`Have a phone conversation with your son during military service`

`Have a phone conversation with your son during military service`. August. 01, 2015 07:20. neone@donga.com.

As early as November, soldiers in the front line units can have phone conversations with their families via answer-only mobile phones in barracks.

The Ministry of Defense has announced Friday that it plans to distribute 11,364 mobile phones that are to be shared by soldiers at military units in the front line and in remote areas. This is one of the countermeasures pursued by the defense ministry to improve the culture in the army since the tragic death of army conscript Yoon in the 28th Infantry Division.

One mobile phone will be distributed to a barrack where eight to 10 soldiers live together in average. Soldiers can use the mobile phone after their duties or on holidays.

It is not possible to make a phone call as it is an answer-only phone. But it is possible to send text messages. However, only saved messages can be sent such as a message to ask for a phone call or to say hello.

The ministry plans to distribute the mobile phones after selecting a supplier of the mobile phones and setting up a security system. The defense ministry plans to distribute such mobile phones to barracks in all military units when sufficient budget is allocated. In total, 44,686 mobile phones are required to be distributed for all military units across the nation. “Soldiers can have phone conversations with their family members when necessary. Families would be relieved from concerns,” said the official.

The ministry also plans to sign a contract to install a public phone equipped with video call function in the company-level units in the armed forces and the Marine Corps within this year.