Category: USFK

I wonder if these realty companies will just do a name change and be back in business again:

The U.S. military’s largest base in South Korea has banned business with eight local real estate companies for 10 years over allegations of using fraudulent passes to access the installation.

Camp Humphreys said Wednesday that the businesses were placed off-limits after a review determined they had “conspired to illegally access” the Army garrison “using fraudulently issued base passes.”

“This directly affects the safety and security of the installation,” it added, saying the decision was made after a Feb.13 emergency meeting with the area’s Armed Forces Disciplinary Control Board.

“No U.S. personnel are allowed to do new business with these establishments as long as this order is in effect,” it said, stressing the ban was an administrative, not a judicial, action and not subject to appeal. (………)

Stars & Stripes

Here are the realty companies involved:

The announcement, which was posted on Camp Humphreys’ Facebook page, said people who have leases with the affected companies could continue to do business with them for the duration but may not use the companies to renew the leases.

The banned companies were listed as Abba Realty, Christine Realty, JC Realty, GM Realty, Woomi Realty, Uptown Realty, New York Realty, and You & I Realty.

You can read more at the link.

Here is the Stars & Stripes report on the ruckus in Busan caused by U.S. soldiers over the weekend:

The U.S. military expressed regret for “disruptive behavior” Tuesday after American troops allegedly caused a ruckus with a Fourth of July party that included fireworks on a popular beach in the southern city of Busan.

About 200 police were dispatched to break up the festivities Saturday on Haeundae Beach in Busan after receiving more than 70 complaints from local residents.

One soldier was briefly detained and fined for a misdemeanor after throwing a firework in the direction of police, then trying to flee the scene, according to the public affairs office at the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency.

Two traffic accidents and a drunken-driving case involving soldiers also were reported in the area on Saturday.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link, but the ruckus caused anti-U.S. civic groups to protest against the soldiers’ behavior in Seoul and Busan.

The good news is that none of these cases were community spread and instead from people flying into Korea:

Five people affiliated with the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) tested positive for Covid-19 late last week and over the weekend.  

Two dependents of USFK service members flew into Incheon International Airport on June 21 from Europe and were transported to Camp Humphreys, where they were tested. Their test results were negative, but they were still kept quarantined for two weeks. Near the end of their quarantine period, they were tested once more and were found to be infected.  

One newly assigned service member of the USFK, who arrived at Osan Air Base on July 1 on a U.S. government-chartered flight from Japan, tested positive for Covid-19 upon arrival, according to the USFK.   

The fourth individual was a USFK contractor, who flew into Incheon airport from the United States on July 2. He tested positive on his first mandatory Covid-19 test.  

The fifth individual was a member of the USFK returning from a trip to the United States. He tested positive after arriving at Incheon airport on July 3.  

“Since testing positive, all five individuals have been moved to Camp Humphreys’ isolation barracks designated for confirmed Covid-19 cases,” USFK said in its statement on Friday. “USFK health professionals determined there was limited contact […] due to the service members and all others on the commercial and chartered flight being tested and immediately quarantined; thorough cleaning of Camp Humphreys’ quarantine rooms has been completed.” 

Joong Ang Ilbo

You can read more at the link.

It will be interesting to see if the Blue House wants to continue to not hold the combined exercises regardless of if it makes them less prepared to take over OPCON:

South Korea and the United States should continue to stage large-scale combined military exercises in the face of North Korea’s evolving nuclear and missile capabilities, U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) commander Gen. Robert Abrams said Wednesday.

In a speech during a forum held in Seoul, Abrams also noted that more work needs to be done for the planned transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) of South Korean forces from Washington to Seoul. 

“Unfortunately, we had to postpone our theatre-level combined post command training this year due to the ongoing global pandemic. While we have been able to conduct important leader development training, that in no way replicates the rigor and realism of our semi-annual theatre-level training events,” Abrams said.

In February, Seoul and Washington announced their decision to indefinitely postpone their key springtime exercise due to COVID-19, and discussions are under way to fix the schedule and program for their summertime combined exercises.

“We must continue to conduct combined live trainings … with rigorous scenarios,” the commander said, vowing to further discuss with the South Korean side about ways to maintain a staunch readiness posture.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Life is about to get a little better for USFK personnel still stationed at Yongsan Garrison in Seoul:

The U.S. military said Saturday that it will ease anti-coronavirus restrictions for troops and other personnel on this Army garrison in Seoul, but unauthorized travel to the capital from other bases remains prohibited.

The move, which begins at noon Monday, came more than a month after U.S. Forces Korea lifted restrictions for bases elsewhere in South Korea but maintained them for Yongsan because of continued cluster infections there.

USFK cited “the continued low numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases within Yongsan district,” for its decision to lower the health alert level from “Charlie” to “Bravo” for the area in central Seoul.

That means personnel may go to restaurants, hair salons, child care facilities, gyms and other off-base establishments in Yongsan for the first time in months, but only if they live in the area.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link, but personnel from bases out of Seoul are still not allowed to travel to the nation’s capitol city due to the coronavirus. The way this pandemic is turning out, you could have someone do an entire tour in USFK and never get a chance to visit Seoul because of the coronavirus.

More and more senior Army leaders are rocking the service’s new dress uniform to include the USFK commander:

Gen. Robert Abrams, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, donned a new look Thursday as he spoke during a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the start of the Korean War.

Or, rather, it was an old look.

Wearing a dark olive jacket and pinkish-brown trousers, he joked that his uniform looked similar to those worn during the 1950-53 conflict on the divided peninsula.

“Some of you are already inquiring what uniform is General Abrams wearing. Some have accused me already of being a Korean War re-enactor,” he said as the audience laughed. “This is the newly approved Army Green Service Uniform, and it will be required for service members in the next few years.”

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

Just a few weeks ago few Americans knew about Juneteenth and now everyone knows:

The celebration is the brainchild of Humphreys Middle School fifth-grade teacher Domenique Marie, who was inspired by civil unrest after the May 25 killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man arrested on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill, suffocated while a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.

“Juneteenth is important to everybody, not just Black people,” Marie told those in attendance. “Juneteenth is a tribute to strength, endurance and the faith of our ancestors, for we are our ancestors’ greatest accomplishment. We are their wildest dream.”

“For all Americans, it is a reminder that until all of us are free, that no one is really free,” she added. “Today we celebrate glory – we celebrate the breaking of chains.”

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.