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(Gyeryong = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Cheol-seon = At the National Assembly National Defense Committee's government inspection of the Air Force held at Gyeryong University on the 20th, a debate broke out over the Ministry of National Defense's new policy to allow limited smoking for cadets.

At the National Assembly inspection on this day, People Power Party lawmaker Han Ki-ho was the first to bring up the issue of allowing cadets to smoke.

One lawmaker said, "Smoking is absolutely not allowed in military academies. If we destroy it like this, what will be left?" and asked Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Son Seok-rak to "coordinate with the Ministry of National Defense and tell them that it is absolutely prohibited."

Director-General Son said that he also did not agree with allowing cadets to smoke and that he had conveyed this opinion to the Ministry of National Defense.

In response to this, National Defense Commission Chairman Jin Seong-jun, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, said, "I am also a person who wants to quit smoking," but pointed out, "I am not recommending that cadets smoke, but if cadets smoke based on their own needs and judgment, should it be banned as a school rule?"

Chairman Jin said, “Isn’t smoking illegal or immoral? Isn’t it a food of choice?” He added, “Rather than just forcing past practices, we need to think about whether this issue conflicts with human rights, individual choice, and freedom.”

President Son said, “It’s something we need to think about,” and added, “It’s something that can be done at the military academy, but I think we need to develop sufficient self-control ability regarding the ‘three taboos.’”

In the past, the three-prohibition system of 'no marriage, no drinking, and no smoking' was strictly enforced for cadets, prohibiting three activities including marriage, drinking, and smoking, but it was relaxed following criticism that it was an overly harsh lifestyle regulation.

Since 2016, the prohibition on alcohol consumption among the three prohibitions has been relaxed to the extent that it does not compromise cadets' dignity outside of school.

Recently, the Ministry of National Defense decided to revise the regulations to allow limited smoking for cadets when wearing civilian clothes outside of school, following the recommendation of the National Human Rights Commission.

However, the Ministry of National Defense did not accept the recommendation to 'relax or abolish marriage and pregnancy restrictions', which is one of the three prohibitions on marriage, saying it would cut off cadets' lives and education and training.