Two Army soldiers who contributed to the safe securing of a North Korean civilian who crossed over the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) military demarcation line (MDL) received a 29-night, 30-day reward vacation.
According to the military on the 23rd, the Joint Chiefs of Staff decided to award commendations in the name of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to 10 service members who successfully completed an operation to secure a New Recruit from North Korea earlier this month. Among them, two are conscript soldiers and are currently on a month-long vacation. According to military regulations, special merits are recognized for cases such as the induction of defectors, allowing for reward vacation approval within one month.
In addition to the commendation from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, it is reported that some of the service members who contributed to this operation will also receive commendations from the Ministry of National Defense and the Chief of Staff of the Army.
Earlier, the military secured a New Recruit, a North Korean male resident, after about 20 hours of operation that took place on the 3rd in the central-western front, crossing the MDL. At that time, the sergeant, who was the operation team leader on our side, reportedly said, "I am a soldier of the Republic of Korea. I will guide you safely," and the male crossed the DMZ without any significant resistance. Whether he defected is expected to be clarified through an investigation by the relevant authorities.