South Korea troops banned from using pro-North phone apps
SEOUL — Troops from two South Korean army units stationed near the North Korea border were recently ordered to delete applications from their smartphones that were deemed pro-North Korean or critical of South Korean president Lee Myung-bak, according to the Ministry of National Defense.
The commander of the Sixth Army Corps issued a ban on four pro-North Korean and six anti-Lee applications on Jan. 17. The ban was reported earlier this week in the South Korean press.
Apps banned for Sixth Army Corps officers include “North Korea World,” a source of travel information for the communist country; “Smart Card,” which criticizes the Lee administration’s unification policy; and “I’m a Petty-minded Creep,” a political satire about Lee. Officers’ smartphones were inspected in late January to make sure they did not contain the prohibited apps.
An MND spokesman did not know for certain why the order had been given, but he said commanders might fear that troops will be reluctant to engage in battle with North Korea if hostilities arise. Another MND spokesman said using the apps would negatively affect soldiers and cause them to “desecrate” values such as loyalty and obedience.
“It is clear who our enemy is, and therefore soldiers must be loyal and obey orders of the commander-in-chief,” he said. “Forward troops must be willing to take orders whenever the enemy provokes in order to defeat the enemy.”
Commanders also believed that criticism of Lee was detrimental to military order.
The MND spokesman would not identify the precise locations of the units, but he did say neither unit was stationed at Baeknyeong or Yeonpyeong islands, the sites of two North Korean attacks in 2011.
