South Korean celebrities fulfilling their mandatory military service were recently spotted at a local massage parlor, sparking a backlash from the public over whether so-called “entertainment soldiers” enjoy too many privileges.

According to “Hyeonjang 21 (On the spot 21), an investigative TV program by SBS, two celebrity soldiers were spotted last Saturday at a massage parlor in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. Massage parlors in Korea are viewed as seedy, as many of them are known to offer sexual services.

The two soldiers were spotted exiting the parlor after midnight. When the production crew of “Hyeonjan” approached them, they attempted to take the microphone away from the crew. One of the soldiers told the staff that he “did not drink a drop of alcohol,” and swore he did not do anything illegal.

An official from the Defense Media Agency said the soldiers in question had visited the massage parlor to get treatment.

Talk of favoritism concerning the soldiers, assigned to a unit that provides programming for TV and radio broadcasts to promote the military, swarmed the Internet Wednesday morning.

“Regular soldiers are on duty day and night, and they (entertainment soldiers) are allowed to drink and go to massage parlors?” complained one Internet user.

(khnews@heraldcorp.com)