Repeated Military Accidents Leave Young People feeling “Helpless”

Over a year has passed since the marine died due to an excessive search order issued by a commanding officer in the 1st Marine Division, but no one has been held accountable in the military. As the pattern of an “irresponsible military” continues, trust in the armed forces is steadily declining among young people who must either enlist themselves or send their loved ones into the military.

On August 30th, “Channel PNU” reported that a Marine who was involved in a search operation for missing persons due to localized heavy rain in Yecheon, North Gyeongsang Province last July was found in cardiac arrest 11 hours after being swept away by a rapid stream. However, due to suspicions of external pressure on the investigation, the truth of the incident was not properly determined. It wasn’t until August 23rd, more than 400 days after the Marine's disappearance, that the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials conducted cell phone forensics on Im Seong-Geun, the former commander of the 1st Marine Corps Division, who was directly responsible for the search for the missing Marine, to investigate whether there had been any unfair instructions during the search process.

Students at the Pusan National University (PNU) said they felt “helpless” that military members are dying in a non-wartime situation and no one is being held accountable. It could happen to anyone around them, they said. Jung Chang-Soo (Dept. of Artificial Intelligence, 23), who is about to enlist in the army, referring to the recent death of military recruit Park. “When I see people dying at a young age, I feel that death is not so far away from us, I think it could happen to me as well, but the feeling of helplessness arises when I think that I cannot protest.”

Students at PNU pointed to the exclusive and opaque nature of the military as a contributing factor to the constant stream of incidents and accidents. Park (Dept. of Electrical Engineering, 21), who ruptured his cruciate ligaments of the knee during ROTC training said “But nowadays, it’s possible to communicate with the outside world, so incidents and accidents can be reported, I think the military is a very exclusive organization, which is the reason why accidents have not been eradicated.” Kim (Dept. of Chemistry, 19), who suffered a falling accident while in military service, also pointed out that “If there is an accident in the military, the commanders are busy covering it up because there are disadvantages for them.”

In May, a military recruit identified as Park, who had entered a recruit training center, passed away 13 days after enlistment due to excessive disciplinary training (punishment drills) conducted while wearing a 40kg full combat gear. It was later confirmed that the company commander, who administered the punishment at that time, had under-reported the details of the incident.

The Military Human Rights Center said, “The company commander concealed the fact of his offense until May 24th, when he explained the situation to the bereaved family (the day before the cadet’s death), the lie would have been conveyed to the military doctor.” “As a result, this caused confusion in the medical team’s judgment, adversely affecting the initial evacuation of the patient, which might have contributed to Park’s death,” they added. The military police investigating the case even swore at the family when they asked for further investigation.

Repeated military incidents, accidents, and lack of accountability have made the military “distrusted” among those who have not experienced it firsthand. Shin Na-Ye (Dept. of Korean Music, 22), who has a younger brother who plans to enlist in the military, said “The recent incidents and accidents in the military make me think about whether the military is properly taking responsibility.” “If the military’s attitude and structural solutions are not presented, military accidents will continue to occur, so I feel conflicted and worried about sending my brother away,” she added.

Surveillance to improve transparency is urgently needed to address military incidents and responses. The Military Human Rights Center says there is an urgent need to normalize the ombudsman role of “military human rights protection officer” to provide constant monitoring and voice. The Military Human Rights Center said “It is clear that the military's transparency has been enhanced in the long run, but it is still lacking compared to the standards set by our society. The military has a habit of not disclosing everything as “operational” and “security” related, but this practice should be broken and general administrative matters should be transparently disclosed and monitored.”

They continued, adding, “The military has a tendency to treat incidents that happen outside the base as someone else’s problem. Whether you fall and get injured in the military or get injured during an operation, in the grand category of things, it can be considered getting hurt while protecting national security, and the state must feel an unlimited responsibility for this.” 

Reported You Seung-Hyun, Hwang Ju-Won

Translated by Seo Yoo-Jung