Six commanders face penalties over medics' golf scandal

SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- The military said Friday it plans to punish six of its top medical officials in connection with a scandal in which officer-level medics played golf during duty hours.

Fifty medics have been court-martialed, with 35 of them put on probation and
three on suspended terms since the scandal erupted last month, according to the
Ministry of National Defense. An officer can face a prison term of up to a year
if convicted in the case.
A two-star general overseeing the Medical Command was sacked last week for
failure to prevent the misconduct. The ministry is planning to take disciplinary
action against six other commanders, its spokesman said.
"Penalties will be determined based on the number of officers in each unit
believed to have played golf during duty hours," Won Tae-jae told reporters,
adding the total number of officers involved has reached over 180.
Those expected to be disciplined include the heads of five military hospitals and
the chief of a medical training facility, Won said.
Medical school students usually serve as doctors in the South Korean military,
which runs a compulsory armed service for all able-bodied men.
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.