How Will 'Military Personnel Social Distancing' Work Starting Today?

As social distancing was adjusted to Level 1, military personnel's leave, which had been restricted to prevent the spread of COVID-19, was fully reinstated on the 12th. At Seoul Station, a soldier is waiting in the lounge to use the TMO service. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Soldiers serving in the Seoul metropolitan area and Gangwon region will be advised to 'postpone leave' based on the judgment of on-site commanders starting from the 17th.

According to the Ministry of National Defense, from this day until the 29th, the military will raise the 'in-military social distancing' to level 1.5 for all units within the Seoul metropolitan area and Gangwon region.

From this day, soldiers in units located in the Seoul metropolitan area and Gangwon region are prohibited from entering five types of entertainment establishments (clubs, room salons, entertainment pubs, danran pubs, emotional pubs, colatecs, hunting pochas). Those caught entering will be subject to disciplinary action. Soldiers residing in the Seoul metropolitan area and Gangwon region, as well as those living in other basic local governments that have independently raised social distancing to level 1.5, may be advised to 'postpone leave' based on the judgment of on-site commanders. For soldiers going out, guidelines have been issued allowing on-site commanders to independently control outings in areas where a large number of confirmed cases have occurred, depending on the local government.

Use of religious facilities within the base will also be partially restricted. Religious facilities within the Seoul metropolitan area and Gangwon region are only available to soldiers inside the base. Units without religious facilities on base will provide separate spaces such as online services or dining halls within the base to ensure soldiers' religious activities. However, in all cases, the number of people is limited to within 30% of seating capacity. For off-base religious facilities, active-duty soldiers will use separate spaces from reservists and civilians, and gatherings or meals within religious facilities are prohibited.

Additionally, civilian instructors residing in areas where social distancing level 1.5 or higher is applied will be excluded from invitations. Except for cases where 'face-to-face education' is necessary within military units, all other education will be converted to non-face-to-face formats.

The Ministry of National Defense has decided to apply a stricter 'social distancing level 2' to military officers in Gangwon region during the same period. This measure considers the higher possibility of officers coming into contact with civilian confirmed cases outside the base. Accordingly, military officers in Gangwon region are required to 'stay in their accommodations after work' as a principle and refrain from gatherings or private meetings.

A military official explained the background of the 'preemptive' social distancing upgrade, saying, "Especially in the military, once an infection occurs, there can be significant gaps in quarantine measures due to complacency, and there is also a concern about large-scale group infections."

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