Military under fire for 'lack of discipline' after series of incidents
Expert blames years of 'inadequate' military training, calls for consistency
South Korea's military has come under fire for lax discipline following a series of incidents in recent months, including the latest involving the Air Force's accidental dropping of two gun pods from a KA-1 light attack aircraft during training on Friday.
The series of incidents came amid a leadership vacuum in the military that began in December, prompting security concerns due to signs of a weakened defense posture. Former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and several other key unit commanders have been arrested and detained for their alleged roles in ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived martial law declaration on Dec. 3. Vice Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho is currently serving as the acting minister.
'On the surface, (the series of incidents) may seem to be merely a lack of discipline within the military, but it's more an accumulation of inadequate military training,' said Yang Uk, a research fellow at the Asan Institute of Policy Studies, speaking via phone.
'It's the result of inconsistency in military training, with the liberal Moon Jae-in administration having halted and scaled back several key drills and then the Yoon administration failing to revive the momentum of the exercises,' he added.
What the South Korean military desperately needs at the moment is consistency in its training, Yang suggested.
According to the Air Force on Friday, a KA-1 light attack aircraft jettisoned two gun pods and two empty fuel tanks during a night training exercise held over Pyeongchang, approximately 125 kilometers east of Seoul. No casualties or property damage have been reported as the components landed in a mountainous area, the Air Force added.
The Air Force announced the following day that it had found and retrieved the two gun pods by mobilizing one HH-60 helicopter and 270 troops. But it failed to find the two empty fuel tanks on Saturday and said that the search mission would continue on Sunday.
Friday's incident came a month after an Israeli-made Heron -- a large uncrewed aerial reconnaissance vehicle -- crashed into a Surion utility helicopter that was parked in an airfield at an Army base in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, on March 18. The crash ignited a fire, and both the helicopter and the UAV were destroyed. There were no casualties or injuries, but the Army is believed to have incurred a financial loss of at least 23 billion won ($16.1 million).
After launching an internal investigation into the matter, the South Korean Army on April 9 blamed the incident on "a sudden gust of strong wind." The wind pushed the UAV, which was attempting to land on the runway, toward the helicopter, the Army explained.
Two weeks prior to the crash, two South Korean KF-16 fighter jets accidentally bombed a village near the inter-Korean border, injuring 38 people, mostly civilians. The South Korean Air Force cited pilot error for the accident. Since then, the two pilots and two Air Force unit commanders have been booked by Defense Ministry investigators on charges of professional negligence resulting in injury.
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5 hours ago
- Korea Herald
[Yoo Choon-sik] President Lee should look beyond market cheers
The South Korean stock market soared on each of the first two trading days following President Lee Jae-myung's official inauguration after securing a decisive victory in the early election held on June 3, winning by a substantial margin over his opponents. The peaceful transition of power and the political clarity it brings have been met with visible enthusiasm. Undoubtedly, Lee and his party, together with the people of South Korea, have every reason to relish the celebratory honeymoon phase of their administration. The stock market's benchmark Kospi posted a remarkable combined gain of 4.2 percent over those two days to end at 2,812.05 points on Friday, representing the highest closing level in nearly a year since July 18 last year. During the same period, foreign investors made net purchases totaling 2.07 trillion won ($1.52 billion) on the main board, marking the most net inflow from overseas investors in a year. This sharp uptick in buying activity reflected renewed confidence in the Korean market under the new leadership. The rise in stock prices is widely interpreted as a reflection of relief across the investor community, stemming from the peaceful resolution of the monthslong political impasse, triggered by the former president's controversial declaration of martial law last December. With stability now restored, there is cautious hope that Lee's administration will introduce pragmatic, market-friendly reforms. Contributing to the rally are also favorable external factors: a persistent weakening of the US dollar against major global currencies and the announcement that the US and China intend to resume trade negotiations —developments that typically benefit emerging markets like South Korea. Historically, traditional markets served as informal forums where policymakers could gather sentiment from the people, as citizens exchanged views and insights while trading goods. In our current era, financial markets serve a parallel — yet far more complex and consequential — role. They function as barometers of public and investor sentiment, allowing market participants around the globe to continuously evaluate a nation's economic performance, policy direction and future outlook. From that perspective, the recent rally in the stock market, alongside the strengthening of the Korean won, can be read as a strong initial endorsement of the promises and rhetoric offered by President Lee during the campaign. His campaign period, however, was notably brief, offering limited time for his team to flesh out fully detailed policy plans. Nonetheless, the messaging struck a chord, especially among investors and market observers eager for reform and modernization. One of Lee's key campaign priorities is addressing the "Korea Discount" — a persistent and well-documented phenomenon that refers to the comparatively low valuation of Korean-listed companies relative to their international peers. It is largely attributed to weaknesses in corporate governance, low shareholder returns and systemic inefficiencies in South Korea's regulatory and economic framework. To address this issue, Lee has pledged to revise Article 382-3 of the Commercial Act. The proposed amendment would obligate directors of listed companies to act not just in good faith but specifically in the interest of both the company and all its shareholders. The current version of the act requires directors to act for the benefit of the company, but lacks explicit emphasis on shareholder interests. Lee has also vowed to introduce the cumulative voting system. Many view this as a powerful tool for enhancing minority shareholder rights, as it allows shareholders to pool votes to elect at least one representative to a board, in contrast to the traditional system of one vote per share per director. Deliberative policymaking In addition, he supports other measures aimed at prompting companies to return a greater portion of earnings to shareholders and limiting the negative effects of corporate spinoffs that often disadvantage minority investors. While these governance-focused reforms are grabbing headlines, Lee has also promised fiscal stimulus on a massive scale. Though not explicitly intended to push stock prices higher, a major supplementary budget is expected to provide a strong economic stimulus to offset faltering domestic demand. This comes at a time when South Korea, an export-driven economy, is grappling with declining overseas sales due mainly to the US government's imposition of steep tariffs on most of its trading partners. 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Korea Herald
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- Korea Herald
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Korea Herald
a day ago
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Separately, Palestinians lined up at a soup kitchen in Gaza City for handouts on the second day of Eid al-Adha . "I have been standing here for more than an hour and a half. I feel I have a sunstroke, and I am in need," said Farida al-Sayed, who said she had six people to feed. "I only had lentils, and I ran out of them." Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the Oct. 7 attack and abducted 251 hostages. Most were released in cease-fire agreements or other deals. Israeli forces have rescued eight living hostages and recovered dozens of bodies. Israel's military campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's health ministry, which doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants. The offensive has destroyed large parts of Hamas-run Gaza and displaced around 90% of its population of roughly 2 million Palestinians.
