Military Death Accident Investigation Committee Can Now Investigate Riot Police and Security Prison Officers as Well

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Not only ordinary soldiers but also those who served as combat police or correctional facility security guards will be subject to investigation by the Military Death Accident Truth Commission. The commission's activity period, which was scheduled to end this September, will also be extended by two years.

The National Assembly's National Defense Committee held a plenary session on the afternoon of the 23rd and passed a revision of the "Special Act on the Truth Investigation of Military Death Accidents (Military Death Accident Truth Investigation Act)" reflecting these changes. This alternative bill was prepared by integrating and adjusting bills previously proposed by Min Hong-cheol and Song Jae-ho, members of the Democratic Party of Korea. Through this revision, combat police and correctional security guards will also become subjects of the commission's investigation. Until now, due to the Military Service Act and other reasons, combat police and similar personnel were excluded from the scope of suspicious death investigations. However, as of September last year, there was public demand for truth investigations concerning 36 individuals.

With the expansion of the investigation scope through this legal amendment, demands for truth investigations regarding soldiers who died under suspicious circumstances while serving as combat police or correctional security guards are expected to continue. However, since the petition submission period already ended in September last year, additional demands related to suspicious deaths of combat police or correctional security guards are likely to be addressed through the commission's ex officio investigations.

With the expansion of the investigation scope through this legal amendment, demands for truth investigations regarding soldiers who died under suspicious circumstances while serving as combat police or correctional security guards are expected to continue. However, since the petition submission period already ended in September last year, additional demands related to suspicious deaths of combat police or correctional security guards are likely to be addressed through the commission's ex officio investigations.

The commission's term will also be extended by two years. Although 1,786 petitions have been submitted to the commission, as of November last year, only 538 cases have been concluded, and 1,248 cases are still under investigation. If the commission's activity period expires as originally scheduled in September this year, ongoing investigations may not be completed.

A commission official stated, "With the establishment of previously insufficient regulations such as ex officio investigations and personal information requests, we expect to be able to devote ourselves fully to the investigations."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.