Repeated Deaths of Non-Commissioned Officers in the Military... Urgent Need for Countermeasures

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Since the beginning of this month, suicides among non-commissioned officers (NCOs) in the armed forces have continued without pause. There are concerns that the improvement of NCO human rights remains a relatively blind spot.

According to the Air Force on the 23rd, around 12:07 PM that day, a sergeant belonging to the Air Force Chungju Base was found dead in the barracks. Earlier, in the early morning of the 20th, a sergeant from the Army 2nd Corps 702 Special Forces was also found hanging in the dormitory. The military currently stated, "We are investigating the exact cause and circumstances of the incident."

The mortality rate among NCOs is not decreasing easily. In particular, the suicide rate among NCOs is relatively higher compared to enlisted soldiers. While the human rights of enlisted soldiers have been improving due to policies aimed at reforming military culture, the improvement of NCO human rights has remained a relatively neglected area, according to analysis.

According to data submitted by the Ministry of National Defense to the National Assembly last year, the number of suicides among enlisted soldiers in the military gradually decreased from 58 in 2011 to 27 in 2019. However, the number of suicides among warrant officers and NCOs showed little change during the same period, from 28 to 23. By rank, the suicide rate in 2019 was 0.014% for officers, 0.019% for warrant officers and NCOs, and 0.007% for enlisted soldiers, with warrant officers and NCOs having the highest rate.

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