Service academy cadets are quietly using so-called "clothes rooms." Meaning a room to change clothes, it is a one-room apartment several cadets rent together as a space to change into civilian clothes instead of dress uniforms when going out or on overnight leave.
Cadets, who are in quasi-military status, are in principle required to wear dress uniforms. But some are using clothes rooms, saying that wearing a dress uniform draws attention from people around them and reduces mobility. Opinions are split between those who say the dress uniform rule must be upheld and those who argue it should be revised to reflect changing times.
◇ Clothes rooms exploit the gap in the "dress uniform to the destination" rule
On the 16th, according to ChosunBiz reporting, cadets at the Air Force and Naval Academy located in provincial areas mainly use clothes rooms. Cadets leave school in dress uniforms, stop by a clothes room to change into civilian clothes, and then head home or spend their time off nearby. When returning, they stop by again to change back into dress uniforms and go to school.
There is guidance requiring cadets to wear dress uniforms to their "destination" when going out or on overnight leave. But the definition of destination is unclear. If a clothes room is deemed the destination, it does not mean the guidance is violated. It is a kind of loophole.
There is also a financial factor. Usually several cadets split the rent for a clothes room. For example, for a one-room apartment with 400,000 won monthly rent, five people each pay only 80,000 won. It is cheaper than using lodging facilities near the school when going out or on overnight leave.
It is unclear when clothes rooms became established. Graduates of the academies said, however, that it has been customary for at least 10 years. One officer who graduated from a service academy said, "If you stay at school on weekends as a cadet, it is hard to rest comfortably, so most try to take overnight leave," adding, "A clothes room is used not only for changing clothes but also as a refuge."
◇ Academies are aware of the clothes room practice
Each academy is not unaware of the existence of clothes rooms. When the National Human Rights Commission visited and inspected the Air Force and Naval Academy last year, "training staff (officers assigned to the academies)" also answered that they were "aware of the practice of operating clothes rooms." They even conducted their own surveys related to clothes rooms.
Although clothes rooms are seen as customary, many also say they are not desirable. The very act of wearing a dress uniform when going out or on overnight leave is meant to demonstrate military discipline and symbolism. Some also say that wearing a dress uniform helps foster a sense of belonging and has an effect in recruiting junior cadets.
A military official said, "The school is turning a blind eye, but that does not mean it welcomes the clothes room culture."
◇ Officers wear civilian clothes when going out or on overnight leave
On the other hand, some cadets argue that since the mandate to wear dress uniforms has lost effectiveness because of clothes rooms, it would be better to abolish it altogether. In particular, since officers wear civilian clothes during their free time after commissioning, some say it is unreasonable to force only cadets to always wear dress uniforms.
During the earlier visit, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said that a majority of cadets told it that while wearing a dress uniform is necessary for going out or taking overnight leave for public purposes, civilian clothes should be allowed for private purposes.
However, based on the visit's findings, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) recommended improving rules that link the system of going out or taking overnight leave to grades, but did not offer a separate view on the mandate to wear dress uniforms.