[2nd Report] Seo Wook Expresses "Deep Apology and Heavy Responsibility" for Cheonghae Unit Cluster Infection

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter]On the 20th, Defense Minister Seo Wook stated, "As the Minister of National Defense, I deeply feel a heavy responsibility for the occurrence of numerous confirmed cases due to insufficient meticulous care for the 34th Cheonghae Unit soldiers."

Minister Seo made this statement during a public apology at the briefing room of the Ministry of National Defense building in Yongsan, Seoul, saying, "I offer my sincere apologies to the soldiers of the Cheonghae Unit, their families, and the public."

He added, "Although we have actively promoted vaccination for all soldiers, including those deployed overseas, there was a lack of effort in vaccinating the soldiers of the Cheonghae Unit who departed in February," and "We will thoroughly review the problems in the quarantine measures of overseas deployment units and comprehensively improve all related measures."

This marks the sixth apology by Minister Seo since his inauguration last September, following incidents such as the failure to detect North Korean defectors (February 17), controversies over poor meals and excessive quarantine (April 28), and the death of an Air Force non-commissioned officer due to sexual harassment (June 9 and 10, July 7).

Among the 301 soldiers aboard the Munmu the Great ship of the 34th Cheonghae Unit who departed in February, a total of 247 (82.1%) have been confirmed infected to date. The confirmed cases include the captain and deputy captain of the Munmu the Great, with 19 out of approximately 30 officers reported infected. The remaining 50 tested negative, and 4 were classified as 'undetermined.'

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