Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

The Defense Ministry has amended part of its After-Duty Mobile Phone Use Policy for Soldiers, which comes into force on September 1. While leaving the hours of mobile phone use unchanged, the Defense Ministry revised its policy on mobile phone use by trainees and inpatients in military hospitals.

Since July 2020, the After-Duty Mobile Phone Use Policy for Soldiers has allowed soldiers to keep and use mobile phones after work on weekdays (18:00-21:00) and holidays (08:30-21:00).

Trainees, who were not allowed to use mobile phones under the policy, will now be allowed to use them for one hour on weekends and holidays to communicate with their homes and reduce the sense of isolation, as well as for some administrative matters.* Inpatients in military hospitals will be allowed to use mobile phones from 08:30 to 21:00 on both weekdays and holidays to communicate with their families and the units they belong to for efficient patient management between phases of medical treatment (e.g., consent from guardians, etc.), and by considering that hospitalization involves no tasks.

*Opening an Installment Deposit to Help Soldiers Prepare for Tomorrow, and reducing the burden of printing Internet letters addressed to them.

Since the implementation of the policy, the Defense Ministry has conducted three pilot tests since November 2021 to examine the feasibility of soldiers keeping mobile phones throughout the day (including the use of mobile phones by trainees).

The 15th Infantry Division took part in the first pilot operation from November 2021 to February 2022, 11 units participated in the second test from June to December 2022, and 45 units, 20% of the military and all training centers participated in the third test from July to December 2023.

During pilot operations, the standard for the possession and use of mobile phones during work was specified and the punishment for violations was strengthened.

The standard is that mobile phones are not to be carried during security operations and staff duty and are to be kept separately, and while use during work is prohibited, use is permitted in places and at times approved by their commanders, and is also permitted during meals and personal autonomous activity hours.

The standard on punishments has been strengthened: Instead of restriction on use under the previous standard, minor violations of use rules will be punished by either restriction of use or restriction of going out and sleeping out. Violators of security regulations and laws will be subject to punitive measures instead of the previous standard’s choice of restriction of use or punitive measures.

Despite these measures, the pilot operation identified factors that could have a negative impact on the basic mission of the military.

Despite tougher penalties, the number of breaches of use rules remained at the same level as before the pilot operations, and the number of breaches in the Army actually increased.*

* In the third pilot, there were 1,005 violations (1,014, before the pilot), and penalties (617).

- In the Army, the number of violations increased from 431 to 587.

* The number of violations committed by trainees was 32, representing only 0.04% of those who took part in the pilots (80,491).

In particular, malicious breaches such as security breaches, illegal gambling, and digital sexual violence continue to be detected, and are likely to increase if policies are relaxed.

During the third pilot, there were 48 instances of photographs being taken inside the premises and posted on social media, 87 deliberate removals of security applications, 35 cases of illegal gambling, and three incidents of digital sexual violence.

In particular, officers from units involved in the pilot operations expressed concerns about the loss of concentration on work and training during the day, the disruption of conversations with colleagues and the weakening of solidarity.

As a result, the military has decided to keep its current policy on the use of mobile phones after work unchanged so that soldiers can concentrate on their core duties.

On Monday of July 8, the revised After-Duty Mobile Phone Use Policy for Soldiers was also reported to the first Military Human Rights Improvement Council in 2024,* jointly held by Jeong In Seop, chairman of a private committee, and Vice Defense Minister Kim Seon Ho.

*The council was established in October 2022 by integrating committees with similar functions in military service and human rights. It formulates and implements basic policies on military service and conducts consultations and coordination on human rights and military service, etc. (nine members from the Defense Ministry and the military and nine private members).

The Defense Ministry will continue to make efforts to improve the communication and service conditions of soldiers and will improve and supplement its policy on the use of mobile phones by soldiers in a way that does not compromise the basic duties and security of the military.