Is South Korea’s Military Going Soft—or Going High-Tech? The Debate Over CCTV Night Watches and Frontline Security
South Korea is considering a major change to one of its military’s oldest barracks traditions: the overnight soldier watch known as bulchimbang . AI-generated image Under a proposed revision announced by the Ministry of National Defense, military units equipped with CCTV cameras, patrol systems and other monitoring measures could stop assigning soldiers to overnight watch duty. The decision would be left to commanders at the battalion level or above, depending on each unit’s security conditions. Supporters describe the policy as a reasonable modernization that would allow exhausted conscripts to sleep. Critics, however, see it as another sign that South Korea’s military discipline may be weakening at a time when North Korea is expanding its nuclear, missile and drone capabilities. The debate is not really about cameras alone. It reflects a much larger question facing South Korea: Can technology reduce unnecessary military duties without weakening readiness, discipline and the abil...