees of United States Forces Korea, who were recently put on unpaid leave because Seoul and Washington failed to conclude a defense cost-sharing pact. Submitted to the parliament Friday, the two separate but similar bills aim to establish a legal framework for the Korean government to intervene and pay the Korean workers. USFK put half of its 9,000 Korean employees on unpaid leave April 1, ci

The UN Human Rights Office in Seoul said Thursday it was concerned about coronavirus protection for prisoners in North Korea due to a “lack of transparency and information” on its prison camps. The office said prisoners were vulnerable to the coronavirus because they were locked up in cramped conditions. United Nations human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said several countries had already made efforts to curb coronavirus infections in prison, in a report submitted to the UN

United States Forces Korea said Friday it had decided to extend its public health emergency declaration to curb coronavirus infections at the US Army Garrison here. Amid growing concerns over the virus spread, the emergency was initially declared March 25 but expired Thursday. Effective until May 23, the renewed declaration did not mean an increased risk level but was a reminder that the commander would exercise authority to enforce the military staff’s compliance with required precaution

The US government has extensive contingency plans in place in case North Korean leader Kim Jong-un dies or is unable to rule due to failing health, Fox News reported Wednesday, adding that the plans involve China to address the potential for a mass-scale humanitarian crisis.　 Any mass exodus of North Korean refugees would need China’s support, according to unnamed sources in the US government the new channel cited. The report came amid lingering speculation concerning Kim’s well-be

South Korea will have to pay more than it recently offered in a defense cost-sharing pact with the US, experts said Wednesday, as US President Donald Trump continues to insist on a drastic hike in contributions from Seoul. Trump said Monday that he had rejected an offer from Korea, which reportedly promised 13 percent more than the $900 million it paid last year. Washington had initially asked for $5 billion. “Trump is telling negotiating teams -- both Washington and Seoul -- that he wa

South Korea on Tuesday played down reports of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un falling seriously ill after surgery, saying nothing in particular signaled Kim's failing health or indicated an emergency in the reclusive country. "So far we haven't come across any unusual signs in North Korea," said Kang Min-seok, spokesperson for Cheong Wa Dae, in a message to reporters sent hours after CNN said Kim was in critical condition following surgery, citing an unidentified US official with dir

A South Korean official on Tuesday played down a CNN report that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was in critical condition after surgery. Citing a US official with direct knowledge of the matter, the US news channel said Kim appeared to be in "grave danger" after surgery. An earlier report by a South Korean online media outlet specializing in North Korea news said that Kim had undergone heart surgery and was in recovery. Kim was not present at the celebration of the birthday of his

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is in critical condition after surgery, CNN said Tuesday, citing a US official with direct knowledge of the matter. Earlier on Monday, a South Korean online media outlet specializing in North Korea news reported Kim underwent a cardiovascular procedure and was in recovery.  Kim was not present at the celebration of the birthday of his grandfather Kim Il-sung on April 15, fueling speculation about his health. It was the first time he had been absent from th