Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back is facing mounting pressure over allegations of desertion during mandatory military service, with the main opposition party threatening to seek impeachment unless he releases his full military records.
At the center of the controversy is Ahn’s official service record.
It shows that he served for 22 months, eight months longer than the standard 14-month term that applied to him at the time. Critics claim that the additional period was likely imposed after he stopped reporting for duty without authorization.
Ahn served as a short-term Army conscript under a now-defunct system that allowed some conscripts to commute from home to military units. Introduced in 1969, the system was designed to manage surplus conscription-age manpower when the number of eligible men exceeded the military’s personnel needs and capacity.
Ahn has rejected the allegations, saying the discrepancy stems from an administrative error rather than an unauthorized absence or disciplinary action.
During his confirmation hearing last year, Ahn said he completed his standard 14-month term from November 1983 to January 1985 and returned to university that March.
He said he was later informed that several days he had spent under investigation during his service had not been counted toward his term. According to Ahn, he returned to his unit during his summer vacation to complete those remaining days. However, Ahn said the military recorded the date on which he completed the remaining days as the end of his entire service period, rather than as a separate period of additional service.
Ahn nevertheless declined to submit his full military record during the confirmation process.
The issue resurfaced on July 6 after Kim Young-soo, a retired Navy major who heads a public interest whistleblower group, made a fresh set of allegations.
Kim claimed that Ahn left his unit in Gochang, North Jeolla Province, without authorization for about seven months. He also alleged that Ahn was later apprehended in Seoul, held for about 30 days and ordered to serve an additional period corresponding to the time he had been absent.
The claims prompted renewed calls from opposition politicians for Ahn to disclose his military records.
Rep. Choi Bo-yun, chief spokesperson of the main opposition People Power Party, said Sunday that Ahn should release the records immediately. She said the party would pursue his impeachment if he failed to explain the allegations or step down, and argued the claims against Ahn were too specific to dismiss without documentary evidence.
Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon has also called on Ahn to release the records. Han said Friday that if the record was inaccurate, Ahn should disclose it and explain which parts were wrong. He also questioned whether it contained information “more serious than desertion.”
The Defense Ministry has rejected the desertion allegation, calling it “clearly false.”
The ministry on Friday cited Ahn’s university transcript, which showed that he attended classes and received grades during the first semester of 1985. It said the transcript contradicted the claim that Ahn had remained away from his unit for seven months and was later required to serve an additional eight months.
The ministry added that Ahn plans to seek corrections to his military record after leaving office, arguing that doing so while serving as defense minister could raise questions about fairness.
The ministry also said releasing what it considers an inaccurate record could create further misunderstanding.
It did not, however, confirm whether Ahn’s military record shows that he spent 30 days in confinement.
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