"Combat Training with Only 'Dallang' Rice and Kimchi..." Military Faces Another Poor Meal Controversy

On the 5th, a post claiming poor meals within the unit was uploaded on the Facebook page "Delivered on behalf of the Army Training Center (Yukdaejeon)" by Mr. A, who identified himself as a soldier belonging to a frontline army unit.
[Photo by Facebook capture]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Reports of poor-quality meals within military units have surfaced again. A soldier from an Army unit stationed at the front lines claimed that during the training preparation period, soldiers were served only kimchi and rice instead of the originally planned menu.

On the 5th, a post was uploaded on the Facebook page "Delivering on behalf of the Army Training Center (Yukdaejeon)" by a person identifying themselves as a soldier from a front-line Army unit, making such claims.

The soldier, A, posted a photo of kimchi and rice in a plastic bag, stating, "I participated in the joint KCTC combat training last month, but during the training period, the originally scheduled meals were not served. Instead, kimchi and rice were served more than five times."

A explained that this menu was provided during the 11-day training period, specifically during the preparation phase, not the main training.

He also added, "Now that the training is over, an even more absurd situation has occurred. I heard that only one day of reward leave will be granted to those who completed the training." He went on to complain, "Along with poor meals, proper conditions were not guaranteed."

A said, "Still, as a soldier, I tried to endure, but seeing a unit that does not recognize the hard work of soldiers made me decide to report this." He emphasized, "I do not seek compensation for the unfair treatment. What I hope for is that the unit's military meals and treatment of soldiers improve as soon as possible."

Previously, the Yukdaejeon page has continuously received reports related to poor-quality meals in the military. On the 16th of last month, a photo showing an insufficient amount of side dishes for an adult male was posted on this page, sparking controversy.

Also, in April, a person who was quarantined in the unit after returning from leave due to COVID-19 prevention measures reported poor-quality meals, which drew public outrage.

Minister of National Defense Seo Wook is responding at the plenary meeting of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the afternoon of August 24. [Image source=Yonhap News]

As the controversy continued, Defense Minister Seo Wook officially apologized, saying, "I deeply feel a heavy responsibility." Minister Seo stated, "I am very sorry for the poor meal support and living conditions of quarantined soldiers recently and feel a grave sense of responsibility. Commanders of each unit must personally inspect the menus and actively ensure conditions so that soldiers do not feel discomfort."

Additionally, the Ministry of National Defense announced on the 2nd a plan to raise the basic meal allowance per soldier to 11,000 KRW next year, a 25.1% increase from this year, to address the poor meal issue. They also revealed plans to steadily increase the meal allowance to around 15,000 KRW by 2024.

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