Human Rights Commission Recommends Strengthening Policies to Prevent Suicide Among Junior Military Officers

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] The National Human Rights Commission has recommended the Minister of National Defense to establish suicide prevention measures for junior military officers.

On the 1st, the Human Rights Commission advised the Minister of National Defense to develop plans to enhance expertise in suicide prevention, expand anonymous psychological counseling support, and prepare situational prevention measures based on the analysis of suicide types.

The recommendation from the Human Rights Commission follows the results of its ex officio investigation. Due to the continued suicides of junior officers, such as the case in January 2018 where an Air Force second lieutenant died in military accommodation just four days after assignment, and the September 2019 case of an Army second lieutenant who died from a gunshot wound within an outpost, the Commission decided to conduct an ex officio investigation last November.

According to the 2018 military suicide statistics, the proportion of officer suicides was 63%, about twice that of enlisted soldiers, with junior officers within 1 to 3 years of commissioning accounting for 60% of officer suicides. Furthermore, the analysis of suicide causes showed that junior officers, mostly in their mid-20s, held command responsibility over enlisted soldiers and were in a dual position of receiving orders and experiencing work-related stress from superiors. The causes of suicide were characterized by work overload and stress, as well as verbal abuse and assault from seniors or superiors.

The Human Rights Commission judged that additional improvements are necessary for the prevention of suicides among junior officers, who represent a relatively large proportion, based on the ex officio investigation results. It stated that ▲enhancement and standardization of expertise in suicide prevention ▲anonymous psychological counseling programs operated within the military ▲and tailored suicide prevention measures by type are needed.

The Commission stated, "We hope that this recommendation will serve as an opportunity to detect early signs of suicide among soldiers in crisis and foster a military culture that respects life and human rights. Recognizing that saving comrades from suicide is as important as saving them on the battlefield, we expect suicide prevention activities to yield effective results."

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