07 August 2017

News Story: Defense chief vows to overhaul military culture

SEOUL, Aug. 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo visited the boot camp of a front-line Army unit Saturday amid fierce criticism about alleged human rights abuse by a four-star general.

Meeting with new conscripts at the 28th Division in Paju, near the inter-Korean border, Song pledged efforts to reform the military culture, according to his ministry.

"Treating troops on the sacred duty of national defense unfairly or giving them private instructions can't happen," the minister said. "(I) will try to establish a military where you are valued and serve with pride."

The country's military is under fire after revelations that Gen. Park Chan-ju, commanding general of the 2nd Operational Command, and his wife treated rank-and-file soldiers assigned to serve at his official residence like "slaves."

Read the full story at YonhapNews