Military cadets booze in Thailand

Nine Korea Military Academy cadets touring Thailand earlier this month on a mission were caught stepping outside their barracks without authorization to go for drinks or receive foot massages, defense officials said Tuesday.

Four cadets were drinking beer at a local bar while another five were inside a traditional foot massage parlor, according to an academy spokesman.

Officials told media that the nine cadets, who were there to visit Korean War veterans, would most likely face tough disciplinary actions. Results of the academy’s disciplinary committee meeting will be announced on a later date.

A total of 173 members of the academy’s class of 2015 were touring Thailand to participate in volunteer work in remembrance of the 11,786 Thai soldiers who fought in the Korean War. A small Thai contingent still serves as members of the UN Command’s honor guard unit in Seoul.

The Army’s education center for future senior officers has been under critical public scrutiny in the recent months after a sexual misconduct scandal compelled the academy head, (Ret.) Lieutenant General Park Nam-su to resign this June. A first class male cadet raped a third class female cadet on campus during the school’s annual festivities in May.

In a less publicized case in July, a Seoul Administrative court found the military academy’s expulsion of a cadet for having regular sexual relations with his girlfriend at a residence near the campus, unlawful. Ministry of Defense spokesman Kim Min-seok announced at the time that the academy would appeal the ruling at a higher court because the cadet had breached some of the academy’s core disciplinary principles.

By Jeong Hunny (hj257@heraldcorp.com)