"If Mom Had Been a Minister, Would It Have Been Like This?" The Agonized Cry of a Soldier's Mother Who Died from Heatstroke

Photo by Army Training Center Instead Delivered Facebook Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Soyoung] Regarding the recent incident in which a soldier collapsed from heatstroke during a search operation in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the mother of the fallen soldier expressed her anger, saying, "My son's cause of death was not heatstroke but indifference," and questioned, "Would the outcome have been the same if I were a minister, or if his father were a member of the National Assembly or a general with stars?"

On the 24th, the Facebook page 'Delivering Messages from the Army Training Center' released a letter from the mother of Corporal Shim Junyong, a medic belonging to the Army's 22nd Division (posthumously promoted from Private First Class to Corporal).

The mother explained, "He wore a bulletproof vest and helmet, carried a military pack on his back, and a box containing ice pads in front, and descended a steep mountain path with a slope of 34 to 42 degrees. It was a densely wooded path where even walking alone was difficult. With the bulletproof vest, helmet, and the pack and box surrounding him front and back, his body could not dissipate heat anywhere, and it must have accumulated steadily. He is usually a child who hardly ever complains about hardship, but he said he was tired three times, and showed abnormal symptoms on the uphill part during the return process."

She continued, "Shortly after, my son collapsed around 12:30. The operation area was so rough that helicopter evacuation was impossible, and eventually, the comrades who were operating with him carried him on their backs and sprinkled water, barely reaching the GP at 2:55. Afterward, he was transferred through Gangneung Armed Forces Hospital and arrived at Gangneung Asan Hospital at 4:15 p.m."

She added, "When my son arrived at the hospital, his body temperature was over 40 degrees Celsius. His brain was swollen to the point that the folds were not visible, and his blood pressure had dropped below 70," and "The hospital later confirmed that the diagnosis was indeed heatstroke."

The mother lamented, "My son, who had only been vaccinated a week ago, who had been at the GP for less than 24 hours, and who had only marched at the training center, was deployed on an operation in terrain where helicopter rescue was impossible without even minimal training. Why was this situation not foreseen?"

She concluded, "Every time I see my son reduced to a handful of ashes in a small container, I am so overwhelmed that I can only cry," and pleaded, "This kind of unfair and heartbreaking death must be the last for my son."

DMZ Peace Trail. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Photo by Asia Economy DB

The deceased, who was an Army medic, collapsed during a DMZ operation on the 1st and passed away on the afternoon of the 8th. The military posthumously promoted the fallen soldier to Corporal and interred him at the National Seoul Memorial Cemetery.

Meanwhile, the military plans to announce the 'interim investigation results' next week after compiling the family's inquiries and investigation matters. A military official stated, "Based on the on-site verification of the accident circumstances, the corps military police explained the situation at the scene to the parents," and added, "We will ensure the conditions for soldiers to perform their duties, conduct prior risk assessments, and prepare measures to prevent recurrence of similar cases."

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