Naval Colonel Removed from Position After Subordinate's Extreme Choice

The Army, Navy, and Air Force headquarters located at Gyeryongdae in Daejeon.

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Colonel A, affiliated with the Naval Headquarters Investigation Unit, has been relieved of duty. Colonel A, the superior officer of a lieutenant colonel in the Naval Investigation Unit who took an extreme measure, has been booked on charges of abuse of authority and obstruction of the exercise of rights.

According to the military on the 14th, Lieutenant Colonel B, who served as the commander of a subordinate unit under the Naval Investigation Unit and concurrently held the position of metropolitan investigation team leader, was found dead in his office on the 29th of last month, about two months after assuming the dual role.

According to the bereaved family, Lieutenant Colonel B had complained of severe work-related stress during his lifetime, particularly struggling due to performance pressure and unreasonable personnel measures imposed by his superior, Colonel A. In his suicide note, Lieutenant Colonel B wrote, "It’s too hard. I have no strength to endure... Because of whom am I like this? Did A (my superior) make me like this?" He also lamented, "Promotion, assignment, life?these things... every day since the dual appointment has been very hard," and "I do not want to remember the person who made me suffer."

It is reported that Colonel A was involved beyond his authority in the appointment process of Lieutenant Colonel B, the deceased investigation unit officer. The Ministry of National Defense Investigation Headquarters booked Colonel A on charges of abuse of authority and obstruction of the exercise of rights on the 30th of last month.

A military official explained, "Relief from duty does not automatically follow upon booking; it occurs only when it is judged that the individual cannot perform their normal duties properly due to the booking."

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