Hypocrites!

Sgt. Jung Ji-hoon, top, whose stage name is Rain; Private Choi Dong-uk (Seven), left; and Private First Class Lee Sang-cheol (Sangchoo). A 16-member “entertainment soldier” squad, including the three, is subject to an ongoing probe by the defense ministry as Choi and Lee were confirmed to have violated internal discipline during their out-of-barracks stay last month. / Korea Times file

Celeb-turned-soldiers undermine military unity and morale

By Park Si-soo

Private Choi Dong-uk (Seven)

Private First Class Lee Sang-cheol (Sangchoo).

An old saying goes, “A mudfish messes up clear water.”

Perhaps this is a maxim the military should take more seriously than other organizations, considering that its power hinges on strong unity of its members. In other words, a violation of internal discipline or code of conduct by some at any degree is not a problem of their own; it could badly affect the unity and morale of the entire military.

In this regard, celebrity-turned-soldiers, confirmed last week to have committed “inappropriate” behavior as active servicemen during their out-of-barracks stay, deserve strong public criticism and, if any, punishment.

Unruly soldiers

Those in question are Private Choi Dong-uk whose stage name is Seven, and Private First Class Lee Sang-cheol whose stage name is Sangchoo. They belong to an “entertainment soldier” squad comprised of 16 conscripted singers and actors, which is under the control of the Defense Media Agency. All able-bodied Korean men are subject to about two-year mandatory military service since the 1950-53 Korean War with North Korea ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.

The star-studded squad was established in August 2000 to help boost morale of troops by hosting recreational events at military bases across the country. Choi and Lee joined the military in March and October, respectively.

On the stage, the entertainment soldiers are given full-fledged freedom to do anything they want to entertain the audiences. When the show is over, they in principle are obliged to adhere to the strict military rules. Under these rules that are equally applied to ordinary soldiers, they are banned from leaving a designated residence between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. without a commander’s permission and, needless to say, possessing private cell phones and wearing non-military clothing.

Wearing casual clothing and cap, Lee, left, and Choi, center, encounter an SBS TV journalist on their way from a massage parole selling sex in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, on June 21. The reporter asked, “Are you an entertainer or soldier?”

In reality, however, the rules were toothless for the squad’s members. Wearing colorful casual clothing and caps, six members of the unit, including Choi and Lee, frequently chatted and texted using their hidden smartphones and roamed the streets in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, until late at night under the influence of alcohol, according to a video footage released by SBS TV’s investigative reporting program “Hyeonjang 21.” The program tracked down the team on June 21 when it hosted a morale-boosting event at a military base there.

The video also showed the two visiting a massage parlor, whose owner admitted to offering illegal sexual services, at around 3 a.m. The owner later said they didn’t buy sex because there was no woman immediately available.

They, fortunately enough, committed no illegal action in the program, but it provided enough evidence to claim that entertainment soldiers are poorly managed.

Perhaps there is no one who believes it was their first misconduct of this kind away from the barracks. The majority of people now believe that the program offered a glimpse of the extremely-relaxed military discipline of entertainment soldiers.

Nevertheless their commander seems to be only interested in saving one’s face. A defense ministry official told the program the duo visited the parlor for “knee therapy,” a claim considered to be a strong candidate for the best joke of the year.

“I was really disappointed,” said Yoon Hyun-jin, 26, a long-time fan of singer Seven. “I will stop supporting him.” Internet fan communities of the two singers were bombarded with critical comments, many of which say, “Shame on you!” or “Get a life!” Rumors had it that Seven was kicked out of his official fan community FARINELI following the incident. His management agency has denied the allegations.

Probe underway

The defense ministry has launched an investigation into the case. A ministry spokesman said the probe will continue through the first week of July to punish those responsible for the wrongdoing.

“It’s very regrettable that there was a problem with entertainment soldiers,” said Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin during a parliamentary meeting on June 26. “Their behavior was undoubtedly against a special management guideline for entertainment soldiers, which went into effect in January. We will decide how to deal with them based on the result of the probe.”

Asked whether he was considering disbanding the squad, the minister answered, “The entertainment soldier system was introduced for reasons, but I will review as to whether its existence is necessary.”

On the same day, defense ministry spokesman Wi Yong-seop said the ministry will “review the entire regulation system regarding celebrity soldiers including details of its fundamentals.” Following the incident, a research company conducted a survey of 2,118 people on the issue and 79 percent of them said entertainment soldiers are unnecessary.

The high support for the disbandment is attributable to a widespread perception that military duty is an equally shared ordeal among able-bodied men. With nearly all male adults having served in the armed forces — mostly at humble military barracks in remote parts of the country — it’s understandable that those caught for taking less difficulty or enjoying preferential treatment in the service are subject to public condemnation and even bullying.

In an extreme case, singer Yoo Seung-jun has found himself permanently banned from the country’s showbiz industry after he acquired U.S. citizenship in 2002 to evade military duty.

The ground for the entertainment soldier system was shaken in January by news reports that Sgt. Jung Ji-hoon whose stage name is Rain, frequently walked out of his barracks in Seoul to date with top actress Kim Tae-hee.

Online entertainment news media Dispatch, which made it headlines first, said the two frequently exchanged text messages and phone chatting before the news broke out, raising speculation that Jung used an unauthorized cell phone in the barracks.

Jung has since maintained a low-profile and is set to be discharged from the duty on July 10. But it could be deferred if he is held accountable for the latest incident. Jung was among the six wayward soldiers detected by the SBS program.