Ministry of National Defense: "Army Training Center Smoking Policy to Be Decided After Thorough Discussion"

On the 8th, when the number of new COVID-19 cases surged to around 700, soldiers were waiting to be tested at the COVID-19 screening center set up in Seoul Station Plaza. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The Ministry of National Defense announced that the Army Training Center will decide on allowing recruits to smoke during the 5-week basic training period after thorough discussions.

On the 31st, Kim Man-gi, Director of Defense Policy at the Ministry of National Defense, reported to the National Assembly's Defense Committee that the Army's recruit training guidelines "actively recommend smoking cessation" but also stipulate that "under the judgment of general-level commanders, designated times and places for smoking may be allowed."

Earlier, on the 26th, the Army stated, "The Army Training Center is seeking improvement measures for a barracks culture that guarantees soldiers' basic rights and human rights," adding, "In this process, the issue of allowing recruits to smoke has also been proposed and is currently under review." This measure is being considered as part of the response to recent controversies over recruits' basic rights violations due to excessive COVID-19 quarantine measures.

However, criticism has arisen regarding fairness compared to other recruit training centers and conflicts with the government's anti-smoking policies. Among the 22 recruit training battalions currently operated by the Army, 11 allow recruits to smoke. This is the reason for the fairness controversy regarding smoking.

Until now, the Ministry of National Defense has extensively promoted the decrease in smoking rates among military personnel as an effect of military life. When announcing the results of the "2019 Military Personnel Smoking Survey" last year, the Ministry stated that the overall smoking rate among military personnel was 40.7%, a 0.3 percentage point decrease from 41.0% in 2018.

The Ministry explained that among smokers, 87.8% started smoking before enlisting in the military, and only 9.5% responded that they began smoking after enlistment. This was attributed to the effects of creating a smoke-free environment in line with national anti-smoking policies, such as abolishing duty-free cigarettes and banning tobacco advertisements within military units.