[123RF]
[123RF]

Soldiers at a unit under the Army Special Warfare Command were given lessons in fashion-model walking — learning the gait and posture of runway models — according to a report Wednesday.

TV Chosun reported that the Army Special Warfare Command's 1st Airborne Special Forces Brigade held an event called the "K-Walking Performance Military Festival" at the unit's gymnasium on Thursday.

Footage obtained by TV Chosun showed female models in camouflage-patterned outfits and high heels teaching walking techniques and posture to special forces troops.

When the models stepped forward with their right foot, the troops standing in formation did the same in unison. The models then walked along lines marked on the gymnasium floor, crossing one foot in front of the other in the distinctive style of a fashion show runway, and the troops followed along.

When the models performed a "turn" — twisting their bodies to change direction — the troops mirrored the move. As the models crossed their legs to move sideways and struck poses with bent arms, the troops matched the stance. Some could be seen smiling with apparent embarrassment.

Unlike standard military drill, which emphasizes precise, disciplined movements, the session centered on the distinctive gait and posture of fashion models.

The 1st Airborne Special Forces Brigade, where the event was held, was among the units mobilized during the Dec. 3, 2024, emergency martial law declaration. The brigade's then-commander, former Brigade Commander Lee Sang-hyeon, is currently standing trial on charges related to the martial law incident.

Within the military, some expressed difficulty understanding the rationale for giving model-walking instruction to troops who carry out special operations missions.

"I don't understand why they're teaching this to special forces troops who have so much to prepare for," a military official told TV Chosun. "It's hard to understand why, instead of holding the soldiers mobilized for martial law accountable, someone is trying to strip away their military identity and turn the unit into something that looks civilian."

A YouTuber and former special forces noncommissioned officer who submitted the footage said, "What does this have to do with a soldier's dignified bearing?" The person added that the troops "probably participated because they were ordered to from above, but must have felt considerable self-reproach."

The unit told TV Chosun that the program was "planned and arranged independently by the unit as part of intensive character-building education for soldiers, to help them establish proper military bearing by learning correct posture and gait." It added that it would "continue to refine the character-education program going forward, incorporating soldiers' feedback to ensure it is suited to the unit's characteristics and the soldiers' needs."

Online commenters reacted with criticism. "This is clearly intended to ruin the military," one wrote. Others asked, "How much further are they going to go in turning this into a joke of an army?" and "If war breaks out, are the special forces just going to do a welcome-walk in front of North Korean soldiers? What on earth is this?"


husn7@heraldcorp.com