Visited Former Unit Saying "I'm an Officer"... 20-Year-Old Given Probation for Entering Demilitarized Zone

"I Wanted to Remember My Military Life"

A man in his 20s who crossed the Civilian Control Line (CCL) without permission by impersonating an officer, claiming he wanted to reminisce about his military service days, was sentenced to a suspended prison term.

On the 25th, Yonhap News reported that "Judge Kwon No-eul of the Cheongju District Court Criminal Division 1 sentenced Mr. A (28), who was tried for violating the Military Bases and Military Facilities Protection Act, to six months in prison with a one-year suspension."

Mr. A is accused of deceiving a checkpoint in the CCL area of Gangwon Province last February by claiming to be an officer belonging to a higher unit, the corps, then infiltrating the base and taking photos with his mobile phone. It was confirmed that he passed through two checkpoints and stayed in the base for about 20 minutes. Mr. A, who previously served as a soldier in a unit within the CCL, reportedly committed the offense to revisit the base and reminisce about his military life.

Mr. A's lawyer argued, "The defendant had fond memories of the military base and acted impulsively with the hope that visiting there before marriage would become a turning point in his life."

He added, "Since the originally intended Unification Observatory was operating on a shortened schedule and he could not visit it, he seemed to have thought of sightseeing inside the CCL since he was already there. He did not intrude into the restricted area with the intent to harm national security, and the photos were taken only to keep memories, not to share or at the request of others," he defended.

Mr. A himself also stated, "I admit to all the facts of the offense," and said, "I wanted to recall old memories and make it a turning point in my life, but I think I made a wrong judgment, and I am sorry."

Judge Kwon explained the sentencing by saying, "The crime is serious as he deceived soldiers on guard duty, infiltrated a military base, and took multiple photos. However, it does not appear that he photographed or entered the base with the intent to harm national security."