Military Academies Ease "Three Bans" Further, Citing Excessive Lifestyle Regulations

No drinking, no smoking, and no marriage.

These have been the three traditional prohibitions enforced across the Army, Navy, and Air Force academies.

Following the previous relaxation of alcohol restrictions, smoking is now reportedly permitted on a limited basis.

According to data submitted by the Ministry of National Defense to the National Assembly, the ministry has decided to accept a recommendation from the National Human Rights Commission of Korea to "allow restricted smoking in designated areas."

Previously, smoking by cadet students was strictly prohibited both on and off military bases.

However, accepting the human rights commission's recommendation aimed at improving the living conditions of cadets, authorities decided to permit smoking in a limited capacity.

In the past, the "three bans" of no marriage, no drinking, and no smoking were rigorously enforced for military academy cadets.

These rules, however, have been gradually relaxed amid criticisms that they constituted excessive lifestyle regulations.

First, the drinking regulations were eased starting in 2016 to allow drinking outside the campus as long as it did not damage a cadet's dignity, and now the smoking regulations have been relaxed as well.

Nevertheless, the Ministry of National Defense did not accept the recommendation to relax or abolish restrictions on marriage and pregnancy, citing reasons such as the disruption of education and training.

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