Ministry of National Defense (Republic of Korea)

The Ministry of National Defense (MND) is a department within the government of South Korea and responsible for the military branches of South Korea. It was established on 15 August 1948 and located at Yongsan-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul.

In April 2012, MND appointed entertainer Rain, who is serving as a PR agent for the Defense Media Agency, as Honorary Ambassador of Military for the duration of his service. Previous ambassador were actors Lee Dong Gun and Seo Ji-seok.

Agencies

 * Military Manpower Agency
 * Defence Acquisition Program Administration
 * Defense Media Agency
 * Korean Forces Network (Friends TV, 96.7 Friends FM)

Notable enlistments
The following all served as PR agents at the Defense Media Agency.


 * Lee Jae-won of H.O.T.: 2009 (22 months) and discharged on 7 March 2011


 * Boom: 29 October 2009 and discharged on 22 August 2011 by the Defense Media Agency, where he has been serving as a PR agent.


 * Andy of Shinhwa: 11 January 2010 (21 months) - five weeks of basic training followed by active duty with the Agency. Discharged on 31 October 2011.


 * Lee Joon-gi: 3 May 2010 (for 21 months) with the Agency and discharged on 16 February 2012.


 * Lee Dong-gun: 15 June 2010 (21 months) at the 102 Reserves in Chuncheon, Gangwon-do for four weeks of basic training. This was followed by active duty with he Defense Media Agency. and was appointed Honorary Ambassador of Military. He was discharged on 28 March 2012.


 * Mithra Jin of Epik High: 3 August 2010 (21 months) - active duty at the 102 reserve in Chuncheon, then served as an infantry rifle soldier, a member of the military band and a GOP soldier, and finally at the Defense Media Agency (DEMA). He was discharged on 14 May 2012.


 * Rain: 11 October 2011 (for 21 months) at the 306th Army draft camp in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi-do province. In March 2012, Rain was transfer to the Defense Media Agency and in April he was appointed Honorary Ambassador of Military.

Events

 * August 2010: Actors Lee Joon-gi and Ju Ji-hoon co-starred in military musical, Voyage of Life. The musical, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Korean War, was co-produced by the Ministry and Korea Musical Theatre Association. It ran from 21 to 29 August the National Theater of Korea.


 * January 2013: The Ministry again with Korea Musical Theatre Association produced another military musical The Promise, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the signing of an armistice. It ran from 9 to 20 January at the National Theater of Korea, starring actors Ji Hyun-woo, Kim Mu-yeol, Jung Tae-woo; as well as singers Leeteuk of Super Junior, Yoon Hak of Supernova, and Lee Hyun of 8Eight. The musical is centered around a group of soldiers who keeps a promise made to each other during the 6.25 war.

Criticism
The Ministry of National Defense is allegedly active in military-level censorship such as book banning and screening of mobile apps within the military hierarchy.