[articles][From Stephe’s desk] Celebrity soldiers heavily punished for violating code of conduct.
So, you mean there ARE some journalists and news sources in South Korea who actually paid attention to the fact that RAIN WAS NOT OUT DRINKING AND CAROUSING WITH THE SOLDIERS UNDER FIRE? They actually understand that SBS used Rain’s name for ratings when he was actually with his bosses and not the group? OMG. Hell just may be about to freeze over. Well!
Sad, sad news below, but not unexpected, unwarranted, or avoidable. I take no joy in it—It’s not natural to be joyous when someone else’s life is burned to the ground (unless you’re one of those hateful little mudskippers called a netizen), but at the same time… what an idiotic thing to have done. On the list of diabolical chances for a PR Agent to take, this was a doozy. Quite the depressing place these days, Seoul, South Korea. *sigh* ^@@^
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The Dong-A-Ilbo 7/26/2013 —
Celebrity soldiers heavily punished for violating code of conduct
The South Korean military authorities have taken a severe disciplinary action against many soldiers of a celebrity unit who turned out to have violated the military code of conduct and gone AWOL. Those to be disciplined include Sangchu (real name: Lee Sang-cheol) and Seven (Choi Dong-wook).
A Defense Ministry source said on Thursday, “Seven out of eight celebrity unit soldiers are given jail time in the military prison and one being under probation.” Sangchu and Seven, who went to massage parlors after a military concert in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province on June 21, were given a 10-day lockup in the military prison. A television program captured them entering several massage parlors at late night and created a social backlash. Another source said, “Although we found that the two soldiers did not go there for sex but for massage service, we decided to give them a spell in a military jail because they violated the military code of conduct and went AWOL.”
The ministry ruled other five entertainment unit soldiers a 4-day in a military prison for illegally bringing mobile phones. A military prison term is a disciplinary action that can lock up a soldier in a military prison within 15 days without a trial. A soldier who is given a military prison term is imprisoned in a specific place and must serve for as many more days as he served in a jail. The record, however, is not kept unlike criminal punishment.
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Seven, Sangchu. Photo SBS ‘Scene 21’ capture.
Sports KyungHang 7/26/2013 — [English translation by 화니]
Military takes severe disciplinary action against ‘Sangchu’ and ‘Seven’
Sangchu’ and ‘Seven’ will be redeployed to field forces after being confined in the guardhouse.
The military has taken severe disciplinary action against entertainment soldiers ‘Sangchu’ (his real name, Lee Sang-Cheol. aged 31) and ‘Seven’ (Choi Dong-Wook, 29) since the news of their going to massage parlors offering illicit sexual services, caused quite a stir in the country.
According to the Defense Military on the 25th, two (‘Sangchu’ and ‘Seven’) and five others of the 8 entertainment soldiers who are accused of violating military rules, are to be to the guardhouse for ten days and for four days, for going to massage parlors offering illicit sexual services and for using prohibited item ‘cellphones’, respectively. The remainder of them is to be placed under probation. After that, all of them will be redeployed to field forces.
At a briefing last 18th, the Defense Military said, ‘Following the crisis as a result of an inspection of entertainment soldiers, the military has decided to abolish the entertainment soldier system because normal soldiers who are faithfully serving in military, have been demoralized by them and because the inevitable result of the controversy has been the complete loss of the public’s confidence.”
An endless debate had surrounded the issue of whether to continue or stop the entertainment soldier system since some entertainment soldiers’ violating rules were shown on a current affairs TV show last 25th.
Credit to Sports KyungHang
http://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=shm&sid1=106&oid=144&aid=0000210262
English translation by 화니
Cloud USA 
Final Global Post update:
The SECOND revision has been changed from this:
The soldiers faced unprecedented tough disciplinary actions after a local TV network last month secretly taped a group of soldiers on a night out.
Two of them were caught by a camera crew in front of a massage parlor late at night after failing to get service. Others caught on video included K-pop star Rain and Seven, drinking together in a private restaurant following a performance for a military event.
However, Rain was cleared of any misconduct worthy of punishment and was released by the Defense Ministry two weeks ago, Seoul Broadcasting System reported.
To this:
Seven celebrity soldiers who were caught on camera drinking and entering a massage parlor were sentenced to several days in a military prison for violating the military code of conduct, the defense ministry said Thursday.
The soldiers faced unprecedented tough disciplinary actions after a local TV network last month secretly taped a group of soldiers on a night out.
Two of them were caught by a camera crew in front of a massage parlor late at night after failing to get service. Others were shown drinking together in a private restaurant following a performance for a military event.
With this added on:
Correction: This article has been edited from an earlier version, which included erroneous information suggesting that the performer Rain was involved in recent misconduct.
Wow.
GP has reminded me that all journalists across the world are NOT alike, and that some do indeed still put value on the truth in news.
Holy cow. I just had to note these changes in writing here, for future reference.
Stephe ^@@^
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/yonhap-news-agency/130725/seven-celebrity-soldiers-sent-military-prison-scandalous-out
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Just an FYI, everyone:
Kathy Hewett Tsudama reported this on Facebook:
“I received an email back from Global Post President, Phil Balboni:
Philip S. Balboni
To
K Tsudama
Thank you for calling this to my attention. I will have our editorial staff investigate and if there is indeed an error, we will surely correct it.”
