Selfie with president-elect causes uproar over soldiers' use of mobile phones

Korean Augmentation to the United States Army (KATUSA) soldiers take selfies with President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol during his visit to U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. Courtesy of the office of the president-elect's spokesperson

By Nam Hyun-woo

A Korean Augmentation to the United States Army (KATUSA) soldiers' selfie with President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol has stirred up a fresh controversy, as a civic group has complained that KATUSA soldiers' use of mobile phones while on duty is unfair.

Yukdaejeon, a civic group that has been reporting incidents and problems in the Korean Army, posted a photo of Yoon and a group of KATUSA soldiers taking selfies with him using their mobile phones on its Facebook page and blog on Friday, saying that the practice is unfair because ordinary Army soldiers' mobile phone use is heavily controlled.

"Are KATUSA soldiers allowed to use their mobile phones during on-duty hours? And are they required to install on their phones security apps that prohibit taking photos? If so, why is the military banning other soldiers of the Army from using their mobile phones?" the post read.

President-elect Yoon visited U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday, to meet U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Paul LaCamera. During Yoon's visit, a number of KATUSA soldiers stationed there used their mobile phones to take selfies with Yoon.

Currently, soldiers doing their compulsory military service are allowed to use their smartphones only from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. While using their devices, they are required to install a mobile security application that prohibits them from taking photos and doing video calls.

The conditions of KATUSA soldiers have long been compared to those of others who are serving their mandatory military service at Korean military bases because KATUSA soldiers are allowed to serve in conditions similar to those of U.S. Forces Korea troops.

"If KATUSA soldiers' use of mobile phones is not a problem, it proves that there is no problem with other soldiers using their smartphones during on-duty hours either," the post read. "Since the president-elect is endorsing soldiers' use of mobile phones, we hope that there will be better policies to come."

On April 1, Yoon's presidential transition committee had a discussion with the Ministry of National Defense over extending the hours during which servicemen are permitted to use their smartphones.

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