The Ministry of National Defense is pushing a plan to allow commanders, at their discretion, to abolish night sentry duty in units that have installed CCTVs inside barracks.
According to the military on the 23rd, the Ministry of National Defense recently issued an advance notice of a revision to the unit management directive reflecting this. The notice period runs until Aug. 10.
The core of the revision is that a basis has been established to allow units not to run sentry duty, considering the unit's mission, situation and conditions. If the purpose of the sentry can be achieved through CCTVs for security operations or unit management and through patrols, a commander at the battalion level or higher may decide whether to operate it.
The current directive requires sentries to be organized in teams of two. Service members have taken turns working for one to two hours from just after evening roll call until wake-up the next day in living quarters and hallways. The main purpose was to respond immediately to emergencies such as casualties or desertion.
The military said the directive was revised as the need has greatly diminished with the modernization of barracks facilities and the expansion of CCTVs. As a result, there is an outlook that night sentry duty in front-line units will largely disappear.
The Ministry of National Defense also revised the standards for posting photos of former commanders within units. Previously, posting photos of commanders or department heads whose sentences were finalized for crimes such as insurrection, treason or aiding the enemy, or who were dismissed for embezzlement of public funds, was prohibited. The revision additionally includes as grounds for restriction: ▲ if dismissed through disciplinary action ▲ if a sentence of imprisonment or heavier was finalized for a reason arising during service ▲ if the individual seriously damaged the honor of the military.