“I wrote in the comments under the article. Even more i found the site’s President’s name and contact info to email under their mission statement: We welcome your comments on the site and on our reporting and as always please feel free to contact me directly at pbalboni@globalpost.com.”
Let’s keep pushing on and see what else comes down the pike… Thanks to all of you for what you are doing to support Rain in this matter.
Stephe ^@@^
P.S. According to Erzebet Both, the Korea Herald’s article said the same thing, and after she tweeted in protest (and she thinks other people might have too, she’s not sure), Rain’s name was taken out of the KH article.
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You know something ladies this is outrageous now. Rain needs to stand up. Do a press conference. And let those media who had used in name in the article erroneosly. That they should amend them or he will proceed to suit them for damage to his name. This is getting ridiculous!!
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I have asked the Global Post under this article and on Twitter to correct this article: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/yonhap-news-agency/130725/seven-celebrity-soldiers-sent-military-prison-scandalous-out
The following passage is what I am protesting:
The soldiers faced unprecedented tough disciplinary actions after a local TV network last month secretly taped them. They included K-pop star Rain and Seven, drinking together in a private restaurant following a performance for a military event.
Please join me.
Stephe ^@@^
P.S. I have also sent an email to the Global Post editors. (editors@globalpost.com)
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I just did on both counts (commented and emailed)……………………
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I also told them they were wrong and asked for a retraction, I saw a lot of cloud comments via fb so I had mine twitted.
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This is not a really bad punishment for these entertainers but considering Korean standards for the military is a shameful situation for them and their families. This will tarnish their careers, no doubts about it, specially for the general public but for hard fans, I don’t think so. It will take time and in Seven’s situation he just started his military duty so if he behaves and do his best, it’s possible that people forgive and forget. It’s up to Seven now. 🙂
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That’s for sure. Their families and future wives and children (and even grandchildren, on down the line) will be made to suffer greatly by the South Korean people. I feel sorriest for their sons who serve in the military when their time comes. We can only hope a peace treaty has been signed by then and the draft lifted. *sigh*
Stephe ^@@^
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This is sad news. I feel for their families and fans. Having seen what Rain went through one would think they would have been on their best behavior. Hopefully, they (media, netizens, etc.) will leave Rain out of this mess now. One must have hope. 🙂 Thanks so much for the info.
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I am so happy Rain got out of the military just in time. Also, I happy that they were not able to put this crazy stuff on him. When it was clear he had not done anything wrong. My question are:
1. Seven and Lee will serve 10 days in the military jail. The other 5 will serve 4 days and 1 soldier will be on probation correct?
2. Didn’t they say they were caught drinking alcohol at the dinner too? So they did not get in trouble for drinking but for using their cell phones? Where they allowed to go to dinner and drink but they are not allowed to have cell phones?
3. How is what they were caught doing considered AWOL? I mean wasn’t they all going to get back on the bus and return to their base? I thought AWOL was when you ran away and did not return to your military base.
4. Did that one guy, Rain’s friend who they showed in the video Rain going to get him at the resturant get in trouble?
I wonder how this is going to affect Sevens career. How long has Seven been in the military?
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Flower,
Se7en and Sangchu got in big trouble not because they went to a dinner that they had permission to go to–even in civilian clothes and with cell phones and all that jazz. That was a dinner that all of the guys were invited to by the production director that night, and they were given permission to go to that.
They got in trouble for going BACK out of the hotel late at night without permission and seeking out a massage parlor for a happy end…um *clears throat*…a massage. They were considered to be AWOL when they did that. AWOL means “absent without leave.” In the military sense, the word “leave” doesn’t mean “leaving” to go somewhere, it means “being given permission to do something.”
So, what it boils down to is these guys were absent from their hotel room “without permission.” They went back to their hotel room after dinner like they were supposed to, but then later in the night, they went BACK out into the streets–which they did NOT have permission to do. And they did it in civilian clothes even. (That’s why I am so mad at them. Cause they behaved stupidly and flagrantly disregarded the rules.)
And by the way everyone. They are being confined in the military “jail” for only 10 days. That really isn’t a severe punishment. Oh, sure. The ROK Army is making it SOUND like a severe punishment, but it’s really NOT. LOL.
Terri :-}
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Oh, and I forgot to address your question #4. That was KCM, Rain’s co-host from his Speeding Instinct radio show, right? And NO, KCM did not get in trouble either. Like Rain, he went back to his hotel room after the dinner he had permission to go to and he STAYED there. Or, at least, as far as I know he did.
He had permission to do what he did at the dinner. That is why neither he nor Rain got in trouble for attending the dinner.
Se7en hasn’t been in the military long at all. Just a few months. Don’t know how it will affect his career. I’m hoping he will be okay. Even if he is a dummy. 😛
Terri :-}
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Oh, I forgot #1. Yes, that is correct. The others’ violations weren’t as severe as Se7en’s and Sangchu’s.
(I’m really tired tonight…)
Terri :-}
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Good job Stephe I don’t know why they insist in including Rain in this. It is clear someone has an agenda and his name sell. I wish they. Would leave him alone. It’s been proven now he did nothing wrong. I truly support Rain and that is not going to change.
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