Korean pop star Rain, who is serving his mandatory military service, has come under fire for getting “too much vacation.”

Criticism flooded the Internet as the 31-year-old singer’s romantic relationship with top actress Kim Tae-hee was revealed by local online media outlet Dispatch on Tuesday. Kim’s agency confirmed their relationship later in the day.

According to Dispatch, Rain and Kim went on dates every Sunday in December. The website claimed that Rain went on a four-day vacation starting Dec. 23, and had spent Christmas Eve with the actress.

Since the initial report was released, people have been raising questions about how Rain -- despite being a soldier who supposedly spends majority of his time in the barracks -- was able to have weekends off to go on dates.

“What I do not understand is, how is it that an active soldier can go on dates once a week?” posted an unnamed Twitter user.

Under Korean military regulations, a service member on active mandatory duty is entitled to a four-day vacation 100 days after enlisting, and nine-day vacations each time he is promoted. A soldier with exceptional performance is rewarded additional leave.

In the case of Rain, his corporal rank would have ensured him about 22 days outside the barracks, not taking into account vacations on merit.

In October 2012, it was revealed that his leave far exceeded that number. According to data made public by Rep. Lee Seok-hyeon of the Democratic United Party, Rain was given 62 days of vacation between January and October in 2012.

As of noon Wednesday, over 3,600 people had signed an online petition demanding that the military authorities make sure the singer does not get more benefits than he deserves.

The complaints, apparently coming mainly from people who had already finished their required military service, revived the recurring debate on whether those who belong to the special unit in the army composed of popular singers and performers enjoy too many privileges. Korean actors and singers, once they are assigned to the entertainer unit in the army, do not perform normal military tasks; instead, they regularly go on a stage in the military, which is their primary task.

According to government data in 2012, stars-turned-soldiers who served between November 2009 and September 2012 enjoyed 75 days of vacation on average, compared to regular soldiers’ 43 days. Other data from the Ministry of National Defense revealed that TV celebrity Boom, who was discharged in 2011, had 150 vacation days.

“Soldiers from the entertainer unit frequently go on stage within the military, so they get a lot of vacations on merit. It is only natural they get more vacation days than the regular soldiers,” an official from the Defense Ministry said.

By Yoon Min-sik
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)

<관련 한글 기사>

비, 남자 공공의 적? "김태희가 문제 아냐!"

최근 배우 김태희(33)와의 열애가 공개된 가수 비가 ‘특혜논란’에 휩싸였다.

발단은 두 배우의 열애설을 최초 보도한 디스패치의 기사에서 시작되었다. 디스패치는 1일, 비가 11월 23일부터 1주일에 한번 꼴로 김태희를 만났으며, 두 사람은 12월 내내 매주 일요일에 데이트를 즐겼다고 보도했다. 또한 비가 12월 23일에 4박5일 휴가를 내서 김태희와 크리스마스 이브를 같이 보냈다는 내용 역시 보도되었다.

이와 같은 내용이 공개되자 네티즌들은 “어떻게 군인이 매주 휴가를 나와 데이트를 할 수 있느냐”고 의문을 표했다.

한 네티즌은 "김태희가 문제가 아니고 어떻게 군인이 그렇게 휴가를 자주 나올 수 있는지 이해가 안 간다"라고 지적했다.

이에 지난해 10월, 국정감사 도중 이석현 (민주통합당) 의원에 의해 비가 2012년 1월부터 10월까지 무려 62일의 휴가와 외박을 받았다는 사실이 드러나면서 논란은 더욱 커지고 있다.

대한민국 사병은 기본적으로 주어지는 100일 휴가, 진급 휴가 등과 더불어 포상휴가를 받는데, 연예사병들은 일반병사들에 비해 포상휴가가 지나치게 많다는 지적이 나오고 있다.

지난해 10월 진성준 민주통합당 의원이 공개한 국방부 자료에 따르면 2009년 11월부터 2012년 9월까지 전역한 연예인 병사의 경우, 평균 휴가 일수가 75일이지만, 일반사병은 평균 43일에 불과하다.

2011년 제대한 방송인 붐의 경우, 복무기간 동안 무려 150일의 휴가를 받은 것으로 드러나면서 논란이 일은 적이 있다.

한편, 국방부 측에서는 이번 논란에 대해 ‘연예병사는 위문공연이나 대외활동 공로에 따라 외박이나 휴가를 많이 나간다’고 해명한 것으로 알려졌다