Defense ministry apologizes over excessive antivirus rules at boot camp

▲ This file photo, taken Dec. 24, 2020, shows service members at the Korea Army Training Center in the central city of Nonsan after a cluster of infections were reported among newly enlisted soldiers. (Yonhap)

Army boot camp-coronavirus

Defense ministry apologizes over excessive antivirus rules at boot camp

SEOUL, April 27 (Yonhap) -- The defense ministry apologized Tuesday over a series of complaints that the military enforced excessive anti-coronavirus rules at a boot camp, such as banning trainee soldiers from taking showers or brushing their teeth.

According to the Center for Military Human Rights Korea, the Korea Army Training Center in the central city of Nonsan had been enforcing such no-shower and other excessive antivirus rules on newly enlisted soldiers until their COVID-19 test results came out.

Soldiers were allowed to brush their teeth or wash their face only after they were confirmed to be negative in the first coronavirus test while showers were allowed only after the second tests result were released in the second week, the rights advocacy group said, calling the rules a violation of troops' basic rights.

"Regarding the Korea Army Training Center, we owe many apologies," ministry spokesman Boo Seung-chan said during a regular press briefing, adding that the Army is working on new guidelines to protect troops' rights in the course of the fight against the new virus.

He said the military has been imposing strict health protection measures at boot camps as massive cluster infections could occur given their dense population. Around 3,500 new service members join the Army boot camp every week, he said.

Following the latest criticism, the training center has changed its guidelines to allow soldiers to have a shower if their first mandatory coronavirus tests turn out to be negative, according to Boo.

Earlier, Defense Minister Suh Wook convened an emergency meeting of top commanders to check the military's COVID-19 responses and called for measures to improve living conditions for quarantined soldiers.

As of Tuesday, the military had reported 773 coronavirus infections among its population.

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