2025/03/24
Ministry of National Defense Press Release: Clarification on the Potential Applicability of Military Trials to Local Civil Defense Personnel
Date: March 24, 2025, 21:30
In response to public concerns regarding the recruitment of personnel for local civil defense teams or their participation in training exercises, and the potential applicability of military trials, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) issued the following clarification today:
The Ministry stated that military trials apply solely to active-duty military personnel who commit military offenses. Civil defense units, while playing a critical role in wartime support operations, are not part of combat formations and are not considered active-duty military personnel. As such, members of these civil defense groups are not subject to military trials.
Furthermore, the MND explained that under current military service regulations, reserve and supplementary soldiers are considered active-duty during their service period. Armed groups that are lawfully established and incorporated into combat formations during wartime are also regarded as active-duty forces. However, civil defense groups are not included in the list of armed groups specified under Article 4 of the National Defense Act and will not be incorporated into combat formations during wartime. As a result, their members are not governed by the provisions of military trial law.