Test Application in 45 Units Army-wide by December This Year
Mobile Phone Use Allowed from Morning Roll Call until 9 PM
The Ministry of National Defense has decided to significantly increase the amount of time soldiers can use their mobile phones. Initially, a model allowing phone use from after morning roll call until 9 p.m. will be applied to 45 pilot units, with plans to expand it to all soldiers.
According to the Ministry of National Defense on the 11th, the military operated three types of usage models from June to December last year: the minimum type (from after morning roll call until 8:30 a.m. and from after work until 9 p.m.), the intermediate type (from after morning roll call until 9 p.m.), and the autonomous type (24 hours), applied to 2-3 units in each branch.
As a result, the minimum type had almost no perceived effect on soldiers and only increased administrative workload. The autonomous type faced difficulties in unit management. Therefore, the Ministry of National Defense decided to select 45 units from July to December this year and expand the pilot operation by applying the intermediate type. This includes 14 Army units, 4 Navy units, 9 Air Force units, 3 Marine Corps units, and 15 military hospitals, accounting for 20% of the entire military.
However, even if soldiers carry their phones during working hours, they are not allowed to use them during guard duty, on-duty shifts, large-scale outdoor training, or sleeping hours. Phones must be stored in integrated lockers or personal lockers within the unit. Violations will result in reduced leave or disciplinary actions. A Ministry of National Defense official stated, “We plan to utilize mobile phone apps for managing soldiers’ military life and administration.”
There are also growing concerns about crimes related to soldiers’ mobile phone use. It was revealed that there have been 1,500 cases of crimes related to soldiers’ phone use over the past three years. According to data submitted by the office of Lim Byung-heon, a member of the National Assembly’s Defense Committee from the People Power Party, to the Army and Air Force Military Police, a total of 1,512 phone-related crimes occurred from July 2020 to March this year. Gambling crimes were the most frequent with 766 cases. Digital sex crimes and fraud crimes followed with 357 and 318 cases, respectively. During the same period, there were also 65 cases of defamation, insult, and violations of the Information and Communications Network Act conducted online by disparaging others.
According to data submitted by the Army, soldiers’ digital crimes mainly occur through social media (SNS). Specific cases of digital sex crimes included a corporal who purchased and possessed child and youth sexual exploitation materials after seeing sales posts, and a sergeant who sent obscene messages and photos to victims via SNS messages. Additionally, a sergeant punished for fraud deceived victims in game chats by promising game currency and then received bank transfers to embezzle money.
A Ministry of National Defense official said, "We plan to utilize mobile phone apps for managing soldiers’ military life and administration.”
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