Entertainment soldiers return to regular army

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Entertainment soldiers return to regular army

Following several high-profile scandals, the Ministry of National Defense disbanded the Defense Media Agency’s public relations support unit where many enlisted celebrities served as so-called entertainment soldiers.

The announcement came in July after several entertainment soldiers, including singer Se7en, whose real name is Choi Dong-wook, and Sangchu of Mighty Mouth, whose real name is Lee Sang-chul, were spotted at an illegal adult massage parlor in Chuncheon, Gangwon, by SBS’s investigative TV program “Scene 21” in June.

The celebrities visited the parlor after performing at an event marking the 63rd anniversary of the start of the 1950-53 Korean War.

Earlier in the year, the singer Rain, whose real name in Jung Ji-hoon, also got in trouble for taking too many days off from his military service to meet with his girlfriend, actress Kim Tae-hee.

After finishing his service, Rain was investigated again by the military and found not guilty of violating additional regulations, but widespread negative feelings remained about the program.

Convinced that the public had soured on the program, the government decided to scrap it, sending the former celebrity soldiers into regular army units.

By Lee Sun-min

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