Gen. Lee Sun-jin (C), chairman of South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), walks with other military leaders on the Namhan River in Yeoju, about 100 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Nov. 7, 2016, as the Army’s 30th Mechanized Infantry Division conducts a field maneuver to enhance its combat preparedness against possible North Korean attacks, in this photo released by the JCS. (Yonhap)
U.S. Forces Korea’s top commander Vincent Brooks gives a pep talk to South Korean soldiers in Yeoju, about 100 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Nov. 2, 2016, as he visits a river-crossing drill conducted by the Army’s 8th Division. The maneuver is part of the broader Hoguk combined drill that the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force have carried out since 1996. (Yonhap)
South Korean Army tanks cross a river via a pontoon bridge in Yeoju, about 100 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Nov. 2, 2016, as part of the broader Hoguk combined drill that the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force has carried out since 1996. (Yonhap)
This is a horrible way to commit suicide if in fact that is what happened:
A soldier of the South Korean Army died on Thursday when a grenade exploded during a training exercise in the Demilitarized Zone along the border with the North, military officials said, suspecting that it could be a suicide.
The Army PFC, identified only by his last name Yang, died when a grenade went off at around 2:20 p.m. Approximately 10 soldiers, including Yang, were engaged in a military drill in the DMZ near the border town when it happened, according to the officials.
The exact cause of the explosion has not been determined, but the military officials suspect that Yang might have committed suicide using his own grenade.
A note he allegedly wrote was reported to have been found later which read, “(This) has nothing to do with (his) military unit.” [Yonhap]
It seems for people with religious reasons for not wanting to conduct their mandatory service in the military could be used to do something more productive than sitting in a jail cell with other criminals:
Hopes are fading for an alternative to Korea’s mandatory military service after decades of calls from pacifists and religious groups to spare conscientious objectors the martial ordeal.
Some 6,088 young men chose prison rather than mandatory military service over the decade from 2006 to 2015, over 99 percent on religious grounds, according to Defense Ministry data Thursday. That boils down to 600 a year, or just 0.24 percent of all 250,000 annual conscripts.
They are sentenced to a year and a half in jail and must serve the time alongside ordinary criminals. (……….)
But opponents say that South Korea is uniquely placed because it remains officially at war with North Korea, and there is insufficient public support for an alternative.
In data submitted to the National Assembly early this month, the Defense Ministry said alternative service “can be abused” as a way to evade military service, and there is “not enough consensus” seeing it as anything other than a privilege for followers of “certain religions.” [Chosun Ilbo]
Merchants at the Taewha traditional market in UIsan, 414 kilometers southeast of Seoul, clap for soldiers on Oct. 12, 2016, in a gesture to express thanks for their efforts to help them restore their market that was severely damaged by the powerful Typhoon Chaba early in the month. (photo courtesy of army) (Yonhap)
A towed artillery piece fires as reservists and soldiers from the South Korean Army’s 1st Corps conduct a live-fire exercise at a range in Paju, north of Seoul, bordering North Korea, on Sept. 8, 2016. (Yonhap)
Senior high school girls get information at a special forces booth to recruit noncommissioned officers in a job fair for high school graduates at a Seoul convention on Aug. 31, 2016. (Yonhap)
This photo taken on Aug. 15, 2016, shows 2nd Infantry Division Commander Theodore D. Martin making a salute to a KATUSA veteran after awarding him a letter of appreciation during the 66th anniversary of KATUSA’s foundation held at Camp Jackson in Uijeongbu, northern Seoul. (Yonhap)
The Korean Augmentation Troops to the U.S. Army (KATUSA) celebrated the 66th anniversary of its foundation Monday, according to the KATUSA Veterans Association.
Some 400 U.S. military officials, KATUSA war veterans, KATUSA reservists and active-duty KATUSA soldiers participated in the event at Camp Jackson, a U.S. military base, in Uijeongbu, north of Seoul.
KATUSA Veterans Association Chairman Kim Jong-wook and 2nd Infantry Division Commander Theodore D. Martin were among the participants. Chairman Kim delivered a welcoming speech following a silent tribute to patriotic martyrs and then Commander Martin as guest speaker gave a keynote speech on the meaning of the 66th anniversary for the two allies.
Commander Martin said KATUSA has operated like a set of well-running wheels for the U.S. and South Korean armies for the past 66 years. He asked KATUSA soldiers to continue their bridging role in strengthening the bilateral alliance.
“Today, the strength of the KATUSA Program serves as a symbol of the friendship and continued commitment between the two countries. This strength is vital, and it enhances our combined ability to deter aggression and maintain peace in the Korean Peninsula,” he said. [Yonhap]
You can read more at the link to include a story about a South Korean family that had three generations serve in the KATUSA program. The KATUSA program has definitely been a success since its founding by General Douglas MacArthur during the Korean War.
