"Is This How They Give the Presidential Citation?" The Frustration of a Veteran After 30 Years of Service

Military Honorably Discharged Certificate Awarded to Captain Sangjeon, Officer
Mixed Reactions from Netizens Over Complaints of "No Recognition"

A military officer who was honorably discharged after 30 years of service criticized the method of receiving the presidential citation without a ceremony, saying it is not a proper form of respect, sparking controversy.

On the 15th, a story about Mr. A, who received a government award after being honorably discharged following 30 years of military service, was posted on the Facebook page "Delivered on behalf of the Army Training Center," which shares news and tips related to the Army.

Receipt of packaging received by Mr. A [Photo by Facebook 'Yukgun Hullyeonso Dae-shin Jeonhaedeurimnida']

Mr. A said, "I received a text message from the division adjutant officer telling me to collect the presidential citation," adding, "They said if I inform them of the date and time of receipt, they would arrange the entry procedures."

When he asked the officer, "Who will hand it over when I go to receive it?" the reply was, "The division adjutant officer, a captain, will give it to you."

Mr. A expressed regret, saying, "Since it is a presidential citation, shouldn't it at least be awarded at an event presided over by the division commander?"

He also said, "Of course, I didn’t serve 30 years in the military just to receive the presidential citation, but I think there should be some form of respect."

He added, "I regret the 30 years of military service I dedicated to the country."

Some netizens offered condolences, saying, "You must have gone through a lot; it must be upsetting."

On the other hand, some left comments such as, "If you had done well in the military..." and "Aren’t you receiving a generous pension?"

A netizen who identified themselves as working in personnel explained, "Honorably discharged personnel receive government awards three months after discharge," and added, "Government awards issued after discharge are either collected in person or delivered by staff, but it seems the person in charge omitted the explanation."

Meanwhile, according to the Decorations Act, the Patriotic Service Medal received by Mr. A is awarded to individuals with distinguished achievements in national security and maintaining public peace and order. While it is a principle that medals and citations are awarded directly by the president, if the president is unable to award them in person due to special reasons, they may be conferred according to the presidential decree.

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