Woo Sang-ho "KATUSA itself is a comfortable military"
KATUSA Gallery "We demand an explanation from Lee Nak-yeon, a KATUSA alumnus representative"
[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] On the 9th, Rep. Woo Sang-ho of the Democratic Party of Korea sparked controversy by stating that "KATUSA is an easy military service." In response, a statement requesting an apology from Rep. Woo was posted by the KATUSA veterans' community 'DC Inside KATUSA Gallery.' This community is actually operated by KATUSA soldiers.
The KATUSA Gallery released a statement on the same day, pointing out, "KATUSA soldiers are troops assigned under the U.S. military to fulfill the sacred duty of national defense. Since the service environment varies by unit and position, the intensity of work differs within KATUSA as well, and there are cases where KATUSA soldiers endure more difficult military life than some units of the Korean Army."
They continued, "Within KATUSA, soldiers belonging to the 2nd Division's combat troops, military police on duty, and the TANGO security company typically undergo training comparable to or exceeding that of regular Korean Army soldiers. When KATUSA troops were assigned to the JSA security battalion, the highest level of physical standards across the entire military was required, and intensive training was conducted."
They emphasized, "We reiterate that soldiers serving in KATUSA are also members of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces and precious sons to someone. We strongly urge Rep. Woo to issue an official apology for his remarks today."
On the 9th, a statement requesting an apology from Woo Sang-ho, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, was posted on the DC Inside KATUSA Gallery. Photo by DC Inside KATUSA Gallery
Earlier, in an interview with a media outlet, Rep. Woo claimed that the controversy over alleged preferential military leave for the son of Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae, Seo Mo (27), was "a meaningless controversy because KATUSA is originally an easy place."
Rep. Woo said, "In the Army, the labor intensity differs by a hundredfold between those standing guard at the front line and those working at the Ministry of National Defense. If the son of a powerful figure worked at the Ministry of National Defense while someone without connections served at the front, anger would flare up. However, KATUSA soldiers enter through an exam, and since the working environment is similar regardless of location, millions of veterans do not express anger."
In response, the KATUSA Gallery emphasized, "We believe that Lee Nak-yeon, the Democratic Party leader and a former KATUSA soldier, knows this better than anyone. We demand a prompt clarification from Leader Lee regarding Rep. Woo's remarks."
Leader Lee served as a KATUSA from 1974 to 1976, working as an administrative soldier in the 21st Transportation Company of the U.S. 8th Army at Yongsan U.S. Army Garrison. In 2018, during his tenure as Prime Minister, he received the 'U.S. 8th Army Outstanding Former KATUSA Award' from the U.S. Forces Korea. At that time, he said, "My 29 months and 15 days of KATUSA service was one of the most special experiences of my life."
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