Army 3rd Military Academy, Controversy Over 'No Mask' Samgyeopsal Party Despite Missing 2nd Vaccine Dose

No-mask Samgyeopsal party scene at the Army 3rd Officer Academy. (Source=Army Training Center Daesin Transmission Facebook.)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jin-ho] The Korea Army Academy at Yeongcheon recently held a 'No Mask' Samgyeopsal party for 500 cadets who had received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

A soldier working at the Korea Army Academy posted on June 6 on the Facebook page 'Delivered on behalf of the Army Training Center (Yukdaejeon)' that "On the 26th of last month, 500 cadets who had only received the first vaccine dose held a Samgyeopsal and beer party."

The soldier also stated, "There is no specific date designated as Samgyeopsal Day, and they removed the table partitions and shouted toasts without wearing masks." This has raised criticism about whether it was appropriate to hold a large group event with hundreds of people gathered and partitions removed amid the resurgence of COVID-19 cases. This is because the incentives from health authorities related to the COVID-19 vaccine apply only to those who have completed the second dose.

In response, the Korea Army Academy explained, "We held an official encouragement event called Samgyeopsal Day for about 480 fourth-year cadets who had completed their first vaccination," and added, "We will take note of some shortcomings, such as removing table partitions to grill the Samgyeopsal." They further stated, "Since May 1, we have restricted outings and, ahead of the summer military training for cadets who have been living on base for an extended period, provided each individual with one can of beer."

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