00:00 Jumping Around from One-Star to Three-Star Generals: A Frenzied Party
01:22 Even at the 'Presidential Birthday Party' Under the Previous Administration?
1. One-Star and Three-Star Generals 'Jumping Around' in a Frenzied Party
The drinking and singing gathering held by the Air Force 3rd Flying Training Wing has sparked major controversy. The footage is quite shocking. An officer corps that included one-star and three-star generals engaged in a frenzied party, drinking heavily, dancing, and singing. Conscripted soldiers from the military band livened up the atmosphere by singing and playing accompaniment on guitar and keyboard. In the video, they looked not like a sharp military band, but more like a band at an adult entertainment bar. The Air Force is explaining this scene as if nothing were wrong. They explain that it was an official event held across all wings under Air Force Headquarters guidance to boost the morale and pride of frontline pilots and to hear difficulties from the field. However, beginning with last year's accidental bombing incident in Pocheon, the Air Force has caused aircraft accidents every month or two, facing relentless criticism that its discipline has become far too lax. If so, they should be conducting training to tighten discipline, leaving one to question whether holding a drinking and singing gathering only made discipline even more lax. Furthermore, the drinking and partying lasted from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., which the Air Force claims was after duty hours. The Air Force's claim that work ends at 5 p.m. is somewhat difficult to understand. On top of that, the pilots who drank, including the one-star wing commander, canceled their flight schedules for the following day. This also seems to be no small issue, yet the Air Force has not offered any particular stance on it.
2. Even at the 'Presidential Birthday Party' Under the Previous Administration?
What is most bothersome is that soldiers from the military band were mobilized. Under the previous administration, soldiers dispatched to the presidential security detail were once mobilized outside of duty hours to prepare for the president's birthday party, causing major controversy.
[Arirang, Arirang, Alone Arirang, let's cross over the Arirang Pass.]
The mobilization of military band soldiers for the 3rd Flying Training Wing's event is similar. One has to question whether providing accompaniment and livening up the mood while officers drink and dance is really the duty of military band soldiers. While the Air Force claims the event complied with military band regulations, the Ministry of National Defense has launched an audit.
[Jeong Bit-na / Ministry of National Defense Spokesperson: "We view this as a very grave matter. The Minister of National Defense has instructed the audit office to strictly determine the facts."]
We will have to wait and see what determination the defense ministry reaches. Criticism is mounting that the Air Force's drinking and singing gathering took a considerable toll on its readiness posture as well. This is because such events were held across all wings, and the pilots who drank canceled their flight schedules the following day. The defense ministry's audit will need to thoroughly look into the cancellations of these flights.
(Reported by Kim Tae-hun | Story by Shin Hee-sook | Camera by Seol Chi-hwan | Video Editing by Hong Jin-young | Design by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News)
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