The U.S. military in South Korea said Tuesday that it will extend a curfew for service members in the country indefinitely in an attempt to ensure continued mission readiness.

"We must remain focused on our primary mission here, which is to deter against external aggression and if required, defend the Republic of Korea side-by-side with our ROK counterparts," U.S. Forces Korea commander Gen. James Thurman said in a statement.

"I anticipate and expect that our service members will continue to maintain the highest standards of individual readiness and professionalism while they serve in the Republic of Korea," said Thurman.

The new curfew, which runs from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. seven days a week, will be in place from Jan. 7 and will continue "until further notice," according to the statement.

A 30-day curfew was initiated on Oct. 7 last year after allegations of two rape cases involving U.S. soldiers surfaced.

It was extended in November and was set to expire on Jan. 6.

Some 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War.