Three US soldiers on a military base in South Korea were reduced in pay and rank after sneaking through holes they made in a boundary fence to visit bars amid anti-coronavirus restrictions imposed to slow the spread of the pandemic.
The punishment was announced by the US Army so that "Soldiers, Civilians, contract employees and their families understand the ramifications of not following the commander's directives".
Violations included breaking the "no unauthorised travel order", neglecting "public health guidance" and "willful dereliction of duty". One of the soldiers ranked Private First Class also received detention for "soliciting others to disobey orders". All three of the servicemen were placed under a 45-day restriction with extra duty, as well as being docked $866 per pay month.
US troops remain under COVID-19 restrictions in South Korea, but there are no official information on the impact of the pandemic on Camp Humphreys, as the health of US personnel overseas is limited due to security concerns. According to data assembled by the Johns Hopkins University, there are currently 10,708 coronavirus cases in South Korea resulting in at least 240 deaths.
As of this week, over 3,700 members of the US military are said to have tested positive for the virus, while at least two soldiers have died from coronavirus-related complications.