Human Rights Commission: "Military Officers' Overnight Leave and Outing Area Restrictions Should Be Eased and Standards Established"

Review of Related Policies in February Last Year

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) has recommended easing the current restrictions on the overnight leave and outings areas for military officers and establishing unified standards and procedures.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 13th, the NHRCK advised the Minister of National Defense to relax the current restrictions on the overnight leave and outing areas for military officers who are not assigned to crisis response units within each unit.

The NHRCK reviewed related policies following a public petition submitted in February last year by the wife of a professional soldier, demanding improved treatment for professional soldiers. As a result, it was judged that restricting outings to areas outside operational zones after weekday working hours and on Saturdays and public holidays during peacetime is inappropriate.

Furthermore, the NHRCK found it difficult to see a reasonable justification for limiting outing and overnight leave areas only in Army operational units, while the Navy, Air Force, Ministry of National Defense, and Joint Chiefs of Staff do not impose such restrictions.

In response, the military explained that units restricting officers’ outing and overnight leave areas set these movement zones to respond swiftly to wartime, emergency situations, or equivalent national crises.