“Yes, I have lots of work to do!” (image: YouTube/Creative Commons)
SEOUL, Sep. 27 (Korea Bizwire) – If you paid more attention to the tragic accidents happened in South Korea’s military camps recently, you might have noticed one thing in common in the fatal accidents within the barracks.
That is most of the misfortunes happened in and near the G.O.P. or General Outpost near the border with North Korea; Both South and North Korea are still technically at war for now. That is why those stationed at the G.O.P. are supposed to undergo most stressful and troubling days in terms of their mental and physical states during their mandatory military service period.
And most common activities for those on frontline G.O.P. duties include such “tedious” jobs as digging up weeds and maintenance works for near roads, rivers and military facilities there. But the government decided that easing their workload might reduce a rising number of the fatal accidents there.
So, South Korean army said on September 27 that they plan to change the main duties for soldiers stationed at the G.O.P. in a way that they only have to do “guard duty” at the area from now on. South Korea’s Ministry of Defense already announced other measures to this effect: They will provide more opportunities for families and friends to visit the soldiers there and to equip those soldiers with bulletproof vests for emergency situations.
By M.H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
