Entertainment soldier system may be retired

By Nam Hyun-woo

Seven (Choi Dong-uk)

Sangchoo (Lee Sang-cheol)

The government is considering abolishing the system that allows entertainers to serve in the military performing for active servicemen, the Ministry of National Defense said Wednesday.

The move came after a TV program alleged two “entertainment soldiers” visited adult establishments while on duty.

“We plan to review the system of ‘National Defense Promotion Servicemen’ thoroughly from top to bottom,” a ministry official said.

The official said the ministry will question officers to check whether the program’s allegation was true or not. The investigation will take up to one week.

“If the allegations are true, the ministry will strictly punish them according to relevant regulations,” he added.

SBS TV’s investigative journal broadcast Tuesday that singer Seven (Choi Dong-uk, 29) and Sangchoo (Lee Sang-cheol, 31) visited a massage parlor, a place offering illicit sexual services, at around 3 a.m., on June 22.

According to the program, six entertainment servicemen, including the two, were on an official tour at a military base in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, on June 21. After their performance, the soldiers went out to drink and eat at 10 p.m., the official curfew time they must obey.

They went back to a motel after a one-hour drinking-session, and the two sneaked out around 2:30 a.m. and visited the massage parlor.

According to the official, the basic principle of such servicemen’s accommodation is that they lodge in the barracks. But if they cannot, they are allowed to spend nights outside the barracks.

When reporters for the program asked whether they were entertainment soldiers, the two attempted to take away microphones and dodged questions.

In the program, a military official from the ministry said that it is “regretful” and explained Choi and Lee visited the parlor for “knee therapy.”

All able-bodied Korean men are subject to about two-year mandatory military service. And to promote soldiers’ morale, the military has been allowing celebrities to serve as entertainment soldiers touring bases.

The latest case of slack discipline among entertainers serving in the military came after nationwide criticism that celebrity soldiers were treated preferentially compared to ordinary conscripts, as top singer Rain (Jung Ji-hoon, 31) was embroiled in a controversy that he took leave too often to pursue a romance with top actress Kim Tae-hee in January.

After the love story surfaced, many critics complained that Jung was able to enjoy his private life while ordinary soldiers remained confined to their barracks. He then faced seven days of disciplinary action for having private contact while on official military duty.

The latest case fanned harsh criticism of all entertainers serving in the military.

A netizen said, “If ordinary conscripts committed the same offence, they would be dragged to a military court and face heavy punishments. It is outrageous that they forgot their position as military servicemen; but the ministry only protects them.”