Due to the continued increase of confirmed COVID-19 cases across South Korea, United States Forces Korea has raised its current health protection condition to “Charlie” peninsula-wide effective Saturday, Dec. 19 at 00:01 a.m.

“Similar to the two previous outbreaks in South Korea, I have supreme confidence that the KDCA and ROK government will be successful in suppressing this most recent outbreak,” said Gen. Robert B. “Abe” Abrams, USFK Commander. “In the meantime, out of an abundance of caution to protect the force, we must maintain the overall health and safety of our community by applying an immediate, aggressive approach to preventing the virus’ spread.”

To minimize the potential exposure to others, only mission essential individuals will report for duty with all others conducting telework.

Portions of Area I, Area II - including the greater Seoul metropolitan area - and Busan remain off-limits except for official and necessary duties.

While bubble-to-bubble travel remains authorized, USFK highly encourages all individuals to avoid travel as much as possible within South Korea.

All USFK-affiliated individuals are reminded to adhere to all USFK core tenets, HPCON measures and ROK government and local directives to protect yourself, your bubble and others from COVID-19.

Additionally, within USFK installations, masks are now mandatory inside all buildings unless mission requirements or physical activities dictate otherwise, and outdoors when two meters of separation cannot be maintained.

“Our community has been very successful in adhering to USFK’s core tenets and HPCON mitigation measures, maintains one of the most aggressive quarantine programs with DOD, and has zero transmissions of the virus from USFK to the ROK communities,” said Abrams. “All these factors have contributed to our remarkable record of only 30 on-pen confirmed cases since the COVID-19 pandemic began - that is less than .001 percent of our USFK population.”

USFK will continue to monitor the current COVID-19 situation within South Korea, and will make as assessment regarding HPCON Charlie early in 2021.

USFK continues to maintain a robust combined defense posture to protect the ROK against any threat or adversary while maintaining prudent preventive measures to protect the force.                     

HPCON C Infographic (Korean Version - 한글)