Forensic Investigation to Handle Death of Female Air Force Non-Commissioned Officer

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The National Forensic Service, a civilian agency, will take charge of the investigation related to Corporal A, who was found dead at the Air Force 20th Fighter Wing (hereafter 20th Wing).

According to military officials on the 20th, forensic work on Corporal A’s mobile phone and computer was initially planned to be conducted by the Defense Science Research Institute but was transferred to the National Forensic Service at the request of the bereaved family. The site inspection of Corporal A’s case conducted the previous day involved not only the Air Force Investigation Unit but also the Daejeon District Prosecutors’ Office Seosan Branch, Chungnam Provincial Police Agency, the Military Human Rights Protection Officer of the National Human Rights Commission, and civilian organizations such as the Military Human Rights Center.

This forensic work will examine the circumstances that led Corporal A to take an extreme measure and whether there was any connection to work or issues within the workplace during the process. Corporal A graduated from the alma mater of Sergeant Lee Ye-ram, who served at the 20th Wing and took an extreme measure last year due to sexual harassment by a superior. Since Corporal A attended a school for nurturing personnel, it is reported that there was no situation where they would feel unfamiliar with the general military culture or atmosphere.

Since this month, military deaths involving crimes have been transferred to civilian judicial agencies, and the Air Force has notified the civilian police of the incident. At this stage, the military is leading the investigation to determine whether a crime is involved, and if criminal charges are detected, the police will take over the case.

A Ministry of National Defense official said, "The Military Human Rights Protection Officer has been involved in the investigation from the beginning and is cooperating with the civilian police," adding, "A transparent investigation result will be produced."

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