Young men in Korea who are around 20 years old are labeled as Korean soldiers. With some exceptions, most Korean men have to serve in the army and live as soldiers for at least 18 months. During that period, they devote themselves to country with a belief that they have to defend their own country at any cost, but they are separated from the society that they must protect. However, accidents have happened continuously over the years, so their anxiety concerning their duty doesn’t disappear easily. Although they are sacrificing their precious youth to defend the country, many soldiers die or are hurt every year. However, most of the accidents, except for a few cases, could have been prevented. There were some cases where injured soldiers were not properly managed, and the army even concealed some accidents. As a result, the Republic of Korea Army has damaged its own reputation enough to hear, “Just being quite well upon leaving the army is a success.” This article is about accidents in the army and people’s opinions of the army. -Ed.




What People Who Are Involved in Military Affairs Say

  As there have been increases in the number of victims in the military, there are concerns that the army is too dangerous. There are several opinions about this matter.
  Student J, who will go to the army soon: Recently, I heard about a firearm accident in Cheorwon, Gwangwon Province. It will probably worry the people who are going to enter the army soon. When I hear about these kinds of accidents, I am afraid. Whenever the news comes out, I am nervous and worried that I could be the next victim. I have thought that it was common to receive unfair treatment in the army as it is a hierarchical society. However, nowadays, I hope that there will be no unfairness in the army because I will go there for military duty for 2 years and I want the truth of any accident to be revealed. Also, I worry if I will be able to adapt to military society. As I will invest my time in military duty, I hope to be discharged from the army with a healthy body and mind.
  A soldier, Mr. K, who is serving in the army now: Recently, I heard about the Cheorwon firearm accident and I feel sad that the victim was a private first class who didn’t spend much time in the army. The accident occurred because of mismanagement of the shooting range. There are still many irrational policies in the army. For example, some executives send subordinates on errands and they thoughtlessly use the enlisted soldiers’ stuff. I think that there should be a discussion about preventing these problems. The main cause of these problems is that the military is an exclusive organization. To prevent these kinds of problems, I personally think that there should be a separation of powers in the army. The military administration needs to be more upright.
  A father, Y, who has a son waiting to go to military service soon: I think that the Cheorwon firearm accident occurred because of the loose control of the shooting range. It is one of the big problems, and I feel pity that the proper investigation occurred so late. The administration should control and teach the soldiers properly to prevent these problems. As my son will go into the army soon, I am afraid that my son might be involved in a similar situation. Although there are fewer irrational policies than before, many accidents have still occurred, so the administration needs to reveal the causes of the accidents. Also, they should strive to prevent these problems in advance. I think that there should be better communication among the army, the ranks and their parents. Parents are always wondering how their child is doing, so I hope the communication will be more active.

The Accidents That Happened in the Army.

  Last September 26th, a soldier died because of a fatal gun accident at an army base located in Cheorwon, Gwangwon Province. A soldier who was walking behind the shooting range was hit by a stray bullet and died. However, at first, military authorities announced that it was a ricochet in order to conceal this accident. A ricochet is a bullet that glances off a solid object, but the bullet’s tip had no evidence of impact, and the fragment was left in the head of the corpse. Through these facts, the cause of the death was discovered to be a stray bullet, not a ricochet.  There are many firearm accidents each year, and the military authorities seem to be sidestepping the situations without proper investigations.
  There are also many other accidents happening in the army. According to the Military Service Policy Division and the Ministry of National Defense, more than 100 soldiers died every year through 2014. The death toll in the army decreased gradually and was recorded at 93 people in 2015 and 81 people in 2016. However, this figure is limited to only preventable deaths. Therefore, more soldiers are dying than that record states. The cause of deaths in the army can be divided into two categories; negligent accidents and military discipline accidents. A negligent accident is when an unstable person’s behavior and physical conditions are the cause of a death. Car accidents, accidental fires and drowning accidents are examples. Military discipline accidents happen when a soldier intentionally or negligently violates regulations. In this case, they can be subjected to punishment or disciplinary action. Suicides, shooting accidents and assaults are examples. Based on the year 2016, the death toll for negligent accidents was 24, and the toll was 57 for the military discipline accidents.

  These days, the Korean military administration is striving to make a better army by establishing advanced policies in the military culture and stricter military discipline. However, there are still many things to improve. In the future, there needs to be stricter control, better barracks discipline and active communication with the soldiers’ families to improve the army’s reliability.

By Yoo Jin-kyu l jk37@cbnu.ac.kr
By Yoo Seong-woo l sw38@cbnu.ac.kr