Security Agents Get Night Patrol Duty

The staffs of the inspection headquarters, an investigation institution of the military police of the Ministry of National Defense (MND), are having a hard time with afflictions unknown to others. In addition to the investigation and the duty to keep watch, they have to go on night patrols.

Night patrols are operated in two groups; one that works from 6:00 p.m. when other workers retire from work to 12 at night and one that works from 12 at night to 6 in the morning. The area for patrol includes the inside of the building and the parking lot of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of MND and Gukbang Restel in from of the west gate of MND, the lodgings for single generals. The restaurants and karaokes in and around Samgakji, Yongsan, Seoul, often visited by soldiers and the Samgakji Station are also covered by the patrol.

On late nights, in particular, they also have to cover the apartments for the marine and air force soldiers in Daebang-dong, Dongjak-gu and for the land force soldiers in Shingil-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu. These night patrols have been held for the last two months since September. It is known that the military policemen of Gyeryong Base in Chungnam, where the headquarter of land, marine, and air forces is placed, are carrying out night controls.

The patrols are aiming to prevent the repetition of the past nightmare that the staff of the inspection headquarters went through not long before the promotion of generals on November 3. Anonymous letters which were scattered on the floor of the underground parking lot of Gukbang Restel in November 2004 put the MND and the land force into an uproar. According to the document, corruption was involved in the promotion of generals that took place in October that same year. With this happening, the staff of personnel management of the land force army were seized and searched by the prosecution of the army for the first time since the establishment of the army, and Nam Jae-jun, then Chief of the General Staff of the army, expressed this resolution to resign.

The night patrols by the investigation headquarter of the MND were started from the time of the promotion of generals last year, a year after the “anonymous letters” happening. The result of the examination for the promotion of generals this year will be made public on November 3. But if Kim Jang-su, the Chief of the General Staff of the army, is selected as the Minister of National Defense, the shifting of generals at a great scale will become inevitable, in which case the night patrols are planned to continue even after November 3 in order to prevent the distribution of slandering sheets or "anonymous letters.”

yshwang@donga.com