Soldiers Allowed Leave After Two Months

At the Hyesanjin Unit barracks of the Army Capital Mechanized Infantry Division in Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do, soldiers are freely using their mobile phones for calls, text messaging, and watching online lectures on the afternoon of the 31st after duty. The Ministry of National Defense plans to expand the pilot operation units to all Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps units starting in April, and will decide on full implementation after the three-month pilot period ends. / Gapyeong=Photo by Joint Press Corps

[Asia Economy Reporter Yang Nak-gyu]The military authorities will partially lift the two-month-long restriction on soldiers' outings, which was implemented to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

The Ministry of National Defense announced on the 22nd, "From the 24th, soldiers' outings will be gradually allowed only in safe areas."

Areas with no confirmed cases within seven days as of the 24th will be designated as safe areas where outings are permitted, based on the judgment of on-site commanders. The Ministry of National Defense will also consider allowing leave, overnight stays, and visits in the future, taking into account the trend of community infection spread. Units in safe areas will thoroughly educate soldiers on compliance before outings are implemented and will coordinate in advance with local governments and facilities expected to be frequented by soldiers, such as PC rooms and karaoke rooms, to ensure adherence to daily quarantine measures.

Soldiers returning from outings will have their temperature checked, and those showing symptoms will undergo polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing and receive preventive isolation and management. Officers have been allowed to go out for purchasing daily necessities and hospital visits without commander approval, similar to public officials. However, use of crowded facilities is discouraged.

The Ministry of National Defense implemented stricter social distancing measures than the government standard by controlling all soldiers' leave, outings, and visits starting February 22, immediately after the first confirmed case in the military.

The Ministry judged that the high-intensity control over two months has caused new recruits and junior officers to experience extreme stress, and that soldiers' stress levels have reached their limit. They also considered that soldiers were excessively restricted compared to police officers and public officials.

The Ministry of National Defense stated that it is preparing for the possibility of confirmed cases occurring within the military following the lifting of outing restrictions. In anticipation of an increase in cases in the metropolitan area, preparations are underway to enable COVID-19 diagnostic testing at the Medical Research Institute, the Capital Hospital, the 5th Army Headquarters, and the Armed Forces Yangju Hospital. Approximately 30% of beds at the Armed Forces Daejeon and Daegu Hospitals will be allocated for military confirmed cases, and Goyang Hospital will be converted into a military-exclusive infectious disease hospital. A total of 141 rooms are secured for military confirmed cases: 50 at Daejeon Hospital, 91 at Daegu Hospital, and 94 at Goyang Hospital.

Additionally, all military hospitals will introduce the 'drive-through' testing method, and remote medical consultation systems for febrile patients will be established in units at the division level and below.

The military has secured three months' worth of protective supplies such as masks and emergency required equipment. Masks totaling 5.99 million units, along with hand sanitizers and protective suits, have been prepared.

The Ministry of National Defense previously notified all units of basic rules for soldiers to prevent COVID-19. These include flexible work schedules through unit quarantine, refraining from using crowded facilities through public quarantine, and personal quarantine measures such as wearing masks.

As of 9 a.m. on the day, the cumulative number of confirmed cases in the military is 39, with 2 patients currently under management. No new confirmed cases have occurred since March 22, and both of the 2 patients under management were re-positive after full recovery. According to health authorities, about 40 people are subject to quarantine, and according to the Ministry of National Defense's own standards, about 1,420 people are under preventive quarantine.

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