BREAKING NEWS

South Korea military to fight to keep ban on sex by academy cadets

South Korea's military said onThursday it would fight a court ruling quashing its move to kickan officer candidate out of the elite Army Academy for havingsex with his girlfriend while on leave.

An appeals court ruled on Wednesday that the Academy abusedits authority to discipline cadets when it expelled a candidatefor having sex with his girlfriend while on a weekend leave. Itruled that his conduct did no harm to the institution's honour.

The Academy maintains rules against sexual relations as partof its code of conduct that also bans drinking, smoking andmarriage and it intends to take the case to the Supreme Court, aspokesman for the Army told a news briefing.

News reports said a third person had observed the recruitand his girlfriend visiting an apartment and had informed theAcademy.

The Academy is an elite institution that educates officersfor a country that has a long history of military men playing anactive role in politics. Two of its graduates have gone on tobecome president.