[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] How Many DP Soldiers and Deserters Have Been Arrested?

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Attention is focused on the achievements of the so-called "Deserter Pursuit" (DP) soldier position, which was recently featured in the popular Netflix drama "D.P." and is set to be abolished next year.

According to military officials on the 11th, there are a total of 172 DP soldiers within the military under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of National Defense Investigation Headquarters. The Army has 144 soldiers (39 units), the Air Force has 28 soldiers (14 units), and the Navy and Marine Corps are staffed by officers. The number of deserters captured by these soldiers from 2017 to this year is 126. The capture rate within one month of absence from duty reaches 95%.

Starting July 1 next year for the Army and August 1 for the Air Force, the DP soldier position, which was responsible for apprehending deserters, will be abolished. Non-commissioned officers from the military police or civilian personnel overseeing criminal investigation duties will assist in investigations such as deserter apprehension. Currently, the military is considering how many replacement personnel to deploy instead of soldiers, as the number of deserters is decreasing.

Meanwhile, with the recent passage of an amendment to the Military Court Act in the National Assembly plenary session that excludes soldiers from investigative duties, the DP soldier position within the military will be eliminated. The existing Military Court Act included soldiers in the position of "Military Judicial Police Officer (軍司法警察吏)," who assist investigations under the orders of military prosecutors or military judicial police officers (officers).

However, the amendment specifies that "non-commissioned officers of the military police and civilian personnel belonging to units overseeing criminal investigation duties, appointed as military judicial police officers by the Minister of National Defense or the Chiefs of Staff of each military branch" will fulfill these roles.

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