A group of domestically produced tanks, dubbed “Heukpyo,” goes through an underwater river-crossing exercise in the South Han River in Yeoju, east of Seoul, on April 19, 2016. (Yonhap)
Fortunately this accidental discharge did not turn into a larger incident with North Korea:
A South Korean machine gun was recently accidentally discharged toward North Korea, the military in Seoul said Tuesday, though it remained unclear where the shots had landed.
A South Korean military official said two shots from a K-6 heavy machine gun were accidentally fired from a guard post (GP) inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on the eastern front on Sunday. The official said the misfire happened during maintenance, but no injuries were reported.
On three occasions, South Korea broadcast messages to North Korea that the shots had been accidentally fired.
“The North Korean military didn’t respond to our messages and didn’t show any particular movement,” the South Korean official added. “We don’t believe the shots reached their GP.” [Yonhap]
You can read more at the link.
Soldiers line up for consulting at a job fair for soldiers finishing their mandatory military service this year, at KINTEX Convention Center in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Mar. 30. (Hankyoreh)
The UK’s Guardian has an article published that describes what life is like for ROK Army soldiers tasked with patrolling the DMZ:
Because the border is supposed to be a “demilitarised zone”, it takes some creative accounting to allow the soldiers to be posted there.
“All of the rangers are given a chest patch that says ‘DMZ police’ and an armband that says ‘military police,’” Shin said. “As as long as we wear the armband before entering the DMZ, no matter how armed we are, we are nothing but the ‘armed police’ not the armed ‘military’ force.”
It’s a posting that comes with many hazards, not just North Korean ones. Instead of four seasons there are just three at the DMZ: “the steaming summer, cold winter and the ice age when everything freezes,” he said.
Shin and his fellow soldiers had to endure temperatures that dropped below -19C (-2.2F), with endless, biting winds blowing in from the North.
“The wind was so strong it could literally blow you around,” said Shin. “Most general outposts are on the top of the mountain, directly facing the wind.” [The Guardian]
You can read more at the link.
https://twitter.com/staffordnetnz/status/712486979192037376
Male cadets raise their fists in a gesture of solidarity during a graduation ceremony at the Armed Forces Nursing Academy in the central city of Daejeon on Feb. 24, 2016. It marks the first time male cadets have graduated from the nursing school. (Yonhap)
Wee Sung-ho (R), president of the Korea National Defense University (KNDU), and Frederick Padilla, president of the National Defense University of the U.S., shake hands after signing a memorandum of understanding in Seoul on Feb. 24, 2016, for academic exchanges between their institutions. The agreement covers exchanges of teaching staff and students, conducting joint studies and sharing of research findings. (Photo courtesy of KNDU) (Yonhap)
Condolences to the friends and families of these ROK soldiers killed in this helicopter crash. Judging by the below picture it looks like it crashed right outside the wall of the military base:
A South Korean military helicopter crashed in an eastern province on Monday, killing three of the four soldiers on board, officials said.
The helicopter went down in a farming field in the city of Chuncheon in the eastern province of Gangwon during a checkout flight, defense and army officials said.
The officials said that all four soldiers aboard the helicopter were initially rescued after the crash, but that three of them died while being treated in hospitals.
They said no casualties on the ground have been reported. The cause of the crash is under investigation. [Washington Post via a reader tip]
You can read more at the link.
I never had the chance to see the K-2 cross a river before, but having this capability is needed in South Korea with its many deep rivers:
A South Korean K-2 “Black Panther” tank sports an unusual-looking piece of equipment in this YouTube video. The tank, crossing a 13 foot deep river during a military exercise, is using a so-called fording kit to allow it to drive across the river bottom.
Bridges are often destroyed in wartime, and the pace of operations may mean only a limited number of portable bridges may be available. The solution to a potentially deadly traffic bottleneck: unlike many military vehicles, tanks are usually waterproof and their tracks still work underwater-so why not drive them underwater? (………….)
Modern fording kits typically consist of a single smokestack-like pipe that connects to the tank commander’s hatch. This allows the tank commander to sit at the top, where he can keep an eye on the tank’s progress. The stack also serves as an escape hatch for the crew in case of emergencies. [Popular Mechanics]
You can read more at the link.
A group of shirtless soldiers affiliated with an Army unit under the Special Warfare Command sing a martial song in unison after entering a reservoir by breaking the ice on its surface in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province, on Jan. 21, 2016. The day is known as “daehan,” one of the 24 seasonal divisions of the lunar calendar that marks the arrival of the coldest day of the year. The exercise in cold water, part of the unit’s tactical drill tailored for the winter’s severe cold period, is aimed to build the soldiers’ resistance to cold weather. (Yonhap)
