David Choi

David Choi is based in South Korea and reports on the U.S. military and foreign policy. He served in the U.S. Army and California Army National Guard. He graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles.

@choibboy

choi.david@stripes.com

Adm. John C. Aquilino signs a digital guest book at the National War Memorial in New Delhi, India, on April 25, 2022.

INDOPACOM chief calls North’s Korean War aggression ‘very similar’ to Ukrainian conflict

Russia’s invasion of its neighbor Ukraine bears similarities to North Korea’s invasion of its neighbor 72 years ago, the U.S. commander in the Indo-Pacific said.

A volunteer postal clerk delivers packages at the Yokota Air Base, Japan, post office on March 11, 2021.

Overseas retirees left guessing on cuts to US military mail

Of 351 elevators in buildings at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, 12 are awaiting parts to complete needed repairs as of June 22, 2022.

Parts delay puts elevator repairs at US base in South Korea on hold

South Korean air force Gen. Won In Choul, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, gives a farewell speech at U.S. Forces Korea headquarters at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, June 16, 2022.

South Korea’s top general says farewell to US forces

Ther USS Ronald Reagan, USS Antietam, USS Benfold and South Korean ships Sejong the Great, Marado and Munmu the Great steam in formation on June 3, 2022.

US and Asian allies prepare missile defense drill to counter North Korean launches

The U.S., South Korea and Japan are rehearsing their ballistic missile defense this summer following a record number of demonstrations by North Korea this year of its missile capability.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Richard Reddick scans and sorts mail at the Navy post office at Kadena Air Base, Japan, on Dec. 2, 2021.

Military postal system plans to end mail privileges for overseas military retirees

The change is scheduled to affect all Air/Army Post Office, or APO, and Fleet Post Office, or FPO, addresses worldwide.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends a Politburo meeting of the ruling Workers' Party in Pyongyang, Jan. 20, 2022.

Suspected rocket fire Sunday from North Korea, South’s military says

The suspected North Korean rocket artillery fire was detected between 8:07 a.m. and 11:03 a.m., Sunday, according to a message from the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Sailors from the USS Ronald Reagan train with South Korean special forces aboard ROKS Marado in the Philippine Sea, June 3, 2022.

North Korea slams Seoul’s part in massive US-led RIMPAC naval exercise

North Korea frequently criticizes the joint military exercises between the U.S. and the South and claims they are a rehearsal for the invasion.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gestures during a parade celebrating the 73rd anniversary of the regime’s founding on Sept. 9, 2020

North Korea could feed, vaccinate its population on its missile budget, report says

The estimated $650 million spent by North Korea on missile launches since January would pay for one dose of COVID-19 vaccine for each of its citizens, a South Korean defense institute said.

A Royal Canadian Air Force CP-140 Aurora pauses on its way to Thule Air Base, Greenland, on June 12, 2021.

China calls for calm on Korean Peninsula, rejects claim it harassed Canadian patrol plane

A senior Chinese official dismissed claims that Chinese military aircraft harassed a Canadian surveillance plane flying missions in support of U.N. sanctions on North Korea.

In response to North Korea's recent ballistic missile launches, U.S. and South Korean aircraft fly in formation over the Yellow Sea, Tuesday, June 7, 2022.

Allied fighter formations show resolve in wake of North Korean missile tests

U.S. and South Korean fighter jets flew together Tuesday in a display of force that included four F-16 Fighting Falcons from the U.S. Air Force

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends a Workers' Party of Korea meeting in undated image from the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

US diplomat promises ‘swift and forceful’ response to a North Korean nuclear test

North Korea would face unified action by several countries should it detonate a nuclear device in violation of existing U.N. Security Council resolutions, a U.S. official said.

U.S. and South Korean forces fire missiles toward the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, Monday, June 6, 2022, in response to North Korea's volley of eight missiles launched the previous day.

US, South Korea fire 8 missiles in response to North Korea's unprecedented volley

A separate news release from U.S. Forces Korea on Monday said seven South Korean and one U.S. Army missile were fired “to demonstrate the ability of the combined [U.S.-South Korean] force to respond quickly to crisis events.”

A North Korean missile is launched in this image released by the state-run Korean Central News Agency, Jan. 28, 2022.

North Korea fires 8 ballistic missiles off eastern coast, South’s military says

The launches mark the 17th round of missile tests so far this year by North Korea and its first in June.

Military leaders celebrate the Republic of Korea-U.S. Combined Division’s seventh anniversary at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, Friday, June 3, 2022.

US-South Korea combined division celebrates its seventh anniversary

The Republic of Korea-U.S. Combined Division is the only division in the Army composed of soldiers from both countries.

Street Beat performs during a festival at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, May 19, 2022. U.S. Forces Korea did away with its mask policy in April but allowed garrison commanders the option to require them in high-traffic areas.

US military in South Korea rescinds nearly all its COVID-19 restrictions

U.S. Forces Korea is now at Alpha, one level above an everyday health condition, and will allow its personnel to patronize all off-base businesses, USFK said.

A CH-47 Chinook helicopter out of Camp Humphreys, South Korea, prepares for take-off at Kunsan Air Base, April 26, 2022.

South Korean city approves $9.5 million in payouts for US aircraft noise complaints

Pyeongtaek city has agreed to compensate its residents with roughly $24 to $48 a month for noise from airfields at two nearby U.S. military bases.

A North Korean soldier takes photos through the window while U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is briefed at the Demilitarized Zone in South Korea, Nov. 11, 2012.

South Korean special forces captain charged with spying for North Korea

A special operations officer in the South Korean army allegedly traded military secrets to a North Korean hacker in exchange for nearly $70,000 in cryptocurrency, according to a South Korean military affidavit.

Then-U.S. Forces Korea commander Gen. Robert Abrams receives the COVID-19 vaccine at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, Dec. 29, 2020.

Army units in South Korea receive award for initial response to COVID-19 pandemic

Eighth Army received the Army Superior Unit Award for its efforts during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea.

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