Docs arrested for golf outings

2009-04-01 07:36

Seoul - Eleven more South Korean military doctors have been arrested for repeatedly playing golf while on duty, the defence ministry said on Wednesday.

Military prosecutors last Friday had announced the arrest of nine military doctors on similar charges, saying they could face a prison term of up to a year if court-martialled.

It was the second such case in less than five months. Last November the military said dozens of reservist officers faced punishment for playing golf while supposedly on duty.

Able-bodied young men face conscription into the 680 000-strong military, with medical students usually serving as doctors.

Golf has gained popularity in South Korea, which has several world stars. But it is still seen in some quarters as a sport for the idle rich and for people seeking to peddle influence.

In 2006 then-prime minister Lee Hae-Chan stepped down after a golf outing with businessmen sparked a criminal investigation into alleged influence-peddling.

In 2007 the air force chief resigned after playing golf while the country was mourning the death of a Korean soldier in Afghanistan.

- AFP