[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Army Officers Holding Drinking Parties During ROK-US Combined Exercises

Yukdaejeon "Loud Noise Even in Training Grounds with Soldiers Present"
Army "Strictly Handling to Establish Military Discipline"

Army officers held a drinking party at the training site during the regular South Korea-U.S. joint exercise, 'Freedom Shield' (FS). Given that the location is frequented by numerous soldiers, concerns have been raised about serious disciplinary lapses.

In the early morning of the 13th, during the ongoing South Korea-U.S. joint exercise Freedom Shield (FS), military officers gathered in the auditorium of the Air Force 10th Fighter Wing to drink alcohol. (Photo source: Screenshot from the Facebook page 'Army Training Center Delivered Instead')

According to the military on the 15th, about 10 Army officers and non-commissioned officers were caught drinking around midnight on the 13th at an auditorium within the Air Force's 10th Fighter Wing (10th FW) located in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. The 10th FW served as both the training ground and lodging for the individuals involved.

The drinking party was exposed to the public after a soldier reported it to the Facebook community 'Delivering Army Training Center News (Yukdaejeon)'. According to Yukdaejeon, the officers who drank were reinforcement personnel dispatched to the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command for the FS exercise. Among them was a field-grade officer (major).

The auditorium at the 10th FW where the drinking party took place was designated as a rest area for FS exercise participants, and many soldiers were coming and going, but the officers reportedly drank without concern.

The soldier who reported to Yukdaejeon pointed out, "While many warriors remained in the auditorium, the officers drank without regard, shouting profanities and playing drinking games." He added, "Is it acceptable behavior for officers, who should set an example during training and amid the ongoing serious situation of North Korean provocations, to hold such drinking parties even at their deployment site?" He claimed, "This represents a collapse of training discipline and military order."

The Joint Chiefs of Staff stated, "Upon becoming aware of the matter, the personnel involved were immediately removed from their duties and an inspection investigation is underway." They added, "The military will handle the personnel according to relevant regulations once the investigation is complete and will make further efforts to establish discipline during exercises." The Army also stated, "Upon receiving related information from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, we will conduct a thorough investigation and strictly handle the matter according to laws and regulations to establish military discipline."

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