Jeju Naval Base Fence Cut Alarm Malfunction... 5-Minute Waiting Team Also Delayed Response

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Sunghye] It has been confirmed that when two civilians cut through the barbed wire fence and trespassed the Jeju Naval Base on the 7th, the core function of the active surveillance system that detects the movement of objects was disabled, and no alarm sounded. The '5-minute standby squad' responded sluggishly, arriving two hours after the intrusion, and the reporting system also failed to operate properly, revealing comprehensive flaws in the Navy's surveillance, reporting system, and response measures.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced on the 15th that, following a joint inspection of the Jeju base and the higher command, the 3rd Fleet Command, from the 8th to the 11th in relation to the civilian trespassing incident at Jeju Naval Base on the 7th, these facts were uncovered.

The military decided to dismiss the commander of the Jeju base battalion (colonel) responsible for the incident and to strictly discipline related personnel, including the 3rd Fleet Commander (major general) who holds command responsibility, in accordance with laws and principles.

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on the 7th at 2:13 p.m., four civilians cut a 4mm diameter aesthetic barbed wire fence installed on the outskirts of the Jeju base. Two of them entered the base, while the others left the scene carrying equipment. During this process, the core function of the active surveillance system, composed of CCTV (closed-circuit television) that detects object movement, failed to sound an alarm due to performance degradation.

The problematic CCTV had its performance deteriorate in December last year and was replaced with new equipment. However, since it was incompatible with the existing system, the core alarm function, aside from simple filming and recording, did not operate. Although the military and the civilian installation company attempted repairs on this system, it has not been fixed to date, ultimately failing to prevent the unauthorized intrusion.

An hour after the trespassing, a nearby guard post worker, upon returning from a shift change, discovered that the barbed wire had been cut in a rectangular shape measuring 52cm horizontally and 88cm vertically, and reported it to the duty officer for the first time. From 3:23 p.m. to 3:50 p.m., the duty officer inspected the site and confronted the trespassing civilians to restrict their movement.

At 3:52 p.m., the base ordered the 5-minute standby squad to dispatch, and the squad arrived at the scene at 4:03 p.m., two hours after the fence was cut, securing the civilians. The 5-minute standby squad is supposed to arrive within 5 minutes of an incident, but the situation room personnel omitted the response, resulting in a delayed dispatch.

Between 4:07 p.m. and 4:16 p.m., the Navy's 3rd Fleet reported the incident to the Naval Operations Command and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This means the higher command was informed only two hours after the barbed wire was cut and the unauthorized intrusion occurred.

Additionally, upon reviewing the base's CCTV, the inspection team found that the trespassers roamed inside the base for 1 hour and 34 minutes, from 2:16 p.m. to 3:50 p.m., without any restraint. The Joint Chiefs explained, "At the adjacent guard post (about 50 meters away), a blind spot in surveillance occurred, so the trespassers cutting the fence and entering were not detected," adding, "Although the trespassers were captured on the surveillance CCTV, the CCTV monitoring personnel also failed to notice."

The situation room, where two surveillance personnel work in shifts and a sergeant candidate is responsible, is equipped with about 70 surveillance camera monitors. A Joint Chiefs official explained that the system of two personnel monitoring around 70 monitors had its limitations.

The Joint Chiefs stated, "The inspection revealed vulnerabilities in the aesthetic fence in terms of base perimeter operations, as well as problems with the CCTV surveillance system, situation reporting, and initial response system. It was also confirmed that the commander's usual oversight and command measures regarding base perimeter security were negligent." They added, "Based on this inspection, strict measures will be taken against responsible personnel who neglected timely command and supervision in accordance with laws and principles," emphasizing, "We will improve the overall perimeter operation system at Jeju base."

The Joint Chiefs expressed, "Regarding this incident, our military deeply regrets causing public concern over the Jeju base perimeter operation issue during a critical time when the nation is implementing the highest level of measures to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 infectious disease."

Meanwhile, the Jeju Naval Base, completed in February 2016, was designated a military protection zone on January 15 of this year, more than four years later, but the adjacent maritime area has yet to be designated. A Joint Chiefs official said, "Since before the completion of Jeju base, we proposed to Jeju Provincial Office the designation of military facility protection zones on land and sea, but they expressed reluctance, citing that it does not align with the sentiment of Jeju residents and could harm the cruise industry and be misused as a port control measure." A military official pointed out, "If a military protection zone is not designated in the maritime area near the base, there is weak legal basis to impose sanctions in case of illegal actions."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.