Upon announcing a comprehensive military reform plan last year, the Ministry of Defense of South Korea announced that they are considering the move to allow soldiers to use their mobile phones after their daily duty. Since last April, the military has aimed to apply a three-month pilot program to allow all soldiers off-duties, regardless of their rank, to use mobile devices in bases. Since then, the military has gradually increased the coverage of the program, so Army, Air Force, Navy, and even Marine Corps soldiers are now able to use their cell phones off-duty.

▲ The soldiers are now able to use their cell phones off-duty.

Under the program, all soldiers keep their phones in designated places during the day and are allowed to use them freely everywhere in the base except for high-security areas between 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm. The use of mobile devices was rigidly prohibited due to national security reasons. Taking photos, filming videos or recording in the base are still banned.

Originally, the Ministry of Defense of South Korea kicked off the program in a bid to change its strict, closed-off military culture. Contrary to earlier concerns, leaks of military secrets or the deterioration of soldiers' physical strength have not occurred yet. However, the increase in the number of soldiers who are addicted to illegal online gambling on their cell phones in the barracks has emerged as a side effect.

According to the Ministry of Defense, 85 cases of illegal gambling were caught between April and May this year. Some of the soldiers are said to be seriously addicted. According to the Ministry of Defense, the soldier who was caught in April had been gambling in the barracks for more than 100 times and batting three million since his cell phone was allowed to be used.

▲ Some people have asked soldiers not to use their own mobile phones in the bases.

Gambling addiction is hard to get out of its own, and without proper treatment, serious problems like gun accidents in the unit can arise. Therefore, the military must provide adequate support to it as soon as possible.

August 25th, 2019

by Park Sun-woo