S. Korean military nabs dozen medical officers over golf outings

SEOUL, March 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top military prosecutor said Friday nine medical officers have been arrested and three booked without restraint after they repeatedly played golf while on duty.

Those arrested played at military-run ranges at least ten times over the past
year, the investigator said, adding all of those involved in the case were
captain-level officers.
"They headed to greens in the afternoon after treating patients, who usually come
to their clinics in the morning," Army Col. Yoon Woong-joong, chief of the
Prosecutors' Office at the Ministry of National Defense, told reporters.
Medical school students usually serve as doctors in South Korea's military, which
runs a compulsory armed service for all able-bodied men.
Yoon said the officers could face a prison term of up to a year if
court-martialed. The officers detained were held based on how many times they
played golf during official hours on duty, he said.
Many of the officers were nearing the end of their military tenure, Yoon said,
adding a military jail term would not affect their professional service after
discharge.
South Korea has 655,000 troops facing North Korea's 1.2 million strong force
after their 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce rather than a peace treaty.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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