DMZ Guards Fail to Detect Defector 8 Times After Alarm Rang
More details are coming out about the man who defected by swimming in a wet suit and then working his way across the DMZ after landing on the beach:
A North Korean man was caught on military surveillance cameras along the east coast 10 times after he swam ashore in the South last week, but soldiers failed to notice eight of them even after alarm bells rang, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Tuesday.
The announcement was a key point of the results of the JCS’ weeklong probe into the Feb. 16 incident. The North Korean man was ultimately captured more than six hours later inside a restricted area north of the Civilian Control Line in the eastern border town of Goseong.
Yonhap
You can read much more at the link, but the man defected overnight which leads me to believe the ROK Army soldiers manning the cameras were probably sleeping on duty. The man wasn’t detected by the guards manning the camera until the next morning.
Junior enlisted require senior NCOs to closely supervise them. It’s a fact of life. They need leadership done to them so they can learn and eventually become leaders.
“Theory X” management style is not very popular; but we’ve seen over and over throughout history that not paying attention to unpopular tasks leads to dead soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines. And the alternative “Theory Y” style requires mature, well-trained, highly-motivated professionals to be successful.
If the Roman soldier was found guilty (of falling asleep on duty), he was punished by fustuarium. This was carried out as follows. The tribune took a cudgel and lightly touched the condemned man with it, whereupon all the soldiers fell upon him with clubs and stones, and usually killed him…
Korean soldiers ignoring a *single* alleged defector might not be that serious–unless it was a test of the defenses and next week it’ll be a regiment. Remember the war memorial showing the NCOs and Engineers in a forlorn hope even rushing tank and trying to hold mortar shells and satchel charges to them to try to slow the advance and allow others to retreat? Nobody in South Korea should want a repeat performance.
Also, we know about *this* incident; but how many have we not been told about? How many may have been arranged by “insiders”? And instead of sleeping, could any of those on guard duty been aware and just “failed to notice”?
Just asking questions. My real belief is that the younger men were probably just worn out, like most junior enlisted in every army. And tThat’s why I harp on the Senior NCOs paying attention and giving “counseling” as required.
Like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYJFSJs-vo0
(좋아, 그럼. 아무도 일을 그만하라고 말하지 않았습니다!)
Parasite Army could have sent a battalion and the border guards wouldn’t notice. Probably too busy sleeping or playing on their phones.
22nd Div soldiers tired and bored. Its a truly primitive but beautiful area to cover.